Was there ever a phoenix?

I have considered a possible existence which might lead to such legends.
Suppose there was a bird which provided food for its young by dying. This would provide a rebirth through death scenario. There are creatures now which feed at birth on the carcasses of a parent.

Maybe the peacock. My instinct is to say no, but I’m open minded.

@RedDeerGuy1 I think that seems very plausible.

Of course not.

As @RedDeerGuy1 said, it may have been a peacock (firebird in Russian folklore is very similar to phoenix, and is sometimes depicted very similarly to a peacock). Some others described it as an eagle, or a rooster. Wiki page on it states the looks of a phoenix vary depending on the writer. New World Encyclopedia offers various inspirations for the origin of the bird in different cultures.
In other words, it’s not definitely known what exact bird inspired the myth. All that is constant in all variations of the myth is that phoenix is a big bird with many colourful feathers and ability to be reborn.

I tend to find it most likely that, like many Greek and Christian myths, the Egyptian version was their inspiration. The Egyptian version of the Phoenix, or Benu .

I think yes there were phoenix.