Viral Footage Captures Ghost Bird In Colombia With Terrifying Scream

Video footage shows the moment a creepy rare bird gave a woman a massive fright, having blended into its surroundings to make her think it was a 'stick'.

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.

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We then hear its strange scream, opening its beak widely to let out a loud call.

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."

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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'.

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."

Topics: Viral, News, Birds, Animals

Jess Hardiman

Jess is a journalist at LADbible who graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics - indecisiveness at its finest, right there. She also works for FOODbible and its sister page Seitanists, which are both a safe haven for her to channel a love for homemade pasta, fennel and everything else in between. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

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