The Wakwak is told in Philippine folklore as a vampiric, bird-like creature with long sharp talons and bat-like wings said to be as keen as a knife. It snatches people at night, slashing its victims with its claws to reach the heart and at times tearing the body apart. Its name comes from the “wak-wak” sound its wings make in flight — and counterintuitively, a loud cry means it is far off, while a faint one means it is already close.
It is most often compared with the Manananggal. The decisive difference is that the Manananggal can sever its upper body and fly off, whereas the Wakwak cannot split its torso from its body. It is grouped with the Aswang and likened to kindred beings such as the Ekek.
Its true nature never settles into one form. Some hold it to be a kind of vampire; others contend it is a night bird associated with witches. The belief belonged mainly to rural Visayan communities in the southern Philippines, though today the Wakwak survives largely as a tale told to frighten children.