Thunderbird Sightings

Thunderbirds are legendary creatures of enormous size reported throughout North American history. Named after Native American legends of supernatural birds that create thunder by flapping their wings, modern sightings suggest something unusual may still fly American skies.

Native Tradition

Native American cultures across the continent share traditions of enormous birds. The Thunderbird is a supernatural being of great power, associated with storms and the sky world. Petroglyphs and totem poles depict creatures with wingspans far exceeding any known bird.

The Tombstone Photograph

Cryptozoology’s most famous lost evidence is a photograph allegedly taken in 1890s Tombstone, Arizona, showing cowboys beside a giant bird nailed to a barn wall. Despite many claiming to have seen it, the original has never been found.

Modern Sightings

Reports continue into the modern era. In 1977, a bird allegedly attacked a ten-year-old in Lawndale, Illinois, lifting him briefly off the ground before dropping him. Multiple witnesses reported seeing the attack.

Descriptions

Witnesses typically describe birds with wingspans of fifteen to thirty feet, dark coloring, and sometimes features suggesting they are not ordinary birds, perhaps resembling pterosaurs more than any living species.

Assessment

Known large birds like the California Condor have wingspans up to ten feet. If Thunderbird sightings are genuine, they represent either an unknown species or surviving prehistoric flying creatures.