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Devil Bird
The Devil Bird of Sri Lanka and India was once a mysterious cryptid found only in the densest mountain jungles. Known to the natives as Ulama or Maha Bakamuna, it was known to several tribes, all of whom described it as a rarely seen large bird which hid itself from humans as much as possible. Usually the only evidence of the bird's existence was its extremely loud, frightening cry, which sounded remarkably like a human being in pain or dying. Both the natives and settlers from foreign countries associated the bird with the devil because of its call, earning it the name of Devil Bird.
A few lucky people caught a glimpse of the Ulama, and described it as similar to a cuckoo or nighthawk. Sightings persisted for hundreds of years, largely ignored, mostly due to superstitious beliefs that the bird was a thing of evil. Cryptozoologists beleived that if it existed it was probably a sort of owl, but it remained among the most obscure and little-known of the world's cryptids, often considered to be a purely mythological creature.
All that changed in July of 2001, when a species of owl was identified which matched the description perfectly. Villagers had found an immature specimen abandoned in the forest, being attacked by crows, and rescued it. Biologists heard of it when a picture of the animal was printed on the cover of a Sri Lankan newspaper. It was designated Bubo nipalensis, a close relative of the forest eagle owl, which also lives in Sri Lanka. B. nipalensis has no common name yet, but it matches the description of the Maha Bakamuna perfectly (it is also the largest owl in Sri Lanka).
The legend and subsequent discovery of the Devil Bird stands as a true cryptozoological success story. Like the okapi, the mountain gorilla, and the coelocath, the Ulama is a classic example of a cryptid proven to be real and accepted by science. Perhaps one day some of the most famous cryptids will be discovered and categorized as real animals, and not just figments of the imagination.
Devil Bird
The Devil Bird of Sri Lanka and India was once a mysterious cryptid found only in the densest mountain jungles. Known to the natives as Ulama or Maha Bakamuna, it was known to several tribes, all of whom described it as a rarely seen large bird which hid itself from humans as much as possible. Usually the only evidence of the bird's existence was its extremely loud, frightening cry, which sounded remarkably like a human being in pain or dying. Both the natives and settlers from foreign countries associated the bird with the devil because of its call, earning it the name of Devil Bird.
A few lucky people caught a glimpse of the Ulama, and described it as similar to a cuckoo or nighthawk. Sightings persisted for hundreds of years, largely ignored, mostly due to superstitious beliefs that the bird was a thing of evil. Cryptozoologists beleived that if it existed it was probably a sort of owl, but it remained among the most obscure and little-known of the world's cryptids, often considered to be a purely mythological creature.
All that changed in July of 2001, when a species of owl was identified which matched the description perfectly. Villagers had found an immature specimen abandoned in the forest, being attacked by crows, and rescued it. Biologists heard of it when a picture of the animal was printed on the cover of a Sri Lankan newspaper. It was designated Bubo nipalensis, a close relative of the forest eagle owl, which also lives in Sri Lanka. B. nipalensis has no common name yet, but it matches the description of the Maha Bakamuna perfectly (it is also the largest owl in Sri Lanka).
The legend and subsequent discovery of the Devil Bird stands as a true cryptozoological success story. Like the okapi, the mountain gorilla, and the coelocath, the Ulama is a classic example of a cryptid proven to be real and accepted by science. Perhaps one day some of the most famous cryptids will be discovered and categorized as real animals, and not just figments of the imagination.