The three fairy-bluebirds are small passerine bird species found in forests and plantations in tropical southern Asia and the Philippines. They are the sole members of the genus Irena and family Irenidae, and are related to the ioras and leafbirds.
In the indigenous religion of the ancient Tagalogs, Bathala/Maykapal was the transcendent Supreme Being, the originator and ruler of the universe. He is commonly known and referred to in the modern era as Bathala, a term or title which, in earlier times, also applied to lesser beings such as personal tutelary spirits, omen birds, comets, and other heavenly bodies which the early Tagalog people believed predicted events. It was after the arrival of the Spanish missionaries in the Philippines in the 16th century that Bathala /Maykapal came to be identified with the Christian God, hence its synonymy with Diyos. Over the course of the 19th century, the term Bathala was totally replaced by Panginoon (Lord) and Diyos (God). It was no longer used until it was popularized again by Filipinos who learned from chronicles that the Tagalogs' indigenous God was called Bathala.
The Asian fairy-bluebird is a medium-sized, arboreal passerine bird. This fairy-bluebird is found in forests across tropical southern Asia, Indochina and the Greater Sundas. Two or three eggs are laid in a small cup nest in a tree. It was described by British ornithologist John Latham in 1790. The only other member of the genus and family is the Philippine fairy-bluebird, I. cyanogastra, which replaces the Asian fairy-bluebird in most of the Philippines. Both species are considered as sacred to the Tagalog people as they are perceived as tigmamanukan omens.
The pink-bellied imperial pigeon, also known as the zone-tailed pigeon, is found in the Philippines. It is a large fruit-eating bird reaching sizes of up to 42cm long.
The Philippine nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its local names are kandarapa (Tagalog) and tagolilong (Cebuano).
The amethyst brown dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae.
The Philippine dwarf kingfisher is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae that is endemic to the Philippines found in the islands of Luzon, Polillo Islands, Catanduanes, Basilan, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. But it is threatened by habitat loss.
The yellow-bellied whistler, or Philippine whistler, is a species of bird in the family Pachycephalidae that is endemic to the Philippines.
The whiskered pitta is a rare species of bird in the family Pittidae. It is endemic to Luzon in the Philippines. This bird is the largest pitta in the country reaching 23 cm long and 116 g in mass. It has a brownish head, blue breast, and red belly. It has broad ash malar or "whiskers". Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest and tropical moist montane forest. It is threatened by habitat loss and trapping. It is one of the most sought after birds by birdwatchers in the Philippines.
The Luzon water redstart, also known as the Luzon redstart, is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to the Philippines found primarily on Luzon with no records in Mindoro since 1965. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.
In Philippine mythology, the Tigmamanukan was believed by the Tagalog people to be an omen or augural bird. Although the behaviors of numerous birds and lizards were said to be omens, particular attention was paid to the tigmamanukan. Before Christianisation, the Tagalogs believed that the tigmamanukan was sent by Bathala to give hints to mankind whether they needed to proceed on a journey or not. In some Philippine creation myths, the tigmamanukan bird was sent by Bathala to crack open the primordial bamboo whence the first man and woman came out.
In the Philippines, Amihan refers to the season dominated by the trade winds, which are experienced in the Philippines as a cool northeast wind. It is characterized by moderate temperatures, little or no rainfall in the central and western part of Luzon and Visayas, and a prevailing wind from the east. On the east coast of Luzon it brings drizzling rainfall and squalls. The effect on Mindanao is relatively less than in the northern part of the country.
The Luzon boobook or Luzon hawk-owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Philippines where it lives in forests. It is a brown and white mottled bird and males and females look much alike.
The Luzon flameback is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found on the northern islands of Luzon, Polillo, Catanduanes and Marinduque, Philippines. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the greater flameback.
The Mindanao boobook or Mindanao hawk-owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae that is endemic to the Philippines on the island of Mindanao. It was previously known as a subspecies of the Philippine hawk-owl, but was reclassified in 2012, as voice and other evidence suggested it a distinct species. It is found in tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Romblon boobook or Romblon hawk-owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae that is endemic to the Philippines. It is only found on the islands of Tablas, Sibuyan and Romblon. It was previously known as a subspecies of the Philippine hawk-owl, but was reclassified in 2012, as voice and other evidence suggested it was a distinct species. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Sulu boobook or Sulu hawk-owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines. It was previously known as a subspecies of the Philippine hawk-owl, but was reclassified in 2012, as voice and other evidence suggested it was a distinct species. It is found in tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The indigenous religious beliefs of the Tagalog people were well documented by Spanish missionaries, mostly in the form of epistolary accounts (relaciones) and entries in various dictionaries compiled by missionary friars.
Anito, also spelled anitu, refers to ancestor spirits, nature spirits, and deities in the indigenous Philippine folk religions from the precolonial age to the present, although the term itself may have other meanings and associations depending on the Filipino ethnic group. It can also refer to carved humanoid figures, the taotao, made of wood, stone, or ivory, that represent these spirits. Anito is also sometimes known as diwata in certain ethnic groups.
The Palawan fairy-bluebird is a species of bird in the family Irenidae. It is endemic to the island of Palawan in the Philippines.
