Thunderbirds are currently classified by zoologists as legendary species, although there is a wealth of fossil evidence that shows these enormous birds formerly covered the Earth’s skies. Teratorns, a group of extinct vulture-like raptors, were really widespread in both North and South America.

The wingspans of these birds ranged from 12 to 18 feet, although some researchers question if their size made them unsuitable for flight. Teratorns most likely coexisted with early humans. It’s possible that the legends of the enormous birds were passed down orally and incorporated into the common culture of several Native American tribes.

On April 26, 1890, the Tombstone Epitaph newspaper published a piece about two neighborhood ranchers who killed a sizable and enigmatic “winged creature.” According to the news report, the creature resembled a large alligator.

According to this, the bird’s head is 8 feet long and its body is 92 feet long. The monster possessed wings that were around 160 feet in length and were thick but nearly transparent. Sharp teeth were lining the beak.

Thunderbird from the Civil War image True or False
This photograph, allegedly shot at Vicksburg in 1864, first appeared in the 1950s. It appears to depict a squad of Civil War troops with a Pteranodon-like bird that looks ancient in appearance.

Despite being powerful, it is generally accepted that the image is a fraud. Even said, the species seen in this image is strikingly similar to the bird that was purportedly shot in Arizona in 1890.

In the 1940s, there were several reports of Thunderbird sightings. On April 10, 1948, three guys in Illinois claimed to have seen a Thunderbird. They spotted a massive shadow being thrown on the ground by what they took to be a plane in the sky.

They quickly understood that it wasn’t a plane, but rather a huge bird beating its wings. The men assert that the bird had wings at least 25 feet broad and a torpedo-shaped body.

A guy and his kid also reported witnessing a large, threatening-looking bird flying above a few towns over and a few weeks later.

A Thunderbird pulled ten-year-old Marlon Lowe, who is shown with his mother, off the ground!

Attempts by Thunderbird to Kidnap a Boy!
The latest and most contentious Thunderbird sighting happened on July 25, 1977, near Lawndale, Illinois. Three youngsters were playing in a garden this evening when two enormous birds swooped down on them.

Two of the boys fled the scene uninjured, but they watched in horror as one of the birds snatched their buddy, Marlon Lowe, 10, from the ground and hoisted him in its beak. When the youngster yelled and fought, his mother, who was at home, was informed. She yelled at the bird as she raced outside.

It carried the youngster for a while before letting him fall two feet to the earth. Where the bird’s talon pierced Lowe, there were severe marks on his shoulder.

When the mother of the youngster reported the event to the police, her account was treated with mockery and skepticism. The look of what the boys and the mother saw and an Andes condor, a much larger relative of the California condor, is comparable, according to several specialists who have reviewed the case, despite the fact that majority of them think Marlon Lowe was attacked by a turkey vulture.

Straight Out of Jurassic Park, the Thunderbird published in Alaska
In Alaska, witnesses to a 2002 Thunderbird encounter reported that the bird resembled “something out of Jurassic Park.” These witnesses described the enormous bird as having a 14-foot wingspan and a reptile look.

It is doubtful that the witnesses mistakenly thought it was a seagull or an eagle because it was bigger and more recognizable. Even the Anchorage Daily News covered the sightings.

It is difficult to avoid making comparisons between huge bird sightings and Thunderbird mythology from Native American cultures. It’s possible that the myths are accurate.

Writer: Karen Harris. Source: https://historydaily.org