The legend of the 'Ayaymama'

In the dark forest of Tambopata at night, there is sometimes an eerie sound that baffles the ones that have not heard it before. It sounds almost like a lament. ‘It is the ‘Ayaymama’’, would say a native to a surprised and curious traveler. The ‘Ayaymama’, also known as the common potoo (delnyctibius griseus), is a night bird full of mystery not only because of its spectacular camouflage mechanism, but also because of being part of one of the most representative myths of the Peruvian Amazon.

The legend is about two children that where abandoned in the forest by their father and stepmother, after their mother died. They were taken to the jungle believing it was just a simple walk, but they were left behind. The kids set off in search of their house, but the more they tried, the deeper in the dense jungle they got. They say the spirits of the rainforest felt sad about them, and gave them wings and turned them into birds so they could fly back home. When they found it, they landed on a nearby tree, and sang with great sorrow:’ayay mama, ayay mama’, which in native language means ‘oh mom, oh mom’.  

They say every time you hear the bird singing, it’s actually the children that are still asking for their mom every night in the rainforest.

The call of the Ayaymama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlIJU9Kby4g