No bird is better than another, and neither is any of the sixteen types. What matches is the behaviour: how it flies, how long it waits, when it calls. One bird for each of the sixteen, as a metaphor and nothing more.
Owl
WhyHas already seen everything while it was still dark. Comes in without a sound and moves only when needed.
In the flockIt never calls, so nobody notices it is there.
Albatross
WhyBarely flaps at all and glides hundreds of kilometres on the wind alone. Efficiency taken to its end.
In the flockSuperb at gliding. Only the take-off and the landing stay forever awkward.
Peregrine falcon
WhyTakes aim from high up and drops on it at speed. No hesitation anywhere in it.
In the flockThe contest is decided by position long before the prey is reached.
Crow
WhyUses tools and solves the trap as a game. The same trick never works twice.
In the flockWhen bored, it starts experiments nobody asked for.
Crane
WhyStands quietly at the edge of the flock, watching the whole. When it moves, it is for someone else.
In the flockIt states no needs of its own, so others have to notice for it.
Nightjar
WhyInconspicuous by day and fully itself at night. Feels time differently from everyone around it.
In the flockBright light and loud noise are the hardest things.
Starling
WhyInterested less in its own flight than in the shape the whole flock makes.
In the flockMost fulfilled in the instant the flock turns as one.
Swallow
WhyCrosses continents with the seasons, and can build a nest wherever it lands.
In the flockAs light on leaving as it is loud on returning.
Emperor penguin
WhyKeeps the formation. Takes its turn, rotating inside and outside, and gets through the cold that way.
In the flockDislikes a broken line more than it dislikes the cold.
Goose
WhyMore reliable than a guard dog at announcing whatever approaches. Calls to protect what is inside the line.
In the flockQuiet as a rule; startlingly fierce the moment someone crosses.
Woodpecker
WhyStrikes the same spot until the hole is there. Solves by volume, never by changing the method.
In the flockYou always know where it is, because you can hear it working.
Sparrow
WhyLives right beside human life and keeps it noisy, in numbers. Spends little time alone.
In the flockWhen someone arrives, its first act is to tell everybody.
Kingfisher
WhyWaits motionless on the branch and dives once, exactly. Does not miss.
In the flockDoes not experience the length of the wait as boredom.
Hummingbird
WhyFinds the sweetest place and stays there. Fast in movement, short in distance.
In the flockCan hold still in mid-air — a technique for not having to travel.
Osprey
WhyGoes into the water body and all to take it. Getting wet is not a consideration.
In the flockA miss costs nothing; the next strike comes straight away.
Peacock
WhyThe instant it opens, everyone present turns around. Being watched is where the power comes from.
In the flockWhere nobody is looking, opening the tail loses its point.
How a bird is described changes with the region and with the research. Here it is used only as a metaphor for movement. Other metaphors: dog breeds, instruments, football, vehicles, rooms.
The birds are only the entrance. Pick your type and theirs, and you find which of the sixteen relations the two of you are in.
Pick the two types