Reader Reports: 2 Thunderbird Sightings in Arkansas

Report #1, from Northeastern Arkansas:

"One night about nine years ago [2003], my mother and I were stopping by our house in Northeastern Arkansas before we headed into town," reports Crystal. "My mom pulled into the driveway. The car's headlights were pointed at a tree just about about 50 feet away. She exited the car, and just as she entered the house, a giant black bird whose wingspan measured about half the height of the tree flew out of it, and with two flaps of its giant wings it disappeared into the night sky."

Report #2, from Little Rock (central Arkansas):

"In 2005, my daughter and I put her Rat Terrier on his leash and went out the back door," reports Vadena. "A huge brown bird with an incredible wing span flew through the backyards and landed in a tree in our neighbor's yard. The bird was taller than my daughter and she was tall for her age. I was stunned and speechless. When I realized it was looking at my daughter and her dog, I called her back and went after her. The bird saw me and flew away. We couldn't believe what we had seen. The bird flew toward the Arkansas River."

Thanks for those reports, Crystal and Vadena. Sightings of Thunderbirds are most likely large eagles, vultures, or other birds of prey whose size has been misjudged. In these cases, however, the women had trees and other landmark measurements with which they could better judge size. As rare as sightings are, these large, unidentified birds have often been reported in the Arkansas-Tennesee-Kentucky area. Could some unknown species live there?

• The Giant Thunderbird Returns
• Thunderbird Sightings
• Thunderbird Abductions?