The connection between King David (known as Dawud in Islam) and birds differs depending on the text: 

1. Islamic Tradition (The Quran & Hadith)

• Miraculous Harmony: The Quran (Surah Al-Anbiya 21:79) notes that God subjected the mountains and the birds to sing praises along with David. 
• The Meaning of the Miracle: When he recited the Psalms (Zabur) in his beautiful voice, the birds would flock around him and join in praising God. 
• Language of the Birds: Islamic tradition holds that he was gifted the ability to understand the languages of birds and beasts. 

2. Jewish Midrash & Talmud

• The Prophet and the Bird: In Rabbinic literature, such as the Midrash, David learns profound lessons about humility and God’s creation from birds. 
• The Bee and the Spider: A famous Midrashic tale details David hiding in a cave from King Saul. A spider spins a web at the entrance, and a bird (or wasp) comes and destroys it. This confuses Saul’s men, who assume no one could be hiding inside, saving David’s life. 

3. Biblical Metaphors

• As a Shepherd and Poet: In the Psalms, David draws on his years as a shepherd to use bird imagery. He famously compares the swiftness of warriors to eagles (2 Samuel 1:23). 
• The Carrion Threat: David also uses birds as a symbol of death and defeat in battle. Before fighting Goliath, Goliath threatens to feed David’s flesh to the “birds of the air”. David fiercely turns this around, vowing to feed Goliath’s army to the birds so the whole world knows the battle belongs to God. 

If you want, I can dive deeper into:

• How birds are used as symbols in the Psalms
• The exact Quranic verses referencing Prophet David’s miracles
• The Midrashic stories of David and animal wisdom

Let me know which of these you would like to explore!