Case file · Cryptid
The Devil Bird (ulama) of Sri Lanka
The ulama, whose night scream is said to foretell death, was described for Western readers by James Emerson Tennent in 1861; its true identity was argued for a century and a half.
1861 CE · 7.29, 80.63 · status: explained
The account
Sinhala folklore tells of a woman who went mad with grief and became the screaming bird. Ornithologists proposed owls, nightjars and eagles.
The sceptical view
Recordings since 2001 strongly support the spot-bellied eagle-owl (Bubo nipalensis), whose loud calls match the descriptions.