August 14, 2008—Bird researchers traveling through rural Costa Rica in pursuit of the elusive Pacific screech owl were brutally attacked August 3 by an angry mob just outside the town of Liberia.

Wielding machetes, the group of a dozen locals had mistaken ornithologist Jim Zook and his colleague, National Geographic grantee Cagan Sekercioglu, for thieves.

While driving down a rural road, the researchers heard the distinctive call of the owl, found only along a 1,000-mile (1,600-kilometer) stretch of the Pacific coast—from Oaxaca, Mexico, to Costa Rica.

A group of local residents, believing the researchers to be thieves, attacked them with rocks and machetes. Zook and Sekercioglu ran, but Zook (pictured above) was caught. He deflected machete blows to the head with his hand.

Police arrived about 15 minutes later, broke up the crowd, and reunited the researchers.

An ambulance carted Zook to the nearest hospital, and Sekercioglu followed. On the way, a large bird flew past Sekercioglu's broken windshield. Camera in hand, he stopped the car—and spotted a Pacific screech owl in a nearby tree. He managed to take photos.

"The cops would not believe me," said Sekercioglu. "I showed them the photos, and they were amazed. One cop said, 'Un milagro. A miracle.'"