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Thunderbird
A colossal bird from Native American legend whose wings create thunder and whose eyes flash lightning. Sightings of massive birds continue today—the Tombstone Thunderbird photograph allegedly showed one killed in 1890.
Ancient - Present
North America
2000+ witnesses
The Thunderbird is a legendary creature in North American indigenous cultures, and a modern cryptid.
The Legend
According to documented folklore:
The Thunderbird:
- Is a supernatural bird
- Creates thunder with its wings
- Lightning flashes from its eyes
- A powerful spirit being
- Found across Native cultures
Traditional Beliefs
In indigenous mythology:
- Wings cause thunder
- Eyes or beak make lightning
- Battles underwater spirits
- Lives on mountain peaks
- A protector or destroyer
Modern Sightings
People report seeing:
- Birds with 20+ foot wingspans
- Resembling pterodactyls
- Carrying off livestock
- Flying over remote areas
- Photographed occasionally
The Tombstone Photo
Famous legend:
- In 1890, Arizona
- Cowboys allegedly killed a giant bird
- Posed with it for a photo
- In Tombstone Epitaph newspaper
- Photo now “missing”
Notable Sightings
Reported encounters:
- 1977 Lawndale, Illinois (child attacked)
- Pennsylvania thunderbird reports
- Alaskan giant bird sightings
- Texas pterodactyl reports
- Ongoing globally
Theories
Explanations include:
- Surviving pterosaurs
- Misidentified condors
- Sandhill cranes
- Cultural memory
- Unknown giant birds