Phoenixes

A phoenix is a species of magical firebird that is first introduced in A Bird in the Hoof.

Depiction
Phoenixes are brightly colored birds with red and orange flame-like feathers and long, blazing tails. Females have three small crests on their heads. In Dragon Quest, they demonstrate an ability to set themselves ablaze and disorient anyone in their vicinity with a blinding flash of light.

Pheonixes can understand speech and have a sense of humour, as seen in A Bird in the Hoof when Rainbow Dash whispers instructions to Philomena to tickle Princess Celestia's stolid bodyguards. Dash and Philomena even give each other a wing high-five and laugh when their plan works. Pheonixes are also intelligent, exemplified by Philomena deliberately giving Fluttershy a hard time of caring for her.

A Bird in the Hoof
In A Bird in the Hoof, Fluttershy attempts to nurse Princess Celestia's elderly pet phoenix Philomena out of what appears to be a sickly condition. Philomena was constantly losing feathers and coughing. Eventually, Philomena bursts into flames and a pile of ashes collects on the ground, much to everyone's dismay. However, as Princess Celestia explains that phoenixes occasionally renew themselves by bursting into flames and rising from the ashes left behind, Philomena pokes her head out from the ashes.

Dragon Quest
In Dragon Quest, a group of adolescent dragons persuades Spike to participate in raiding a phoenix nest. Spike distracts the parent phoenixes by throwing a rock at them, prompting them to chase after him. At the same time, the other dragons invade the nest. Instead of finding unhatched eggs, they find a group of elusive hatchlings. The parents blind their pursuers with a flash of light and escape with their hatchlings, but leave a single unhatched egg behind. Spike rescues the egg and names the baby pheonix Peewee.

Galleries

 * Philomena image gallery
 * Phoenix image gallery
 * A Bird in the Hoof image gallery
 * Dragon Quest image gallery