Pig or pig owl is a very intelligent and lovely bird. However, since ancient times in Vietnam, they were considered evil because the birds and pigs chirping in the gable of the house, that house is about to die.
The pig owl calls 7 times, death applies to men, and 9 sounds to women.
It is also said that, when humans are about to die, they will release a specific smell and the pigs, with their keen hearing, have detected and signaled. Because of such a concept, when the sound of birds and pigs squealing in a long, heavy night in the quiet of the night, it always creates a creepy feeling.
Even the sound of birds and pigs in the night, will make the whole village talk about death that will happen to someone, then people compete to guess old and young. Because of the belief that this bird brings bad omens, pig birds are hated, chased away, and even killed.
From the above analysis, the question "is the pig bird really scary?" experts have denied. The expert gave more evidence to prove this statement: "The pig is not only not scary, but it is also a useful bird for agriculture. According to the document, every year the Gray-backed Owl (Tyto alba) can be destroy 300-400 rats that destroy crops".
As for Dr. Vu The Khanh, although he admitted that the pig's call was related to the dead, he also said that it should not be "blamed" entirely by the pig. "Because of the fact that even if a pig doesn't call, someone will still die. Pig bird should only be regarded as an alarm, just as if a rooster crows, it's morning, or even if ants don't fly out of the nest, it's still raining, dragonflies don't. If you fly high, it's still sunny...", Mr. Khanh said.
Thus, the call of the pig is not a mystery, spiritual color or just brings bad luck. However, "believing or not believing in something is up to each person's point of view. The belief that the pig and bird foretells death is the same as the belief that a guest bird's call foretells the arrival of a house. Visitors, or animals in the world predict the results of football matches at the Wold Cup ...", the expert said.
Their favorite food is rats and some insects. When they cannot hunt mice, they temporarily eat lizards and some other birds. Pig owls are birds of prey, mostly nocturnal, often living in pairs or solitary and non-migratory.
These animals may seem slow, calm and mysterious, but they are actually killers, with the speed of a wind and sharp claws. In the pitch-black darkness, its sharp eyes did not miss a small mouse running at a distance of hundreds of meters.
The owl family is one of two families of animals in the order owls. Some species found in Vietnam are often referred to as pig birds because their calls are similar to those of pigs. Pig owls are medium and large owls with large heads, strong legs and sharp claws. Their distinctive feature is a flat, heart-shaped face made of feathers. These feathers also have the effect of locating and amplifying the sound when hunting.
The feathers on the pig owl's wings also have a special structure, so they do not make any noise when flying, helping them to hear better and avoid detection of prey. Pig owls have a gray to brown back, lighter chest and belly, possibly spotty
Wild boar owls are usually smaller and the face plate is not heart-shaped but is divided into 3 parts, the ears are covered with hair. The pig owl has a fairly wide distribution, it can live in desert environments, forests, in temperate and tropical climates. Pig owls are found everywhere except North America, the Sahara Desert and parts of Asia.
There are three species of pig owls in Vietnam, including the gray-backed pig owl (Tyto alba stertens), the oriental wild boar owl (Phodilus badius saturatus) and the brown-backed pig owl (Tyto longimembris). Gray-backed pig owl and brown-backed pig owl are classified as animals that are natural enemies of rats (the main food is rats), and are strictly prohibited from being exploited from the wild.
Wild boar owl is included in the Red Book of Vietnam (endangered level T - threatened). This species has aesthetic and scientific value and is a valuable genetic resource. Although the wild boar owl has a wide distribution, the number of individuals is small and rare. Currently, it is not known how many individuals still exist in the wild.
Although the pig bird is a very precious and natural enemy, because of superstitious views, we are discriminating against this bird. In Vietnamese slang, "pig birds" refer to bad people, specializing in prowling like owls and digging around for others.
The word "pig" is also for those who do illegal business and smugglers. That unfair assignment makes the conservation of this species even more difficult. In the world, people consider this a bird of unique beauty, a favorite. They have very funny heart-shaped faces. The silky coat has many beautiful patterns.
Some pictures of the pig bird - the "death" bird according to the old concept of the Vietnamese people:
