‘bird’ any species of owl
order Strigiformes .
In the opinion of the Samals, owls are evil birds, which are considered by some as capable of taking human heads. Another
folk belief regarding owls is that they harm children by biting them. Therefore, if an owl is heard, children will be removed
from their hammocks so that they can be better protected from owls. In a folk- story, a child was attacked in a hammock by
an owl which grew large, and before attacking the child, hit the child's mother, making her go to sleep so she was not able
to protect her child.