The strange creature turns out it was a rare, nocturnal bird known as the Great Potoo and is also called the Urutaú Nictibian or Ghost Bird
Woman Gets Scared From A Ghost Bird Perched On Fence In Columbia
By
Zainab Pervez in
Horrors and Creepy
On 15th March 2021
advertisement
A woman in Colombia got quite a scare when what she thought was a stick opened its eyes and mouth. The strange creature turns out it was a rare, nocturnal bird known as the Great Potoo and is also called the Urutaú Nictibian or Ghost Bird. The bird is also known for its ghostly, haunting call.
The bird had been sitting on a wooden post in Colombia, when the unnamed woman stumbled upon it on 13 December 2020.
At first she 'thought it was a stick', but when it moved she realised it was actually an animal. It turned out that the bird was actually an elusive great potoo, or Ghost bird, which is known for its terrifying screech.
In the woman's video, we see the camouflaged bird sitting on top of the fence in Chibolo, which is located in the northern region of Magdalena. It is standing perfectly still, facing forwards, but as the woman approaches with her camera its head moves slightly and it starts to blink. We then hear its strange scream, opening its beak widely to let out a loud call.
advertisement
The woman said: "The first time I saw him I thought it was a stick, but he moved and I approached him. The bird opened eyes and mouth and scared me a lot, but being so strange I decided to take pictures and record videos."
"When I got closer I raised my hand, and he opened his mouth in reply. I've been to that farm about five times, neighbors in the sector say they've heard it before, but whoever saw was more than 15 years ago."
Commenting on the YouTube video, one person wrote:
"That is the creepiest thing I have even seen in my whole life."
Someone else said:
"They look unnatural, their eyes don't fit their body and they look like they have frog mouths."
A third added:
"I don't like how he turned all slow to look at her at the end."
According to eBird.org, the Great Potoo (Nyctibius grandis) is mostly active at night, and is known for its loud 'scream'. The bird commonly spends the daytime on the end of branches or snags, where its brown-gray splotches camouflage it well. The ghost bird hunts insects at night and its habitat is usually along the edges of the forests, river banks and areas with scattered trees throughout Central and South America.
Its bio says: "A monstrous nightbird, superficially similar to an owl but not related. Pale mottled gray with large head; larger than other potoos and lacks a dark mustache stripe."
"Well camouflaged and difficult to spot; most often seen roosting on a horizontal limb during the day (less often on a broken off snag like other potoos). Found in forested areas and edges. Active at night, when it feeds on large insects. Listen for its terrifying call, a harsh descending scream."
