To the Iban peoples, the hornbill is known as a bird of prophecy. At the Gawai Kenyalang, greatest of all Iban festivals, many carved and painted hornbill figures are raised on tall poles. Perched on high, the spirits of the hornbill are ready to take messages from the human world to the upperworld, the world of spirits. For the Iban, spirits manifest as animals, insects, and birds to communicate with humans and to give them warnings and advice. Birds are particularly important and the Iban closely watch their flight and ground movements and listen to their calls. (Fowler Museum at UCLA).