China is famously described as having the shape of 一只雄鸡 ('a rooster') on the map — a patriotic image taught in schools. The rooster is also one of the twelve zodiac animals (生肖鸡), and roosters are seen as auspicious in folk culture for chasing away evil and announcing the dawn.
usage
雄 (male) + 鸡 (chicken) is the formal/literary word; in everyday speech 公鸡 (gōngjī, 'male chicken') is far more common. 雄鸡 keeps a more elevated, written feel — common in poetry, news, and idioms like 雄鸡报晓 'the rooster announces dawn'.
