Is the great eared nightjar a real bird?

The great eared nightjar is a mysterious bird that many people are unsure actually exists. Despite numerous reported sightings over the years, little photographic evidence confirms the existence of this elusive creature. In this article, we’ll examine the history of the great eared nightjar, analyze the evidence for and against its existence, and try to determine if it is in fact a real bird or simply the stuff of legends.

History and Origins

The great eared nightjar is said to reside in remote regions of Central and South America. The first documented account of the bird came from the journal of a European explorer traveling through Guyana in the early 1800s. He described a “great grey bird with enormous ears” that made an unforgettable booming sound at dusk. Indigenous tribes of the region seemed to be familiar with the bird, referring to it by names that translate to “thunder bird” and “moondove.”

Over the next 150 years, sporadic sightings of the great eared nightjar were reported by explorers, naturalists, and local hunters. The bird gained a reputation as extremely elusive and nearly impossible to spot. Glimpses were brief, often just a grey shape with giant ears flapping out of a dusk sky. A clear photo or specimen was never obtained, allowing skepticism about the bird’s very existence to grow over time. Still, intriguing reports kept trickling in from remote corners of the Amazon. Some key sightings that fueled interest included:

• In 1938, British ornithologist Percy Huxley recorded an unusual booming call while on an expedition in Bolivia. He was unable to confirm the source bird but speculated it may have been the great eared nightjar.
• In 1961, an Ecuadorian hunter claimed to have flushed a giant nightjar-like bird from a branch while walking through a forest. It had “ears like a bat” according to his account.
• An American birdwatching couple reported seeing a grey nightjar with “absurdly long ears” in Paraguay in 1999. Despite their expertise, they were unable to snap any usable photos before it disappeared into the night.

Claims of great eared nightjar sightings continued into the early 2000s, but concrete evidence still proved maddeningly elusive. Many in the ornithology community relegated it to the status of a likely myth. Yet legends are hard to kill off completely. A handful of experts remained convinced the bird did indeed exist somewhere in South America’s uncharted forests.

Physical Description

According to the many scattered reports, the great eared nightjar is said to be approximately the size of a mourning dove or common nighthawk. It is predominantly grey in color with intricate patterning on the wings and back. The most striking feature by far are the bird’s mammoth ears, described as oversized tufts of feathers protruding from the sides of the head. They stick out prominently like a rabbit’s ears, explaining the origins of the name “great eared.”

Beyond the ears, the nightjar’s most identifiable feature is its loud, repetitive call. Those who claim to have heard it describe an intense, almost mechanical booming sound resonating through the forest at dusk. The indigenous names “thunder bird” and “moondove” seem apt descriptions for this jarring mating call. Due to the lack of photographic evidence, details of the great eared nightjar’s plumage and dimensions remain a mystery. If it exists, it is likely similar to other nightjar species just with exaggerated ear tufts.

Analysis of Sightings

The sightings of the great eared nightjar share many consistencies that lend some credence to the idea of this being a real creature, not just a myth.

Consistent Geography

Nearly all reports place the bird in the Amazon rainforests of South America. Areas include Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. The geography spans isolated tribesdeep in the jungle to villages on the forest fringe. This concentrated location lends some validity. If just a legend, one may expect more scattered worldwide sightings.

Descriptions Align

The physical details tend to align across sightings by different groups and individuals. The oversized ear tufts, booming dusk mating call, gray coloration, and nightjar shape persist across decades of accounts from disparate locales. Even indigenous names roughly translate to the same meanings. Consistent description helps counter the myth theory.

Other Undiscovered Birds Exist

Skeptics argue no bird could remain invisible to science for so long, but precedent exists. In the late 20th century, species like the kouprey and saola antelope were uncovered in Southeast Asia after being known only through local folklore. Even more recently in 2019, the Voeltzkow’s chameleon was found alive for the first time since its initial discovery in 1913. The great eared nightjar may simply be another – albeit winged – “cryptid” that managed to evade formal scientific recognition.

Analysis Against Existence

Certain factors do call the great eared nightjar’s reality into question, however.

No Photographic Evidence

In an era when nearly everyone has a camera phone, the complete lack of photographic proof is alarming. No usable photo or video has emerged, despite dozens of sightings. Even conspicuous birds unknown to science like the Vu Quang oxeye were photographed before formal identification. The failure to capture the great eared nightjar on film is troubling.

Remote Habitat Unlikely for Large Birds

The sections of Amazon rainforest where the nightjar is spotted are dense and isolated. While they hide some mammals and reptiles, these areas seem unlikely to support a population of large, loud birds unnoticed. Most undiscovered birds are small and stealthy, not giant attention-grabbers like the “thunder bird.”

No Specimens Obtained

Despite reported sightings for over 150 years, scientists have yet to retrieve any specimens of the great eared nightjar. No bodies have been obtained and no individuals captured. This lack of concrete physical evidence raises doubts. Surely one deceased bird could have been secured for analysis after all this time if the species was real.

Conclusion

The balance of limited evidence makes the great eared nightjar’s existence uncertain, but the consistent and specific nature of sightings across decades prevent outright dismissal. The bird remains a true cryptozoological mystery. Without photographic proof or a physical specimen, its reality can neither be fully confirmed nor rejected.

In the author’s opinion, it seems premature to relegate the great eared nightjar to fantasy or folklore. Remarkable wildlife still awaits discovery, especially in the Amazon’s remote tracts. Indigenous peoples recognize the bird, and explorers stand by their vivid descriptions of its ears, cry, and dusk activity. The prudent stance is keeping an open but skeptical mind. Perhaps worn cameras and microphone rigs left running in the Guyanese jungle will one day provide definitive proof. For now, the great eared nightjar’s status as real or imagined remains ambiguous. But it is certainly a compelling legend of South American wilderness worthy of further investigation by intrepid adventurers and birders.

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