Tis the season for ghoulishness, that chill you’re feeling within the air will be the wispy fingers of no matter is lurking within the shadows. Or perhaps it’s a chilly entrance. No matter it’s, it’s ready within the wings to pounce. For me, birds aren’t the scariest of issues – however then once more I’m not preyed upon by something carrying feathers. Not but in my evolutionary journey, a minimum of. I perceive and acknowledge that some individuals have a professional concern of birds, and to these of us, I deeply apologise for accentuating some phobia-inducing traits. It might be a poor alternative for a sufferer of ornithophobia to be perusing a birding weblog anyway.
Let’s begin with the bringer of all dangerous information, the judgemental stare from atop gravestones – the crow. Made into all manners of fantasy and legend, crows have cohabited areas with people for eons. Their plain intelligence and penchant for mischief conjures maybe the scariest consideration of all: a mirrored image of our personal existence.
In some cultures, crows are thought-about messengers of the gods, a incontrovertible fact that certainly missed whomever gave the Carrion Crow its title.
Ravens are typically mistaken for crows – the previous usually being of far more spectacular dimensions than the latter. Their vocalisations will be deeper, extra guttural as effectively. As a result of their imposing determine, they’re arguably the spookier of the 2. Personally I’ve solely seen a couple of species of ravens, the newest was a pair of hulking roadside White-necked Ravens whereas blitzing southward to the airport in Nairobi. My first raven was coincidentally additionally an African species: a Fan-tailed Raven from our first birding safari in Kenya.
Fan-tailed Raven
Though photographs won’t ever do that justice, the Lengthy-tailed Widowbird is an absolute ghoul of a chook. For anybody who’s seen this chook in its show flight it’ll make excellent sense. Further-long, wispy tail feathers path a buoyant flight path, its broad wings held stiff very similar to a nightjar. Total, the chook appears just like the rogue lacking piece from the headless horseman on one other reckless jaunt on a misty morning, locks flowing within the chilly air as in the event that they had been waving in water.
Lengthy-tailed Widowbird
Regardless of the widowbird’s fiendish appears, it typically falls sufferer to a bone-chilling parasite. Many birds, the truth is, additionally endure this destiny – a few of them have gone to nice lengths to keep away from it. I’m talking of brood parasitism, whereby the brood parasite – one among many species of birds worldwide – lays its eggs within the nests of the host species. The host then both unwittingly or unwillingly incubates the alien egg and cares for the disproportionately endowed hatchling till it is ready to fend for itself.
The Striped Cuckoo truly lays completely different colored eggs, relying on which host species it’s dependent upon. Upon hatching, the Striped Cuckoo makes use of its sharply hooked invoice to kill its nest mates, guaranteeing that it’s the solely recipient of (foster) parental care. The chook pictured above is a younger one, maybe making ready to strike out by itself.
Right here, a Home Wren struggles to satisfy the incessant calls for of an offspring that has lengthy outgrown the confines of the nest – a Shiny Cowbird.
Some weeks previous to all of this, a small group of feminine Shiny Cowbirds would have been meticulously checking all potential hiding locations for appropriate nests. Many instances they’d be observing a possible host all through the nest development section. They have to coordinate their cycle with that of their hosts’, lots of the resident birds would both strive their finest to stay hidden or mount an offensive in opposition to the prowling cowbirds. Their repute should precede them, given the response they elicit from wrens, mockingbirds, and tanagers. However the cowbirds are seasoned on this artwork, eggs can simply get replaced when the incubator is distracted.
With their supersized construction and searing, blood-red eyes, Big Cowbirds look the half. Additionally brood parasites, their relationships with host species are difficult and maybe a subject for one more submit solely.
Are bloodsucking birds a factor? In fact they’re. The Buphagidae household confined to Africa contains two species that subsist largely on the consumption of blood. Additionally they feed on ectoparasites corresponding to ticks, but when there’s an open wound, they may congregate round it – they’re even identified to take away scabs to stimulate bleeding. Generally generally known as oxpeckers, their most popular habitat strikes round on 4 legs.
Pink-billed Oxpecker
Yellow-billed Oxpecker
It’s not possible to put in writing about spooky birds and never point out vultures. However their irreplaceable ecological companies, these carrion-eaters are symbols of the macabre. Some scorn them for his or her affiliation with demise, for others it’s this very affiliation that paints vultures as those that can flip demise into life.
For the Mayans, the King Vulture was the car by which messages could possibly be carried between people and the Nice Spirit.
It helps when the environment is grim – this picture of a Turkey Vulture received hearts at an exhibition I did final yr. Suitably titled “The Gatekeeper”.
When it comes to appears, nocturnal birds are inclined to unsettle probably the most. They’re usually designed to stay invisible through the day and due to this fact are among the weirdest, non-avian trying birds on the planet. Take for instance, the Widespread Potoo that resembles a department. One with the department – a philosophy a few of us could ultimately undertake, besides our model entails a sofa.
Widespread Potoo
Or this Nacunda Nighthawk that appears like a cyclops disguised as a clump of mud.
Particular point out have to be manufactured from the Oilbird, for causes that eclipse this submit solely. It’s a creature of superlatives, however it earns its place on this checklist for its hellish screeching that has earned it the title “Diablotin” in Trinidad. These vocalisations have been likened to these of tortured males. Pattern it right here.
Oilbird
Invariably, this submit should point out owls. They’re quintessential creatures of thriller, silent messengers that stare deep into the souls of whomever dares to solid an eye fixed of their path. Their plain enchantment stretches lengthy earlier than J.Ok. Rowling put pen to paper and certainly is because of their unbelievable adaptation to a world of darkness, one inside which we’re notably uncomfortable in our personal pores and skin.
Their feathers conceal them in realms of sight and sound, their forward-facing eyes and hid ears understand even probably the most dismal of environment with unsettling readability. Regardless of their cuteness issue usually successful the web, they’re deadly – and infrequently apex – predators. Even our glorified diurnal raptors, fierce themselves, are usually not immune. One take a look at this video is sufficient.
Curiously, probably the most recognisable owl is the Barn Owl, which doesn’t belong to the household of “true owls”. Sounds a bit just like the oft-repeated argument over underground sub-genres. Taxonomically talking, there are very notable variations between owls present in Tytonidae versus these of the “true owls” in Strigidae.
Barn Owl
There may be far higher variety inside Strigidae owls, together with each the most important and smallest owls on the earth. This household additionally has a a lot wider distribution, being discovered in any respect latitudes on all continents aside from Antarctica.
I fondly check with the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl as a tiny terror. Sure, it’s lovely. However take a look at these outsized talons! No marvel each chook inside a 500m radius says each possible prayer to chase this owl away. What’s much more terrifying is that this owl can hunt through the day in addition to the night time.
The powder-pink eyelids of the Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl don’t detract from its arresting presence. It’s Africa’s largest owl and can prey on just about something that it may well overpower. Whereas it usually hunts at night time, in the event you’re a small monkey that’s rummaging round beneath a tree with one among these birds sleeping above – make not even the softest sound as it’s going to probably drop from the branches, talons first.
Generally birds that inherently aren’t spooky can look just a little spooky given the correct circumstances. Take this Guianan Cock-of-the-rock for example. Nicely, for starters it doesn’t actually appear like a chook – extra like an outsized and really misplaced goldfish.
The Secretarybird doesn’t appear like it needs to be something to be afraid of, with its gaudy plumes and yoga pants. But it surely willingly runs in the direction of lots of the animals we run from – most notably snakes – and obliterates them in a volley of kicks. As formidable as it’s, it typically falls sufferer to the Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl.
Included on this submit are birds that I’ve been lucky to see and {photograph}, due to this fact some candidates for spooky birds have been not noted. Vampire Floor-Finch and Satanic Nightjar, for instance. Particular point out should even be manufactured from the mighty Shoebill, which I intend to get my eyes on in a couple of months (we simply want yet one more particular person to enroll).
In lieu of the Shoebill, right here’s the Neotropical approximation, the Boat-billed Heron. Its smaller measurement makes it rather less imposing however no much less fascinating.
In fact, I can witter on incessantly about birds and the way awe-inspiring all of them are. This was initially supposed to be an inventory of ten birds, however with ten extra minutes spent penning this submit we’ll have a minimum of a dozen extra species within the combine.
