“Voice of the Night: The Devil Bird of Sri Lanka” – by Victor Melder

In 1963, whilst stationed as engine driver, CGR, Galle, late one night

I was riding my push bike home at about 1.00am (after a late night turn)

It was a still, sultry night. Half way home I heard an eerie blood curdling

Cry (as if someone was being murdered).

I got off my push bike, realising that it was the cry of the ‘devil bird’ (as I

read all about it in the ‘Loris’ magazine) and flashed my torchlight up

towards the tree tops and heard the flap of the wings, of a bird taking off.

The call of this Owl is much more eerie as featured in this youtube documentary.

Blessings

Victor