In Colombia, a woman was terribly afraid when she encountered a ghost bird

A video of a strange bird went viral within minutes on the internet. A woman recorded the peculiar animal in a rural area of ​​the department of Magdalena, on the north coast of Colombia, and the bird, when it noticed the presence of the human, gave a cry that made startle the spectator with fright.

According to the woman’s descriptions, it would be a ghost bird, a typical species from Central and South America, to which they gave this name since it only comes out at night and does not like to share with other species.

Although it is not known why the bird was outside in broad daylight, when the animal realized it was saved, it opened its huge black eyes, large beak and makes a sound similar to a human moan It surprised the woman who after jumping said that years ago she saw a similar animal.

As you can see in the video, from a distance the animal can be mistaken for a wooden pole, which is why in this part of the country it is known as stake bird.

Ghost birds:

According to information from the Institute of Ecology of Mexico, El Bienparado or Pájaro estaca, also known as the troncón bird, witch or ghost bird, has a size that varies between 40 and 50 cm in length and a weight included between 210 and 251 grams. . The ghost bird is a resident bird, that is, it breeds in the area and can rarely be observed.

The body is elongated, brownish-gray, mottled and speckled with black, yellow and white. It has a broad, flat head with large reddish orange or yellow iris eyes, a huge mouth but a small beak. The wings and tail are long, but on the other hand the legs are short and weak. It lives in the edges and open areas of dry and humid tropical forests from 0 to 1,500 meters above sea level. Its distribution stretches from Mexico to Costa Rica, and it also has island populations in Jamaica and Hispaniola.

This bird with little known habits, has crepuscular habits so it is difficult to find. During the day, it can only be seen by chance, it is usually standing on a broken branch on top of trees, where it remains motionless with its beak pointed upwards.

The coloring of the plumage is such that it bears a striking resemblance to the coloring of the bark of the branch, and the perched bird appears to be a continuation of it. The above is the perfect camouflage for hiding during the day. At night, they are relatively easier to find perched on living fence posts and low branches, as their large eyes betray them by reflecting light from lamps or vehicles. It is because of the above that their eyes sparkle, as in most nocturnal activity organisms, for example the Tapacaminos, a group of birds usually detected perched on the ground by roadsides.

The Bienparado has a solitary behavior, and during the day it rests in trees and at night it forages perched on a branch, or silently flying over the forest canopy, and usually returns to the same perch. . It feeds mainly on insects of all sizes (beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies, larvae, moths) and sometimes small diurnal birds.

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