Owl

OWL -  The owl is honored as the keeper of spirits who had passed from one plane to another, winging it's newly freed soul from the physical world into the realm of spirit.   In ancient Egyptian, Celtic, and Hindu cultures the symbolic meaning of owl revolved around guardianship and a protection of the dead.  In this light the owl was ruler of the night and seer of souls.  

Native Americans associated the meaning of the owl with wisdom, foresight, and keeper of sacred knowledge. This may largely be due to the fact that the owl is a great foreteller of weather conditions.  Also its ability to see at night is legend among the Native Americans, and this attribute would be invoked during ceremonies when secret knowledge was required.