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Updated 2026-11-12

MouseOxTigerRabbitDragonSnakeHorseSheepMonkeyRoosterDogPig

Gold lines join the sign with its allies, the dashed line with its best match; red marks the opposite sign. Tap a sign to open it.

Tibetan Zodiac: the Rooster (Bird)

Traits and the 2026 Fire Horse year outlook for the Rooster (Bird) in the Tibetan-Mongolian (zurkhai) tradition.

Traits: Observant, hardworking, confident and meticulous.

In the Fire Horse year (2026): Rooster (metal) is challenged by Fire — traditionally a year for caution and care.

Rooster — the Bird (Hen) of the 12 animals
Rooster — the Bird (Hen) of the 12 animalsImage: Jebulon · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

The Rooster across the five elements

Over the 60-year cycle the Rooster appears once with each of the five elements — each pairing gives a different character:

Wood Roosterspring Fire Roostersummer Earth Roosterthe turn of the seasons Metal Roosterautumn Water Roosterwinter

Years of the Rooster

Recent years of the Rooster: 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029. The Rooster returns every twelve years, each time carrying a different one of the five elements — which is why a 2029 Rooster and a 2017 Rooster are read differently in zurkhai.

A hen — the sign is called Bird, Hen or Rooster
A hen — the sign is called Bird, Hen or RoosterImage: Stephen Mierendorf · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Who the Rooster gets on with

In zurkhai compatibility the Rooster's closest match is the Dragon — its Liu He, or "six-harmony", partner. Its natural allies are the Ox and Snake (together they form one of the four San He triangles), while its traditional opposite is the Rabbit, a pairing said to need extra care. These animal rules are only one of four parameters the app weighs — element, animal, menge and parkha — when it calculates full couple compatibility.

Check a couple's compatibility in the app. The animal match above is only one of four factors. The Zurkhai app for iPhone weighs all four — element, animal, menge and parkha — and gives any two birth dates a 1–5 star rating with a detailed reading. Check compatibility in the App Store →

Next 30 days by animal compatibility

Good for you 14 Nov, 15 Nov, 19 Nov, 23 Nov, 26 Nov, 27 Nov, 1 Dec, 5 Dec, 8 Dec, 9 Dec

Tense 13 Nov, 25 Nov, 7 Dec

Good days are those of your allies, your best match and your own animal; tense days belong to the opposite sign.

The 12 animals of zurkhai

MouseOxTigerRabbitDragonSnakeHorseSheepMonkeyRoosterDogPig

Frequently asked

What is the Tibetan zodiac Rooster like?
Observant, hardworking, confident and meticulous.
Which animals is the Rooster compatible with?
The Rooster's closest match is the Dragon; its allies are the Ox and Snake; its traditional opposite is the Rabbit.
How does the Rooster fare in the Fire Horse year 2026?
Rooster (metal) is challenged by Fire — traditionally a year for caution and care.
How does the Tibetan zodiac work?
Tibetan astrology overlays a 12-year cycle of animals with a 5-element cycle (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Each element governs two consecutive years, so 12 animals × 5 elements form a 60-year cycle before the same animal+element pairing repeats. Every year therefore carries both an animal and an element — 2026 is the Fire Horse. The system blends indigenous Bon astrology, Chinese-derived element/animal astrology, and Indian Kalachakra star astrology.

The Fire Horse year 2026 → · What is zurkhai? →

Animal/element traits and yearly outlooks are presented as traditional belief, not fact, and vary between astrologers and lineages.