Thunderbird is a term used in cryptozoology to describe large, bird-like creatures, generally identified with the Thunderbird of Native American myth and folklore. Similar cryptids reported in the Old World are often called Rocs. Although Rocs are generally regarded as being eagles like the gigantic Haast eagle of New Zealand, which would have been dismissed as myth if not for fossil evidence, thunderbirds, on the other hand, are regarded by a small number of researchers as having lizard features like the pterosaurs and pteranodon. As most people assume these creatures did not survive from the time of dinosaurs, they are generally regarded by most people as mythological. Cryptozoology (from Greek: κρυπτός, kryptós, hidden; ζῷον, zôon, animal; and λόγος, logos, knowledge or study – zoology) is the search for animals hypothesized to exist, but for which conclusive proof is missing. ... Depiction of a Thunderbird on a Totem Pole The mythological Thunderbird is a mythical creature common to Indigenous spirituality in North America . ... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... Cryptids are creatures presumed extinct, hypothetical species, or creatures known from anecdotal evidence and/or other evidence insufficient to prove their existence with scientific certainty. ... The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans, Asians, and Africans before the voyages of Christopher Columbus; it includes Europe, Asia, and Africa (collectively known as Africa-Eurasia), plus surrounding islands. ... This article is about the Roc, a mythical bird. ... Binomial name Haast, 1872 Haasts Eagle (Harpagornis moorei), was a massive, extinct eagle that once lived on the South Island of New Zealand. ... Suborders Rhamphorhynchoidea Pterodactyloidea Pterosaurs (TEH-row-sore, winged lizards) were flying reptiles of the clade Pterosauria. ... Species (type) Pteranodon (from Greek πτερ- wing and αν-οδων toothless), from the Late Cretaceous (santonian-campanian, 85-82 million years ago) of North America (Kansas, Alabama, Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota) was one of the largest pterosaur genera, with a wingspan of up to 9 m (30 feet). ...

This article deals with modern sightings (the last 200 years) of such a creature, reported as real, as opposed to clearly mythological accounts, though believers in the phenomenon often use the Native American legends as further evidence for their claims. This article is about a system of myths. ...

Early reports

There is a story that in April 1890, two cowboys in Arizona killed a giant birdlike creature with an enormous wingspan. It was said to have had smooth skin, featherless wings like a bat and a face that resembled an alligator. This description has obvious similarity to that of a prehistoric pterodactyl, a creature which was known at the time. They dragged the carcass back to town, and it was pinned, wings outstretched across the entire length of a barn. A picture of this event may have been published in the local newspaper, the Tombstone Epitaph. It should be noted that Cryptozoology.com[1] has an account of this story with the events taking place in the state of Texas. Year 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Cowboy (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... “Chiroptera” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Alligator (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ...

According to Mark Hall, the Epitaph did indeed print a story about the capture of a large, unusual winged creature, on April 26, 1890.[2] Beyond this single story, however, no one has made historic corroboration that this event ever occurred; it is usually considered an urban legend. Utterly fictional tall tales were not an uncommon feature in newspapers during this era ^{[citation needed]}. is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... An urban legend or urban myth is similar to a modern folklore consisting of stories often thought to be factual by those circulating them. ... A tall tale is a story that claims to explain the reason for some natural phenomenon, or sometimes illustrates how skilled/intelligent/powerful the subject of the tale was. ...

No one has ever produced a copy of the "thunderbird" photograph, though numerous people, Ivan T. Sanderson being one of the better known, have made claims to its existence. Sanderson claimed to have once owned a copy of the photo, which vanished after he loaned it to an acquaintance in the 1960s. The television program Freaky Links staged a similar photo, giving new life to the "Thunderbird Photograph" legend.[3] Ivan Terrance Sanderson (January 30, 1911 – February 19, 1973) was a naturalist and writer born in Edinburgh, Scotland, who later became a naturalized citizen of the United States. ... FreakyLinks was an American television show that combined elements of horror, mystery, and comedy. ...

Jerome Clark speculates that the description of the basic image in question (men standing alongside a winged creature nailed to a barn), is evocative enough to implant a sort of false memory, leading some people to vaguely "remember" seeing the photo at some distant, imprecise time.^[1] Jerome Clark (1946 - ) is an American researcher and writer, specializing in unidentified flying objects and other anomalous phenomena; he is also a songwriter of some note. ... For the novel, see False Memory (novel) It has been suggested that Synthetic memory be merged into this article or section. ...

20th century

There have also been Thunderbird sightings more recently. In the 1960s and 1970s, sightings of a large bird the size of a Piper Cub airplane were made in Washington, Utah, and Idaho.^{[citation needed]} On occasion, such reports were accompanied by large footprints or other purported evidence. The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Piper Cub. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Official language(s) English [1] Capital Boise Largest city Boise Largest metro area Boise metropolitan area Area  Ranked 14th  - Total 83,642 sq mi (216,632 km²)  - Width 305 miles (491 km)  - Length 479 miles (771 km)  - % water 0. ...

Among the most controversial reports is a July 25, 1977 account from Lawndale, Illinois. About 9 p.m. a group of three boys were at play in a residential back yard. Two large birds approached, and chased the boys. Two escaped unharmed, but the third boy, ten-year-old Marlon Lowe, did not. One of the birds reportedly clamped his shoulder with its claws, then lifted Lowe about two feet off the ground, carrying him some distance. Lowe fought against the bird, which released him. is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Lawndale, Illinois is a community northeast of Springfield, Illinois. ...

Viewed by some as a tall tale, the descriptions given by the witnesses of these birds match that of an Andean condor: a large black bird, with a white ringed neck and a wingspan up to 10 feet.[4] Loren Coleman and his brother, Jerry, interviewed several witnesses after the reported event. Statues of tall tale characters Paul Bunyan and Babe A tall tale is a story that claims to explain the reason for some natural phenomenon, or sometimes illustrates how skilled/intelligent/powerful the subject of the tale was. ... For other uses, see condor (disambiguation). ... Loren Coleman in a photograph featured in his profile on Cryptomundo. ... Jerry D. Coleman (born October 3, 1951 in Macon County, Illinois) is a paranormal researcher who is best known as the author of Strange Highways (ISBN 189252337X), a cult classic of Forteana. ...

21st century

The thunderbirds of today are not the thunderbirds of the past; they are often bigger, scarier and more elusive. In 2002, a sighting of a large birdlike creature, roughly as big as a Cessna aircraft, was reported in Alaska.^[2] Scientists suggested the giant bird may have simply been a Steller's Sea-Eagle. Cessna Aircraft Company, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, is a manufacturer of general aviation aircraft, from small two-seat, single-engine aircraft to business jets. ... For other uses, see Alaska (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Haliaeetus pelagicus (Pallas, 1811) The Stellers Sea Eagle, (Haliaeetus pelagicus) is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, buzzards and harriers. ...

In 2004, a high-school student claimed to have been walking into his classroom from a soccer field in Southern California when a large bird-like creature, silhouetted against the sky, was sighted flying over suburban residences. According to him, it first appeared to be a small bird located by the field below. He claimed to have seen it fly over a thunderhead cloud that was over a group of hills to the south that was approximately one and a half miles from where he was standing. The boy claimed that from his point of view it looked the size that a crow-sized bird would at twenty feet away. From this it could be concluded that the flying creature reported had a wingspan of hundreds of feet.

Another Thunderbird sighting was made in Harrow, Ontario in the summer of 2003. Ohio is a prime area for Thunderbird sightings; one was documented in the fall of 2004. Ohio Valley thunderbirds are said to be similar to the California Condor.^{[citation needed]} Harrow is a small town located in Essex County Ontario Canada. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... View of Pittsburgh, the largest metropolitan area on the Ohio River, where the Allegheny River (left) and the Monongahela River (right) join at Point State Park to form the Ohio River Cincinnati, Ohio is a well known city along the Ohio River, historically known for its riverboats. ... Binomial name (Shaw, 1797) Synonyms Genus-level: Antillovultur Arredondo, 1976 Pseudogryphus Species-level: Vultur californianus Shaw, 1797 Gymnogyps amplus L. H. Miller, 1911 For other uses, see condor (disambiguation). ...

Analysis

This "Analysis" section does not cite any references or sources. (December 2006) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

As mentioned above, some cryptozoologists have theorized the ancient Thunderbird myth to be based on sightings of a real animal that has of late dwindled in population. Some skeptics have claimed such a large bird could never have flown, but several flying creatures with huge wingspans are indeed known. The prehistoric vulture-like Argentavis magnificens had a wingspan of around 7 m (21 feet) and was capable of flight. The massive Cretaceous-era pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus northropi was the largest known flying creature in history, with a wingspan of at least 25 but perhaps as much as 60 feet. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Cryptozoology (from Greek: κρυπτός, kryptós, hidden; ζῷον, zôon, animal; and λόγος, logos, knowledge or study – zoology) is the search for animals hypothesized to exist, but for which conclusive proof is missing. ... Species Argentavis magnificens Argentavis magnificens is an extinct bird from the late Miocene (23 - 5 million years before present) of South America. ... // The Cretaceous Period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic Period (i. ... Suborders Pterodactyloidea Rhamphorhynchoidea * Pterosaurs (, from the Greek πτερόσαυρος, pterosauros, meaning winged lizard, often referred to as pterodactyls, from the Greek πτεροδάκτυλος, pterodaktulos, meaning winged finger ) were flying reptiles of the clade Pterosauria. ... Quetzalcoatlus northropi, named after the Aztec feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, was a pterodactyloid Pterosaur known from the Late Cretaceous of North America, and the largest known flying animal of all time. ...

Cryptozoologists also posit that the Thunderbird was associated with storms because they followed the drafts to stay in flight, not unlike the way a modern eagle rides mountain up currents. Noted cryptozoologist John Keel claims to have mapped several Thunderbird sightings and found that they corresponded chronologically and geographically with storms moving across the United States. John A. Keel. ...

Angelo P. Capparella, an ornithologist at Illinois State University, argues that the existence of such undiscovered large birds is highly unlikely, at least in North America. There is not enough food, Capparella says, in many areas where abnormally large birds are reported. Perhaps more important, according to Capparella, is the lack of sightings by "the legions of competent birdwatchers ... scanning the skies of the U.S. and Canada" who sometimes make "surprising observations" with cameras at the ready (see for example 20th-century sightings of the Eskimo Curlew). Were there breeding populations of large, unknown birds, Capparella contends they could not remain unknown very long. This article is about the field of zoology. ... Illinois State University is a public university in Normal, Illinois and is the oldest public institution of higher education in the state. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... Birding or birdwatching is a hobby concerned with the observation and study of birds (the study proper is termed American origin; birdwatching is (or more correctly, was) the commonly-used word in Great Britain and Ireland and by non-birders in the United States. ... This article is about the photographing device. ... Binomial name Numenius borealis (Forster, 1772) The Eskimo Curlew or Northern Curlew, Numenius borealis, is (or possibly was) a medium-sized shorebird. ...

References

Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Thunderbirds in Cryptozoology