UFORCOP CASE REVIEW
THUNDERBIRDS
October 6, 2011
SIGHTINGS IN
PENNSYLVANIAThunderbird Definition: Thunderbird is a term used in Cryptozoology to
describe large, bird-like creatures, generally identified with the Thunderbird
of Native American tradition. Similar cryptids reported in the Old World are
often called Rocs. Thunderbirds are regarded by a small number of
researchers as having lizard features like the extinct Pterosaurs such as
Pteranodon . Reports of Thunderbird sightings go back centuries, and the
fossil record does show that giant birds (teratorns) with wingspans between
12 and 18 ft (3.7 and 5.5 m) were likely contemporary with early man.
Today the creature is generally regarded as a myth. (Wikipedia)
This article deals with modern sightings of such a creature, reported as
real, as opposed to mythological accounts, though believers in the
phenomenon often use the Native American legends in attempts to support
their claims.
A number of sighting reports from Pennsylvania have been studied over the
last year and a half only to put researchers in a quantry as to why these
reports were even published. Reports have the (large bird) as small as an
Ultra Lite aircraft and as big as a B17 Flying Fortress. Wingspans of 15 feet
to 45 feet are not uncommon in a sightings report. Body lenghts of 5 feet to
18 feet are also not uncommon. Some witnesses say they do not roost in
trees but hide in caves and atop high mountain ranges in the state.
Witnesses range from young to very elderly and in groups and alone.
Interesting is the fact most reports come out of Greensburg PA, and
Greene and Westmoreland Counties. A few from the North such as Clinton
and Tioga Counties but are scant in number. Under 5 at this writing. The
birds are described as having feathers and some others described the bird
as featherless with membrane type wings.
A sighting in the 1940s, was described as an enormous bird like creature
with a body shaped like a naval torpedo. The creature was flying at at least
500 feet and cast a shadow the same size as a small passenger airplane.
Similar sightings in Missouri prompted residents to write concerned letters
to then St. Louis mayor Aloys P. Kaufmann demanding that the city do
something about these reportedly huge birds. The mayor instructed an
administrative assistant to set a trap to catch one of the creatures, but
when blue heron tracks were discovered on an island in the Meramec
River, the mystery was considered solved.There was a spike in Thunderbird sightings in the late twentieth century. On
occasion, such reports were accompanied by large footprints or other
purported evidence that were attributed to known species.
The most controversial report is a July 25, 1977 account from Lawndale
Illinois. 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, a ten year old, did not. One of the birds reportedly clamped
his shoulder with its claws, then lifted the boy about two feet off the ground,
carrying him some distance. The boy fought against the bird, which
released him. The boy had no injuries or claw marks.
Viewed 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. However, an Andean condor's talons
are not strong enough to lift heavy objects. This holds true in all large
species of birds. Their talons are made for ripping and tearing of flesh for
example a rabbit or fish. They are not designed for lifting heavy loads.
They are also for the most part gliders. It takes all the strenght they have to
move the wingspan they carry to get into the air.They glide in the air
currents as they launch from high perches such as a cliff or mountain top to
hunt prey.
It should be noted that not one single report has ever come from any one of
the over 200,000 plus Onithologist’s (Bird watchers) in the United States. A
call to the Audubon Society was met with “your looking for reports of
what?” followed by laughter. Quess that answered my question. With a
group this large scanning the skies with high powered binoculars, scopes
and cameras at hand a bird this size would not escape detection very long.
Another fact is that the majority of reports are second, third and sometimes
fourth hand to investigators. No legitament photos or video have ever been
scientifically supported. No police reports or mass sightings.Another interesting fact is that all reports we’ve looked at have one
redeeming quality. Every person or persons making the report wants to
remain anonymous. One would think somebody would want the credit for
reporting a huge bird the size of a plane.
No nests, no eggs, no roadkills or large strange feathers have ever been
reported. The only sound reported is a loud swoosh as the bird passes
overhead. No recording of that either. No carcasses and no human or
animal injuries reported.
As in all legends proof is fleeting. This legend goes back hundreds of years
when ancient Indian lore brought forth this creature to whom a great deal of
honor was bestowed in both ceremonial functions and daily lives. Photo’s
showing a large bird tacked to a barn in Tombstone AZ and a photo of a
group of US Calvary soldiers standing around the carcass of a large bird
they allegedly shot out of the sky have all the markings of the most famous
photographer of our time…..Photoshop!
Some cryptozoologists have theorized the ancient Thunderbird myth to be
based on sightings of a real animal with a mistaken assessment of its
apparent size. 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 (23 ft) and was capable of flight. The massive Cretaceous- era pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus northropi (or perhaps Hatzegopteryx
thambema) was the largest known flying creature in history, with a
wingspan of around 12 m (40 ft). However, the Thunderbird's identity as a
pterosaur is unlikely because the Thunderbird is invariably shown having
feathers. A pterosaur's wings were made of a membrane of skin stretched
over a bony finger, similar to a bat's wings.
Totem poles are monumental scultures carved from large trees, mostly
Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indiginous peoples of the Pacific
Northwest of North America. The word totem is derived from the Ojibwe
word odoodem, "his kinship group". ( Wikipedia ) Most all Totem Poles
depict a large bird with outstretched wings. What is curious is that the
carved Thunderbirds have a larger wingspan in tribes of the Northwest and
West and smaller wingspans in the British Columbia and more Northern
tribe locations. Condors are common in areas of the West and Nothwest.
They are not common in British Columbia and farther North. Eagles aremore likely to be seen by the Northern tribes hence carving of smaller
wings.
Some reports could be the California Condor brought east by upper high
winds or a Turkey Vulture or an Eagle. Blue Herons are seen in
Pennsylvania as a common sighting according to Onithologist’s, but until
some proof of any kind is presented this case of Thunderbirds in
Pennsylvania will be closed as misidentification of a known species or
hoax reports.
California Condor
Great Blue HeronEagle
www.paufosearch.com
THUNDERBIRDS
October 6, 2011
SIGHTINGS IN
PENNSYLVANIAThunderbird Definition: Thunderbird is a term used in Cryptozoology to
describe large, bird-like creatures, generally identified with the Thunderbird
of Native American tradition. Similar cryptids reported in the Old World are
often called Rocs. Thunderbirds are regarded by a small number of
researchers as having lizard features like the extinct Pterosaurs such as
Pteranodon . Reports of Thunderbird sightings go back centuries, and the
fossil record does show that giant birds (teratorns) with wingspans between
12 and 18 ft (3.7 and 5.5 m) were likely contemporary with early man.
Today the creature is generally regarded as a myth. (Wikipedia)
This article deals with modern sightings of such a creature, reported as
real, as opposed to mythological accounts, though believers in the
phenomenon often use the Native American legends in attempts to support
their claims.
A number of sighting reports from Pennsylvania have been studied over the
last year and a half only to put researchers in a quantry as to why these
reports were even published. Reports have the (large bird) as small as an
Ultra Lite aircraft and as big as a B17 Flying Fortress. Wingspans of 15 feet
to 45 feet are not uncommon in a sightings report. Body lenghts of 5 feet to
18 feet are also not uncommon. Some witnesses say they do not roost in
trees but hide in caves and atop high mountain ranges in the state.
Witnesses range from young to very elderly and in groups and alone.
Interesting is the fact most reports come out of Greensburg PA, and
Greene and Westmoreland Counties. A few from the North such as Clinton
and Tioga Counties but are scant in number. Under 5 at this writing. The
birds are described as having feathers and some others described the bird
as featherless with membrane type wings.
A sighting in the 1940s, was described as an enormous bird like creature
with a body shaped like a naval torpedo. The creature was flying at at least
500 feet and cast a shadow the same size as a small passenger airplane.
Similar sightings in Missouri prompted residents to write concerned letters
to then St. Louis mayor Aloys P. Kaufmann demanding that the city do
something about these reportedly huge birds. The mayor instructed an
administrative assistant to set a trap to catch one of the creatures, but
when blue heron tracks were discovered on an island in the Meramec
River, the mystery was considered solved.There was a spike in Thunderbird sightings in the late twentieth century. On
occasion, such reports were accompanied by large footprints or other
purported evidence that were attributed to known species.
The most controversial report is a July 25, 1977 account from Lawndale
Illinois. 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, a ten year old, did not. One of the birds reportedly clamped
his shoulder with its claws, then lifted the boy about two feet off the ground,
carrying him some distance. The boy fought against the bird, which
released him. The boy had no injuries or claw marks.
Viewed 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. However, an Andean condor's talons
are not strong enough to lift heavy objects. This holds true in all large
species of birds. Their talons are made for ripping and tearing of flesh for
example a rabbit or fish. They are not designed for lifting heavy loads.
They are also for the most part gliders. It takes all the strenght they have to
move the wingspan they carry to get into the air.They glide in the air
currents as they launch from high perches such as a cliff or mountain top to
hunt prey.
It should be noted that not one single report has ever come from any one of
the over 200,000 plus Onithologist’s (Bird watchers) in the United States. A
call to the Audubon Society was met with “your looking for reports of
what?” followed by laughter. Quess that answered my question. With a
group this large scanning the skies with high powered binoculars, scopes
and cameras at hand a bird this size would not escape detection very long.
Another fact is that the majority of reports are second, third and sometimes
fourth hand to investigators. No legitament photos or video have ever been
scientifically supported. No police reports or mass sightings.Another interesting fact is that all reports we’ve looked at have one
redeeming quality. Every person or persons making the report wants to
remain anonymous. One would think somebody would want the credit for
reporting a huge bird the size of a plane.
No nests, no eggs, no roadkills or large strange feathers have ever been
reported. The only sound reported is a loud swoosh as the bird passes
overhead. No recording of that either. No carcasses and no human or
animal injuries reported.
As in all legends proof is fleeting. This legend goes back hundreds of years
when ancient Indian lore brought forth this creature to whom a great deal of
honor was bestowed in both ceremonial functions and daily lives. Photo’s
showing a large bird tacked to a barn in Tombstone AZ and a photo of a
group of US Calvary soldiers standing around the carcass of a large bird
they allegedly shot out of the sky have all the markings of the most famous
photographer of our time…..Photoshop!
Some cryptozoologists have theorized the ancient Thunderbird myth to be
based on sightings of a real animal with a mistaken assessment of its
apparent size. 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 (23 ft) and was capable of flight. The massive Cretaceous- era pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus northropi (or perhaps Hatzegopteryx
thambema) was the largest known flying creature in history, with a
wingspan of around 12 m (40 ft). However, the Thunderbird's identity as a
pterosaur is unlikely because the Thunderbird is invariably shown having
feathers. A pterosaur's wings were made of a membrane of skin stretched
over a bony finger, similar to a bat's wings.
Totem poles are monumental scultures carved from large trees, mostly
Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indiginous peoples of the Pacific
Northwest of North America. The word totem is derived from the Ojibwe
word odoodem, "his kinship group". ( Wikipedia ) Most all Totem Poles
depict a large bird with outstretched wings. What is curious is that the
carved Thunderbirds have a larger wingspan in tribes of the Northwest and
West and smaller wingspans in the British Columbia and more Northern
tribe locations. Condors are common in areas of the West and Nothwest.
They are not common in British Columbia and farther North. Eagles aremore likely to be seen by the Northern tribes hence carving of smaller
wings.
Some reports could be the California Condor brought east by upper high
winds or a Turkey Vulture or an Eagle. Blue Herons are seen in
Pennsylvania as a common sighting according to Onithologist’s, but until
some proof of any kind is presented this case of Thunderbirds in
Pennsylvania will be closed as misidentification of a known species or
hoax reports.
California Condor
Great Blue HeronEagle
www.paufosearch.com
