Thunder birds?

Question

I live in Wisconsin. I lived in alaska and know what a Eagle looks like. I have researched other large birds as the condor. But what I have witnessed for the first time was what I believe were two thunder birds(thought to myth) my daughter seen them first. the cloud ceiling was high and a very nasty storm front was moving in. I observed these birds through binocs on full magnification. in a way they had the appearance of eagles in that the beaks were hooked and but very long(11/2-2') definatly riding the storm front in. The wings were approxamatly 12 to 15' with a body that was perhaps slightly longer. body was mostly black, tail was easily 8'wide on both wings and tail, I observed an alternating series of black and white v shaped feathers. these birds where coming toword us keeping the same level. when one bird went into a steep dive as if ready to catch something on the ground. Have their been any reports lately of such a thing? we ran for safety zoologists only. no kooks

Answer 1

Scale can be very very difficult to gauge when looking at objects in the sky. With no frame of reference, it is nearly impossible to determine accurate wingspans, body lengths or other measurements. Perhaps the birds were merely closer to you than you thought.

From the colour, I might guess that you have seen a Steller's Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus), which is one of the largest eagles with a wingspan up to about 8 feet. Here are some pages with pictures:

http://epotapov.chat.ru/sse.htm

http://www.mangoverde.com/birdsound/picpages/pic30-41-2.html

However, the Steller's Eagle breeds in Siberia, and parts of Japan, China and the coast of Alaska, so it is unlikely that you would see it in Wisconsin.

As far as other people having seen Thunderbirds, I know there was some alleged video footage taken in the late 70s that purported to be of some gigantic, black birds of prey, but experts who viewed the footage all agreed that it was actually common turkey vultures.

There was another gigantic bird that was allegedly shot by a group of hunters in about 1886 in Texas, and a photograph of the bird nailed to a barn showed a 15 foot wingspan. The photo was supposed to have been printed in a newspaper (the accounts vary on which paper), however no one has ever been able to find a copy of this paper or the original photograph.

The largest flying birds known today are the wandering albatross, Andean condor and California condor. The albatross has a wingspan about 12 feet, and the others are about 10 feet. The largest eagle is the harpy eagle of South America, which can be up to about 9 feet wingspan. Those are freakin' big birds. The harpy eagle can carry off large howler monkeys and three-toed sloths.

The largest flying bird ever known was a gigantic condor-like bird of the American Southwest called Teratornis with a wingspan up to 23 feet (about the size of most WWII fighter planes). They went extinct about 10,000 years ago (along with the mammoths and other megafauna they probably scavenged).

There have been eyewitness accounts of giant birds, usually dark and often predatory in appearance. They mostly come from the American Southwest, Africa and Australia. There is virtually no physical evidence around any of these sightings however.

If you do see the birds again, try to get some pictures! Perhaps you have seen some surviving remnant population of Teratornis!

Answer 2

I believe they are real. People in the Midwest in 1800 saw large birds that fit what a thunder-bird looks like. There is astory held as true that a village of Indians were attacked and children carried off by thunder bird. The men went to the top of the mountain were the birds lived and killed them to stop the attacks. This is not so past myth there was news paper reports of it. Although rare to day they are still around and report keep coming about them. Thunderbird myths is a wide spead beleive from native tribes from all over this country. I do not thick it can be that wide of a beleive and not have some truth

Answer 3

The legend of the Thuderbird originated in Californian native Americans and that was there reason fore earthquake. The thunder bird would flap its wings and summon an earthquake. Though the first actual story was made when the massive mega quake covered a Forest under 20 feet of dirt and mud just before the first European colonist reached America.

Answer 4

Thunder birds are a native American and other native peoples from North America. They are a mythic creature similar to Bigfoot and various lake monsters. Coast to Coast am is a late night radio show all about the super natural. They have a picture gallery on the site. I have seen illustrations of thunder birds and other pictures of them. You could find research links there and accounts of other sightings.

Answer 5

Some people believe that the "Thunderbirds" are remnants of a group of prehistoric bids known as teratorns. Fossils have been found which suggest that a species known as Argentavis magnificens might have had a similar wingspan to what you report. Personally, I shall remain skeptical until I see it with my own eyes.

Answer 6

thunderbirds huh? ive read about these things. your raptor's measure ments sound about right. they are supposed to have a 15' wingspan and about as large as a small person. black and white coloration is also right. it is interesting that you say they werre riding a stormfront. native americans used to believe that thunderbirds brought storms, that is why they are called thunderbirds. there was a similar sighting in illinois once two thunderbirds tried to prey on a couple of young boys. i cant say for sure if your sighting is real or not, to dismiss it would be unscientific though.

Answer 7

wow thanks amazing
there were reports of thunder birds
but they were reported durin 80's and 90's after it took a lil gurl off the ground in 1980's i think but it took two people
if u need any help on cyptrid ask me i know alot

Answer 8

I'd say it sounds like you had an unearthly expeience!! You and your daughter appear to have seen something outside of our realm. Thats my best guest.