The pheasant (el faisán) was one of the three animals Itzamná chose for the Mayab. It flew high among the trees, and its loud cry could be heard across the whole forest.

When the chilames announced the coming conquest, the pheasant ran to hide among the plants so the strangers would not find it. In the prophecy, its sign is the greatest of all: one day it will fly so high that its shadow will cover the entire Mayab.