kite, horned owl, wine cups
鵄 centers on a bird of prey or a specific owl, with the kite and horned owl as the main bird meanings. The wine cups sense is a separate, rare usage that does not share an obvious conceptual link with the bird meanings.
鵄 combines 至 (arrive) with 鳥 (bird), likely as a phono-semantic compound where 至 hints at the sound and 鳥 indicates a bird. The exact historical development is uncertain.
A bird (鳥) that arrives (至) silently like a kite or horned owl. Picture a kite swooping down to its perch.
For シ, imagine a she-kite (female kite) arriving at its nest: she -> シ, and the bird 鳥 arrives 至.