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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