The Ulama, Sri Lanka's Devil Bird
In the forests of Sri Lanka, a terrible scream at night was blamed on the ulama, a bird that folklore treated as a bad omen.
What was reported
For centuries, people in Sri Lanka have told of the ulama, or devil bird, whose cry at night is described as a blood-curdling human scream. Folklore treated hearing it as a bad omen, and nobody was sure which creature made the sound.
Many birds were suggested over the years, including owls, nightjars and even forest eagles.
Explanations offered
In 2001, a spot-bellied eagle owl found by villagers was widely reported as the answer, and recordings of this large forest owl match the eerie, rising scream described for the ulama. Some naturalists think more than one species may lie behind the legend.
- When
- Told for generations; identified around 2001
- Where
- Central hill forests, Sri Lanka
- Witnesses
- Villagers and naturalists
- Status
- Mostly explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.