The Devil Bird, locally known as Ulama, is a cryptid

Cryptid

In cryptozoology and sometimes in cryptobotany, a cryptid is a creature or plant whose existence has been suggested but is unrecognized by scientific consensus and often regarded as highly unlikely. Famous examples include the Yeti in the Himalayas and the Loch Ness Monster in...

 of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

 said to emit bloodcurdling human sounding shrieks in the night from within the jungles. In Sri Lankan folklore, it is believed that the cry of this bird is an omen

Omen

An omen is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change...

 that portends death. Its precise identity is still a matter of debate although the Spot-bellied Eagle-owl matches the profile of Devil Bird to a large extent, according to a finding in the year 2001.

As the bird is not usually seen and its cry only described in vague terms, Ulama records might refer to the Ceylon Highland Nightjar (Caprimulgus indicus kelaarti); the males of the latter are known to have a screaming flight-call atypical for nightjars.

"Devil Bird or Ulama or Ulalena. The precise identity of this bird is one of the mysteries of the Ceylon jungles. Its eerie cries have been attributed to a variety of birds. The most likely candidates however are: the forest eagle-owl (Huhua nipalensis) for the up country area, the hawk-eagles and the crested honey-buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus ruficollis) in the lowland jungles."

Cryptid resolved

There has been a systematic investigation to the idendification of this bird by Dr. R.L. Spittel in his book 'The Far off Things'. Accordingly, the Spot bellied Eagle Owl is one possible contender but Changeable Hawk-eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus ceylanensis) and Oriental Honey Buzzard

Oriental Honey Buzzard

The Crested Honey Buzzard, Pernis ptilorhynchus, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles and harriers...

 (Pernis ptilorhynchus) are more likely contenders to be the "Devil Bird".

A Spot-bellied Eagle-owl (Bubo nipalensis) specimen found by the villagers in 2001 received much publicity in the press as the final resolution of the bird's identitity but the natives who actually have heard the 'true' cry of the Ulama and had seen the bird in action, are certain that its a species of crested eagle, which is more in agreement with the description of the bird in the local folklore. The reason for the confusion is probably the fact that most Sri Lankans have a mistaken perception as to the true cry of the Ulama .

External links

• cryptozoology.com: Devil Bird.