While I was growing up, we always expected the arrival of a visitor each time we saw two fowls fighting. Sometimes, people indeed welcome visitors while other times they don't, but we never stopped to believe in that superstition. The fact that evil people most often visit their targets disguised as an animal, Africans had taken notice of the animals they transform into to carry out their act, sometimes for good luck while other times for bad luck. Wall geckos are considered as bad luck especially when seen at night, they're believed to be responsible for evil dreams and could cause bad luck in reality. So whenever someone keeps experiencing bad dreams, sometimes we suspect a wall gecko in the room.
Cats are also animals considered to be demonic or used by witchcraft to carry out their evil plans. A lot of Africans, or let's say, a typical African man does not keep a cat as a pet. Everything about that animal disgusts them and inscribes it to the nature of the cat they believe to be evil and a causal of bad luck. Just a few Africans keep cats and that's for the purpose of hunting for rats at home.
Finally, there's a bird that's believed to always bring a sad message of death. They come in groups each time they're to pass a message. They have long beaks, black in color, and dark eyes. I don't know the name of the bird but I saw one when I was in the village close to a woman's house chirping so loudly. People try to chase them away each time such birds come, maybe to wave off the bad news or wave off the evil- that I don't know. How Africans got this superstitious belief is what I don't know but it has been passed down to generations.
No animal is considered as good luck that I know except for doves which represent peace. People rear doves but there's no belief tied around it for good luck. But as funny and unbelievable as the above mentioned superstitions are, most often people experience what is said to happen and this has made a lot of people believe it's real.
