Thunderbirds

Giant birds with wingspans of 15-30 feet have been reported across North America for centuries. Native Americans called them Thunderbirds and incorporated them into sacred traditions. European settlers reported them. Sightings continue today. Are these surviving prehistoric birds, misidentified known species, or something else entirely?

The Legend

Native American Traditions

Thunderbirds appear in traditions across North America:

• Plains tribes: Bringers of storms and lightning
• Pacific Northwest: Powerful supernatural beings
• Southwestern: Protectors and destroyers
• The name comes from the belief that their wingbeats caused thunder

Physical Descriptions

Traditional descriptions include:

• Enormous size (wingspan 20+ feet)
• Ability to carry off large prey (including humans)
• Association with storms
• Often depicted with serpent enemies
• Sacred and dangerous

Historical Sightings

The Tombstone Thunderbird (1890)

Reportedly, cowboys near Tombstone, Arizona, shot an enormous bird:

• Wingspan estimated at 20+ feet
• Smooth skin, no feathers (pterodactyl-like?)
• A photograph allegedly existed in a newspaper
• The photo has never been found despite extensive searching

The Missing Photo

The “Thunderbird Photo” became a paranormal mystery itself:

• Many people claim to remember seeing it
• It appeared in books and magazines
• Yet no copy has ever been located
• Mass false memory or genuine lost evidence?

19th Century Reports

Throughout the 1800s:

• Birds carrying off livestock
• Shadows of enormous wings
• Cowboys and settlers reporting giant raptors

Modern Sightings

1977 Lawndale Incident

In Lawndale, Illinois, three boys were playing when two giant birds attacked:

• One grabbed 10-year-old Marlon Lowe
• It lifted him about 2 feet off the ground
• He was dropped after his mother screamed
• Multiple witnesses confirmed the account

Pennsylvania Sightings

The Keystone State has numerous reports:

• 2001: Multiple witnesses in Crawford County
• Giant bird with 15+ foot wingspan
• Dark coloring
• Flying low over roads

Ongoing Reports

Thunderbird sightings continue annually:

• Texas
• Arizona
• Pennsylvania
• Illinois
• Pacific Northwest

What Are They?

Surviving Pterosaurs

Some researchers suggest:

• A surviving population of pterodactyls
• Evolution into modern forms
• Hiding in remote areas

Problem: No fossils suggest pterosaurs survived the K-T extinction.

Unknown Bird Species

Perhaps:

• A surviving population of Teratorns (prehistoric giant birds)
• An undiscovered species of condor or eagle
• Gigantism in known species

Misidentification

Skeptics propose:

• Sandhill cranes (6-7 foot wingspan)
• California condors (9.5 foot wingspan)
• Pelicans or large raptors
• Perspective errors making birds appear larger

Something Else

The Thunderbird’s supernatural associations suggest:

• Interdimensional beings
• Thought-forms given physical presence
• Something outside normal biology

The Photo That Doesn’t Exist

The False Memory

Thousands of people claim to have seen the Tombstone Thunderbird photo:

• Researchers have described it in detail
• Multiple authors claim to have seen it
• No copy has ever been produced
• The newspaper denies having published it

Is this:

• Mass false memory?
• A photo that was destroyed?
• Evidence of reality shifting?
• A shared cultural memory of something real?

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They fill the sky with their shadows—birds with wings spanning 20 feet or more. Native Americans called them Thunderbirds and honored their power. Modern witnesses still report them, flying over farms and highways. The Lawndale boy was lifted from the ground. The photo that everyone remembers cannot be found. Somewhere in the American sky, something enormous is still flying.