Stymphalian Birds

The Stymphalian Birds were birds that had originally lived in the swamp at Lake Stymphalus, in Arcadia.

Heracles' sixth labour involved killing or driving off the Stymphalian Birds that had plagued northern Arcadia. Athena gave Heracles a brazen rattle to frighten the birds into flight. Then Heracles shot down many of the birds before driving the rest of them away.

According to Apollonius of Rhodes, the Stymphalian Birds fled to a deserted island sacred to Ares, in the Black Sea. The Argonauts encountered the Stymphalian Birds, and they dropped a feather made of bronze. One Argonaut was killed when one of the feathers dropped on his head. Another Argonaut was wounded.

The Argonauts had to hold shields over their heads to protect themselves from the heavy bronze feathers. Two Arcadian warriors remembered how Heracles drove them off with a loud rattle. So the Argonauts banged their shields with their swords and shouted war cries to drive off the birds.