The carvings of creatures with a dragon's head and fish's body found under the sky pillars are said to protect the temple from fire, while the legendary birds carved on the eaves were once said to have been cruel enough to eat their mother.
臺北孔廟中總共有十四隻，分別在大成殿通天柱下，以及儀門、櫺星門、崇聖祠的屋脊或歸帶上。棲息在飛簷上的「梟鳥」，也流傳著另一個發人深省的故事。梟鳥本是最乖戾殘暴的一種鳥，羽毛豐滿之時，會將母鳥吞食，被視為一種不孝與不祥的鳥類。