The Internet Thinks These Things Are Aliens. The Truth Is Much More Sinister.

Popular Mechanics ^ | November 14, 2019 | Jennifer Leman

[C19fan]

You’ve probably seen this viral video circulating on Twitter. The camera pans up through a hole in the ceiling to reveal ... creatures of some kind. Are they aliens? Ghosts?

No. They're owls. Really, really creepy owls.

If you’re not entirely convinced that the hissing trio are indeed birds, you’re not alone. (I showed the video to one friend, who replied: “That cannot possibly be real.” Others have displayed similar skepticism online.)

When the video first hit the internet in 2017, multiple sources reported that construction workers stumbled across the scraggly birds, known as eastern barn owls, at a site in Visakhapatnam, capital of the south-eastern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. With renewed interest in the monster birds, Popular Mechanics reached out to ornithologist Kevin McGowan of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to find out what makes them look so sinister.

[C19fan]

The alien abduction movie "The Fourth Kind" used the face of a barn owl on its promotional materials.

[AndyTheBear]

Something is fowel here.

[butlerweave]

Who Me ,LOL

[cgbg]

If they start sticking sharp objects into your body and start drawing blood—then you can start worrying.... ;-)

[proust]

The owls are not what they seem.

[hanamizu]

My cousin and I had some young barn owls way back in the day. They hiss like snakes.

[DannyTN]

Owlways be grateful, you’re not an alien.

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

Not aliens. No way they probe poopers.

[Ken H]

"Nice set of hooters you got there."

[BlueLancer]

"Nice beaver ..."

"Thanks ... I just had it stuffed."

[NativeSon]

...he wears a smile, everybody run

[elcid1970]

I thought barn owls are beneficial since they eat rodents.

They do have a kind of spooky look.

[null and void]

She’s dead, wrapped in plastic...

[Windflier]

The alien barn owls:

[metmom]

They look like owls, and not really creepy either.

[hanamizu]

They are neat birds that will do their share to take care of excess rodents. As fledglings they’re pretty ugly, but once they get their adult plumage, they are handsome-looking birds—kind of monkey faced.

[BlueLancer]

They're albino Martians!!!!

[tiki]

I stumbled upon an open, hand-dug well and saw 2 of them on a ledge. I go back often and after about 5 years they are still there.

[PlateOfShrimp]

Damn fine cherry pie!

[MHGinTN]

Around these parts they get big, big enough to swoop down and haul of cats and small dogs and foxes.