30 Eagle Tattoo Ideas That Will Make Your Heart Soar

The eagle is a celebrated bird in many cultures and is considered the “king of the skies.” These beautiful birds symbolize courage, strength, and immortality so it should come as no surprise that eagle tattoos are popular around the world today. In the United States and other countries that use the eagle as a national symbol, it takes on even more meaning for some who wear their eagle tattoos like a badge of honor. In the US, they are also considered symbols of patriotism and are popular among many those who have completed military service. In the US, eagles are one of, if not the, most popular birds to get inked.

If you’re considering getting an eagle tattoo, you’ve come to the right place because we’ve curated a list with some of the best bird tattoos ever created. Each one represents an idea whether it be for tone, placement, color, or any other number of features. Landing on the right design for your tattoo should be in concert with a tattoo artist who you trust and who will collaborate with you on the piece until you nail down the perfect design for you that’s the right fit. Now, go get some eagle ink inspiration!

Discover the Best Eagle Tattoos Below and Get Some Fresh Ideas for Your Own Design.

Smoking

We’re kicking things off with a very dramatic eagle tattoo that finds the bird inside a smoldering black and grey frame. The golden eye glistens like amber and contrasts with the darker colors that surround it. If you want to bring a black ink tattoo to life, a little pop of color is all it takes.

Incoming

This still of an eagle coming in for the kill is one of the most popular designs for eagle tattoos. We believe it’s so beloved due to its movement that really looks as if the eagle is in flight. Delicate shading provides texture for the feathers on the wings here and it looks so detailed.

Traditional

We find the eagle in a similar pose here but it’s been done in a completely different style. This is an American traditional tattoo that looks like the eagle tattoos that folks have been getting for decades. Thick, bold lines and colors that pop are hallmarks of this style.

Golden

How handsome does the golden yellow ink look in this eagle tattoo? We think black and gold is a match made in heaven and that it really worked well for this design. There’s a tiny skull here for good measure but you could go without it if that’s not the tone you’re going for.

Setting the Scene

If you’d like a larger eagle tattoo, consider creating a full sleeve or half sleeve tattoo that features the bird. In the above example, we find a tranquil nature scene punctuated by a rose and a very large eagle’s head that covers the upper arm.

Micro

Micro tattoos are a huge trend today. Some people get small little symbols that are pretty basic but still fun. But, you can go for a micro realism situation if you find the right tattoo artist. In this example, we find a handsome eagle tattoo that’s roughly the size of a quarter. Look at all the detail captured in such a small area. Wow!

Bold In Black

If you prefer just black and grey ink, there are many directions you can still take your eagle tattoo. This is a more traditional design that’s been reworked so that it works with just black ink. Isn’t a bold statement piece?

Sketchy

There are many different styles of tattooing and one that’s emerged in recent years is “sketch” tattoos that look like illustrations with plenty of movement lines and other elements that make it look like a work of art on a piece of paper.

Watercolor

Similar to the previous design, watercolor tattoos also mimic visual art on paper. This one’s done with a cool blue background but you can choose your favorite color for something similar. You can take the color much further if you want to. The world’s your oyster.

Singular Style

This is almost traditional so we might describe this style as neo-traditional because it utilizes some elements from traditional tattooing but looks completely fresh in its style. There’s no shading here which results in a bold, graphic eagle tattoo that almost looks like a screenprint.

Geometric

Do you like straight lines? This eagle tattoo contains almost nothing but them to give it a sort of cubist, disjointed look. Geometric tattoos can be hit or miss so work closely with your artist if you’re considering one. These designs also work very well in color. Instead of black ink, go with your favorite for a design that really makes a statement.

It’s in the Details

Wow! This eagle tattoo looks so accurate. It’s not too far from looking photorealistic. There are so many minute lines employed here to give the wings and feathers the right texture. Find yourself an artist with real skill and you could walk away with a real masterpiece.

Electric

We’re not entirely sure what the significance of the volcano is in this half-sleeve tattoo. All we know is that orange and blue look stunning together in this eagle tattoo. Take a look at the highlight around the lightning bolt here. It really does look like its glowing.

Going Big

Now, not everyone is going to want a tattoo that covers their entire back. But, if you do want a larger eagle tattoo, you can absolutely go after it. In this fiery scene, we find an eagle and a couple of snakes engaged in a sort of battle. There’s a balance here that really works well and the overall shape of the design accentuates the natural shape of the back.

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Micro Part II

Here’s another micro tattoo that contains a multitude of detail in such a small amount of real estate. If you want a small eagle tattoo, you will need to decide if you want something with a great amount of detail or something more minimal. As you can see, going small with it can make a huge statement.

Lady Face

“Lady Face” tattoos have been a popular tradition in American tattooing for decades. We’ve never seen one quite like this. There’s a face tucked between the wings of an eagle here that looks whimsical and beautiful. If you’re interested in a warmer design, consider something similar.

What a Stunner

Here is one of our favorite eagle tattoos on the list. Orange, gold, grey, and black work in concert to make this design explode off the neck. There’s a little bit of green and white as well to provide contrast with the darker elements of the design. What a dream!

Outside the Box

Here’s a very silly eagle tattoo that we would categorize as a joke tattoo. For the most part, this is a pretty standard eagle tattoo but when you get to the bird’s head, there’s a smiley face there instead. It’s frivolous and fun and would be the right sort of thing to get if you’re not taking yourself too seriously.

An Artful Face

This feels like a combination of the watercolor and sketch styles and the face of this eagle looks so expressive. Blue and yellow swim together in this handsome design that’s a celebration of visual art.

Feeling Blue

We’ve never seen a blue eagle in the wild but that does not mean that you can’t bring one to life in tattoo form. Really, go ahead and play with your favorite color for a tattoo that will always make you smile. This bold wash of blue was a risky choice but it clearly has paid off.

Fine Ornamentation

If you’d like to embellish your eagle tattoo, think of some cool decorative elements that you can add to it for balance and even more visual interest. There’s a sort of halo around the head of this bird with an arrow that points both up and down. These details are fine and not too big but they add so much to the design.

Harley

Okay! We’ve got a Harley Davidson fan out there who got their eagle tattoo with a little something extra. The Harley symbol is bold in just black and orange here and it was an interesting choice to not include the actual name of the brand in the design. Your eagle tattoo can be whatever you want so remember that the sky is the limit.

Expressive

This is one of the more expressive and romantic eagle tattoos on the list. A boy is put on top of an eagle in this case with all sorts of bits and bobs around for added symbolic meaning. Again, working with an artist with a real point of view and skill with design will result in some truly magical ink.

Claws Out

This eagle. tattoo almost looks like a crest with its round shape and border. We really like the talons coming forward that read as dangerous and even menacing. It’s a moving design and something similar could be perfect for a small or medium-sized design.

Armband Eagle Tattoo

Armband tattoos were once much more popular than they are today. We desperately want this trend to come back because these designs usually yield some very cool tattoos. An eagle can be found here framed by the band with swirling lines of black and blue around it. There are many ways for you to pull this off.

Neon Eagle

Have you ever seen a tattoo like this? What an amazing use of color and a cool technique that makes this eagle look like it’s glowing on this person’s chest. If you’d like an explosion of color like this, work with a seasoned artist who can cleverly make it work for you.

Eagle Skull

We find a pretty traditional flash design with this eagle tattoo that is also somehow a skull. It’s a weird visual mashup but it does look very inspired. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel with your eagle tattoo and if you want something a bit more traditional, that’s totally cool.

In the Right Direction

We found this eagle tattoo to be very stylized and almost ornamental. It’s placed on top of a compass which proves a great visual metaphor. If you’re wanting to move in a certain direction, consider a tattoo that’s similar. That circle surrounding the eagle really does make a great pairing.

With Heart

In this fiery neo-traditional tattoo, we find a heart in the grips of an eagle. There are some really bright ink colors happening here and it proves to be a really bold design. If you’re looking to go all out with a larger tattoo, something with action like this could be a fantastic option.

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The Pilot

Now, we leave you with our favorite eagle tattoo on the list. It’s an eagle that’s been fashioned to look like a pilot. Where do you think this aviator is going to take you? For a touch of whimsy, a tattoo like this reads as playful and inspired. Have fun with it, folks!

There you go! We hope these eagle tattoos lifted your spirits. We also hope that you found inspiration for your next tattoo. If you enjoyed these eagle tattoos, take a look at some other bird tattoos for further inspiration.

Get Inspired by These Beautiful Bird Tattoo Ideas!

Winter Flowers

Camellia flowers are treasured across Asia and this gorgeous green and yellow bird is perched among them. This stunning tattoo was shared by a Korean tattoo artist who must be proud of this achievement.

A Stunning Silhouette

While colorful ink is attractive, sometimes simple black and grey prove even more dramatic. This silhouette of a bird in flight contains a dense floral scene that’s absolutely gorgeous.

A Berry Bluebird

Wow! This watercolor tattoo of a bluebird is mystifying in the best sort of way. The design borders on abstract, using just basic shapes and intense color-blocking. There’s so much movement here! We love this bird tattoo!

Baby Blues

You can always give your bird tattoo some supernatural flare by including possessed blue eyes that seem to peer straight into the soul. This owl tattoo is beautiful, but we’re not sure how we feel about the accentuated demon eyes.

What Ya Got There?

Wow! This stunner of a bluebird really pops in front of the golden ink used to shade the sun. The bird has in its clutches the stems of some truly gorgeous roses that also balance the design with their red color.

Do the Dodo

The now extinct dodo bird didn’t fear humans and made them easy to catch by Dutch sailors who ate the bird to extinction. The dodo wanted to be friends, but humans messed it all up! This very simple tattoo manages to capture a touch of the bird’s melancholy and is a completely original and unique design.

Floral Flyer

Don’t just get a hummingbird tattoo of the bird feeding on flowers. No, go all the way and make the hummingbird made of flowers as well! This very large tattoo is bursting with color and life! We need more like this.

A Swallow

Swallows are extremely popular birds for tattoo enthusiasts and have been since British sailors got them tattooed as symbols for their sailing experience. The swallow was chosen because lore had it that they could travel over 5,000 nautical miles. Typically, these tattoos were placed on the neck or hands. This swallow differs from the more traditional design and instead exemplifies the photorealistic style to great effect.

Periquito

Look at this adorable parakeet! The many colors used to make this bird shine have been expertly blended and shaded. There’s also a hint of a watercolor effect that surrounds the little cutie.

The Crane

This Japanese-style stork or crane has a lot going for it. The deep colors and angular lines give it an almost wallpaper-y 2-D effect.

Beakaboo!

This super-sharp traditional design depicting a parrot is insanely beautiful. We love the boiled-down 2-D shapes in the wings that border on geometric patterning. The use of black ink is completely balanced with the blues, reds, and golds.

Diving Loon

This tattoo of a diving loon in the midst of a dramatic dive belongs to a birder named Rosie. This very tidy and sharp tattoo is both dramatic and somewhat playful. A very unique choice that, thanks to the artist, has been pulled off well.

Colorful Cardinal

Oh, hello! This cheerful cardinal tattoo has a cartoonish quality to it thanks to the bird’s amicable expression. The intense red is mellowed out by the blue accents found in the clouds in the background.

Tiny Bird

Micro tattoos are always such fun. This very, very small tattoo was achieved by forgoing the tattoo gun and instead hand-poking the tattoo with a needle. The very delicate dot work here is a triumph.

Pretty, Pretty Peacock

This dreamy design imagines the feathers of a peacock with mosaic-like shapes in its feathers. The plumage is where it’s at in this bird tattoo and it’s glorious.

That’s an Eagle

If you’re going to get a tattoo of a bird, you can go big with an entire sleeve of a bird’s face. Why not? This very realistic design was most likely tattooed by an artist with portrait experience. This was a choice!

Rad Red Robin

This regal red robin is flanked by leaves and berries. It is in front of a seafoam green backdrop, this orange of the robin’s breast really shines. What a marvelous bird tattoo.

Brilliantly Blue Hawk

For this bird tattoo, we find a grey hawk flanked by blue feathers. Take a look at the bird’s eye and you will find that same, vibrant blue repeated.

Who?

Owls have the most mysterious and dazzling eyes and we’re getting a closeup of one in this tattoo. This mesmerizing bird tattoo includes autumn leaves as opposed to summer ones to give the overall design a warm tone. This is just incredible.

A Touch of Whimsy

Take a look at this chap! We’re not entirely sure what is going on here and we’re not mad about it. We’re all for birds in suiting.

Finely Feathered

This tattoo hails from Poland but the artist explained that the design was inspired by Japanese themes. The lines of the tattoo are so fine and paired with the awesome shading that provides texture, it’s a real winner.

Rockin’ Robin

Here, we find another robin, however, it’s been done in a completely different style. The feathers are composed of hard shapes to give them form. The breast of the bird is dotted with parallel shapes giving it the overall appearance of patterning. It’s remarkable.

Hawk & Roses

This impressive bird tattoo happens to be huge! We find a hawk entangled in roses which marries soft and tough. The detailing of the bird’s feather in the foreground is amazing. Well done!

Little Baby Bird

While you can go big and get a bird tattoo that’s essentially a half sleeve, there’s nothing wrong with keeping things cute and small. This soft, delicate tattoo is beaming with pastel color. The absence of black ink really helps to keep this hummingbird design as light as a feather.

Birds & Berries

This bird tattoo is the perfect meditation on texture. Each component of this design is beautifully shaded with texture that can be seen in the feathers of the birds and the details on the leaves.

A Cartoonish Pigeon

How fun is this bird tattoo that looks like a work of art? It’s such a singular design that feels so unique and special. Work with a tattoo artist with a point of view to walk away with something as fabulous as this.

Almost Abstract

With this bird tattoo, you can’t tell what kind of bird it is which might appeal to you. It reads as almost a symbol of the winged creatures complete with a sun detail.

A Touch of Magic

In this bird tattoo, we find our feathered friend holding onto a potion. Take a look at all of the marvelous dots used to compose this very fine design. It truly looks magical.

Ornamental

Here’s another one of the bird tattoos that is almost an abstract design. This bird is comprised of elements that look like ornamental motifs. Fine lines really make this tattoo a standout.

Explosive Color

When black ink is absent, tattoos can look impressionistic and free. In this design, we find a rainbow-colored bird emerging from a diamond shape which proves refreshing and cool.

Tiny Silhouettes

Micro tattoos of bird silhouettes are a very popular choice today. They are fine but know that you will be in very good company should you decide to request bird tattoos like these.

Dove & Bird of Paradise

One of the most beautiful plants on earth, the bird of paradise, is paired with a dove for a unique and intriguing bird tattoo. We love the use of blue ink for shading on the white bird.

So Much Movement

Here’s another bird tattoo that skews abstract. We get the overall shape from a happy mess of lines in both black and light grey. They keep the eye busy and offer plenty of movement.

An Owl in a Top Hat

This neo-traditional tattoo marries old-school techniques with contemporary color choices. It feels both new and old at the same time which might appeal to you if you love traditional tattooing but want to explore the boundaries of it.

Minimalist Bird on a Wire

One of the most subtle bird tattoos on this list comes in the form of a very minimal bird on a wire. You don’t have to go big and colorful to make a solid statement with your ink.

The Geese

These little geese have been tattooed with such care. Delicate shading and very fine lines bring them to life.

Red Wing Black Birds

One of our favorite bird tattoos on this list finds a couple of blackbirds intertwined. The result is an almost geometric shape. Work with a tattoo artist who knows a thing or two about composition and you could walk away with something as equally cool.

Oh, So Real

Here’s another photorealistic bird tattoo that forms an entire sleeve. Capturing your feathered friend in its natural setting proves a great option if you’ve got plenty of time and money to invest.

Good Day, Sir

Oh, hello! Here’s yet another bird dressed up in human clothing. He looks like a rather dapper fellow. Consider something similar for a touch of whimsy.

One Cool Customer

This black and grey tattoo is simply stunning. There are so many minute details that you can get lost looking at it. There’s an interesting black line whipping around that adds to the coolness of this design.

Wonderfully Weird

You don’t need to stick to the script and, in fact, the further you stray from conventional designs, the better. It’s hard to find the words to describe this bird tattoo so just take a good look at it to enjoy the strangeness.

Surrealist

This bird tattoo reminds us of surrealist art. It bucks convention and relies on dream logic to make sense. Why else would a very big bird be inside all alone?

Bold Blue Heron

The great blue heron is a wading bird that can be found all over the western world. This loving portrait finds one framed by a golden sun that contrasts with the blue color of the bird. What a dream!

A Swell Swallow

As we mentioned, swallow bird tattoos are exceedingly common these days. We find this one offering more style than others you will encounter. Bold, black shapes help shape and define the form in a very interesting and refreshing way.

Like Smoke

Here’s one of the bird tattoos that verges on the abstract. You can find the familiar form composed of brushstrokes that almost look like smoke. Isn’t it magnificent?

A Handsome Raven

Raven tattoos are fairly common but few look this neat and tidy. The tattoo has been expertly shaded with golden-orange flowers that help strike balance.

Painted on Water

Here’s one of the best watercolor bird tattoos on this list. The body of the bird is mostly solid but as your eye moves away from the head to the wings, you will get more of an impression of wings that look as if they’ve been painted on.

Fancy Flamingo

Let us not forget the virtues of a handsome, pink flamingo. This bird tattoo is so crisp with tiny details that are absolutely enviable. Who else wants a tattoo of one of these pink birds now?

Crane Scissors

How cool are these scissors with a bird design on the handle? Clean, black lines make this tattoo really stand out for all the right reasons. If you keep things clean and simple, you will not regret it. There’s something to be said about restraint when it comes to tattoo design.

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In My Heart

We at Mamas Uncut love a pet tattoo and this little companion is such a cutie. The lines and details are so fine here with the bird encased in the most gentle heart shape. We have fallen in love with this golden bird too!