Amko
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Folklore researchers tend to derive the Arabic bird Rukh either from the Persian Simurgh or from the Indian Garuda, which in the Mahabharata and Ramayana is depicted carrying an elephant in its claws, battling a turtle. Perhaps this legendary creature should also be included in the same group of mythical beings as the well-known paradise bird Ziz from Jewish beliefs.
The association of the Rukh bird with Madagascar may not be coincidental – until the 17th century, the island was inhabited by giant birds of the Aepyornithidae family. Similar to ostriches, they could not fly, so visiting Arabs could have mistaken an adult Aepyornis, weighing up to 500 kg and standing up to 3 meters tall, for a newly hatched chick of a much larger, flying bird.
The association of the Rukh bird with Madagascar may not be coincidental – until the 17th century, the island was inhabited by giant birds of the Aepyornithidae family. Similar to ostriches, they could not fly, so visiting Arabs could have mistaken an adult Aepyornis, weighing up to 500 kg and standing up to 3 meters tall, for a newly hatched chick of a much larger, flying bird.