A woman was in for the shock of her life after spotting a bizarre ‘ghost bird’ while strolling around a forested area in Colombia.

The unlikely encounter took place in Chibolo, a small town in the Colombian Department of Magdalena, where an unnamed woman was walking around a farm when she spotted a strange bird on one of the posts.

While the woman initially believed that the animal was a part of the wooden post, she was left frightened after the bird moved its head and opened its giant bill.

“The first time I saw him I thought it was a stick but he moved and I approached him,” the woman revealed.

“The bird opened its eyes and mouth and scared me a lot but being so strange I decided to take pictures and record videos. When I got closer I raised my hand, and he opened his mouth in reply.”

As she added, she never saw the unusual bird before despite visiting the place several times in the past.

As it came to light after the video went viral, the animal in the clip is a great potoo, a nocturnal bird that resembles owls and boasts of its giant mouth.

Thanks to the unusual ghostly calls they make, great potoos are commonly also known as ghost birds. They can reach a height of 23 inches and are known as the largest birds among the potoo species.

According to the woman who recorded the rare encounter, the elusive species hadn’t been seen at the farm for as long as 15 years even though the owners sometimes heard the sounds it made.

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