macaulaylibrary.org

Halliday’s Point, NSW, Australia

Photo by James Bennett

Also known as the Winking Owl, though you wouldn’t know it from this picture.

Also known as the Screaming Woman, from the sound of its more extreme, but rarer vocalization, it may be the origin of the mythical bunyip.

Bunyip Wiki.

The bunyip was said to be a fearsome creature that inhabited swamps, rivers and billabongs. Bunyips had many different descriptions but most were of an animal of some sort whose favorite food was human women. The cries and noises coming from swamps and creeks at night were not said to be the victims but actually the noise the bunyip made. It is believed by many that the sound is of the nocturnal barking owl and that proves the location, the noises and the rarity of the bunyip cries. It is still not proven though that the barking owl actually started the bunyip story and it could be due to other sources.

  • TWeaK
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    9 months ago

    Unfortunately there are no recordings of laughing owls :(

    • anon6789@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      9 months ago

      Yes, that whole plan to bring in one problem animal after another to eat the previous problem animal wasn’t as successful as they planned, or maybe too successful…