An earlier post discussed the Queen of the Night, Ishtar, also known as, Inanna, Aphrodite, etc. Another in the rich history of bird-people is the Persian godlike figure known as the Faravahar. The Faravahar, like the Queen of the Night, is a relatively normal-looking human with wings (see below).
The Faravahar is associated with Zoroastrianism, which is based on the teachings and philosophies of the great prophet Zoroaster.
Zoroaster, to quote Tom Holland from the very good history Persian Fire, was the "man who had first revealed to a startled world that it was the battleground in a relentless war between good and evil." He was also unique in his vision that "the cosmos would not keep revolving forever, as had always been assumed, but move instead towards a mighty end, a universal apocalypse where Truth would annihilate all falsehoods."
The two great actors in Zoroaster's play are Ahura Mazda, the force for truth, and Angra Mainyu, the force for chaos and untruth. Caught between the two forces, Zoroaster believed humans get to exercise their free will to do either good or evil.
Which brings us to the Faravahar. The Faravahar is literally or, rather, etymologically, a guardian angel that
helps people navigate the space between good and evil. Most notably, the Faravahar confers legitimacy on the leaders of the people, reassuring the people that they are in good hands or bringing destruction to the illegitimate ruler. As a result, Persian rulers throughout time have sought to associate themselves with the Faravahar as a sort of seal of approval. Darius went to far as to have a Faravahar carved into the side of a mountain along the all-important Khorasan Highway to legitimize his illegitimate seizure of power.
It is quite a monument. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behistun_Inscription
So the ancients have "created" for us another bird-person in a position of power. Hmmmm...
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