Birds of myth, magic and mischief: meet five icons of Halloween

Ok, so Great Northern Divers probably aren’t the first birds that spring to mind when you think of Halloween, but hear us out. With blood-red eyes and a beak sharper than Dracula’s fangs, they certainly look the part – and just wait until they let out one of their signature wails!

The sound of this melancholy cry drifting across misty lakes has long inspired tales of water spirits and lost souls. In fact, their calls are so otherworldly they’re often used in movie soundtracks to send a shiver down your spine. So next time you hear a haunting howl in a film, it might just be a diver doing its best werewolf impression!

If you’re hoping to glimpse a Great Northern Diver for yourself, you’ll need to head to the coast in winter. During the colder months, they visit the UK’s shores, especially in Scotland, Northern Ireland and along the western coasts of England and Wales. Look out for them bobbing about on the sea.

And remember, if you’re not lucky enough to spot one in the wild you can still experience their woeful wails on screen – listen out for them in films like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Friday the 13th and even Avengers: Infinity War.

Once thought to possess the magical ability to sneak up and steal milk from unsuspecting goats (giving them the nickname ‘Goatsuckers’), Nightjars are cloaked in mystery and superstition. At dusk, their churring calls rise and fall in eerie waves and, come daylight, their camouflage is so good they practically vanish into the undergrowth – no wonder people whispered of witchcraft!

Nowadays, we know that Nightjars are more interested in munching moths and midges, than causing nocturnal mischief – they just hung around livestock because of the insects that gathered nearby. And that enigmatic churr? It’s just their way of saying “Come get me – I’m single!”.

You’ll have to be patient for this one. Nightjars spend the autumn and winter months in Africa, before returning to our shores in spring. With their amazing camouflage making them pretty much invisible during the day, the best time to spot them is on warm, still, summer evenings on open heathland and moorland. You’ll probably hear their mechanical, whirring calls before you see them circling ghost-like overhead.

Imagine sailing past a misty island late at night, the sea calm, the stars twinkling – and then the air is suddenly filled with rasping cries and ghostly cackles echoing from the cliffs. That’s exactly what Norse sailors experienced when they passed islands like Rum, in Scotland.

With no idea what kind of creature could make such unsettling sounds, the sailors jumped to the only logical conclusion: it must be trolls! To this day the island of Rum still has a mountain named ‘Trollaval’, in honour of its beastly inhabitants.  

But – spoiler alert – the source of those spooky sounds wasn’t trolls at all. It was Manx Shearwaters: unassuming little seabirds that nest in underground burrows and only return home under cover of darkness, guided by the nocturnal natterings of their partners. Bet those sailors must feel a bit silly.

Like Nightjars, Manx Shearwaters leave the UK at the end of summer, but instead of heading for Africa they fly all the way to South America! The good news is they’ll be back in spring and RSPB Ramsey Island in Wales is a great place to spot them swooping over the waves as they hunt for fish. For the first time in decades, Manxies have bred on RSPB Rathlin Island, off the coast of Northern Ireland, too.

With a menacing stare and black feathers as glossy as Claudia Winkleman’s fringe, Ravens ooze gothic glamour. Few species are as steeped in myth than these corvids and throughout history they’ve been symbols of mischief, magic and mystery.

The Norse god Odin was said to keep two Ravens – Huginn and Munnin – as messengers, while in Celtic lore, the shape-shifting goddess Morrígan would take the form of a Raven on the battlefield as an omen of death. Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem The Raven cemented their place as harbingers of doom, and it’s even said that if the Tower of London’s resident Ravens ever leave the whole kingdom will fall!

In reality, Ravens are more brainy than brooding – they’re some of the cleverest birds on the planet and can mimic human speech, solve puzzles and even remember faces. They’re devoted partners too – pairs usually stick together for life and can often be seen preening and nuzzling each other to reinforce their partnership.  

Ravens love wild and rugged landscapes, like windswept cliffs, remote moorland and mountain peaks, where their deep, throaty ‘cronks’ echo across the landscape. Keep your eyes to the sky and you might see them circling high overhead. Bonus points if you spot a pair. Who knows? Perhaps it’s Huginn and Muninn gathering secrets for Odin himself.

Drumroll, please… Taking the number one spot in our spooky bird countdown is the Barn Owl. Often seen gliding over moonlit fields like a ghostly apparition, these birds are Halloween royalty. If you’ve ever heard their spine-chilling screeches in the dead of night, you’ll understand why these feathered phantoms have long been linked to the supernatural.

Legend has it their shrieks announce the passing of a soul, and in Medieval times, witches were said to transform into owls to vanish into the night sky. Spooky stuff, right?

Of course, these are just fanciful fairytales. Barn Owls aren’t out to haunt your dreams – unless you’re small and furry, that is. These silent-but-deadly assassins can swoop down and snatch mice and voles before they even know what’s coming. Now that’s terrifying!

True to their spooky reputation, Barn Owls are most active at twilight. For your best chance of spotting one, head to a quiet area of rough grassland and keep your eyes peeled for a ghostly-white shape floating low over the ground. Full moon optional – but it certainly adds to the drama!