Village of Petulu in central Bali || Photo by Lindz Marsh

Every evening, the skies above the village of Petulu in central Bali fill with Little Egrets, Cattle Egrets, and Javan Pond Herons as they arrive to roost overnight. Their numbers have been estimated to total 20,000. The Balinese believe that the birds are the spirits of the survivors of a massacre in 1965. That year, the villagers in Petulu took action to rid the village of negative energy by holding a ceremonial cleansing ceremony; a week later, the herons called “Kokokan” arrived for the first time ever and have rested there ever since.  @lindzmarsh Lindz Marsh on Unsplash