Apropos Mike's reference to the name Devil Bird applying to the Common Swift
in Britain I dare say the name crops up in many societies.
For example in Sri Lankan jungles a bird known as Ulama or Ulanena emits
piercing shrieks and is often referred to as the devil bird. It's thought to
be the Ceylon Highland Nightjar Caprimulgus indicus kelaarti. However the
precise identity is debatable. Other likely candidates appear to be: the
Forest Eagle-owl Bubo nipalensis for the up country area, and the
Hawk-eagles and Crested Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus in the lowland
jungles.
I once worked with a fellow from Sri Lanka who told me there was a bird
called the Devil Bird in his home country that was usually seen flying at
dusk and it always flew upside-down (!). Flying at dusk may point to the
nightjar, but I wonder about the reported inverted flight; nonetheless my
workmate was not given to apocryphal statements.
John Layton
Holt ACT
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