Phoenixes

A phoenix is a bird whose feathers are entirely made of fire. When they age, they loose all their feathers before turning to ash, and after this they are reborn, as shown in A Bird in the Hoof. Both Princess Celestia and Spike have phoenixes as pets, such as Philomeena and Peewee.

In their first appearance in A Bird in the Hoof, Fluttershy tried to heal Celestia's elderly pet phoenix Philomeena with little success, luckily in the end she was reborn and fully healed.

In their second appearance in Dragon Quest, Spike was convinced by a group of teenage dragons to help in raiding a phoenix nest. The phoenixes and their hatchlings managed to escape, but an egg was left behind which Spike decided to adopt and he later named the hatchling Peewee. It is shown that phoenixes can be in a couple with one another, and also lay eggs that will hatch into baby phoenixes. They are capable of engulfing themselves in flames and shining brightly to scare away enemies.