Thunderbirds
Known to all Native American tribes, thunderbirds were reported as beniagn or malicous depending on the tribe. The all share the trait that the beating of it's wings brings noise as loud and violent as thunderstorms. The average wingspan of a thunderbird is said to be roughly 30 feet, though specimens of much greater size have been reported.
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Attacks and Sightings
In 1868 in Tippa County, Missouri 8 year old Jamie Kenney was jerked airborne by a bird that used it's claws to grasp him. The boy was able to struggle free, but it was to late. He survived the bird but died on impact with the ground due to the height he dropped. This seems like it was preordained, because even if he survived the fall he would have rapidly died of blood loss from the massive punctures caused by the bird's talons.
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In April 1948 giant birds appeared in the skies above parts of Illinois. They were spotted by an army colonel, farmers, truck drivers, a chiropractor, police officers, and several instructors from a local aeronautics school. On separate occasions they were seen trying to carry off both pets and livestock.
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One of the most well documented attacks occurred on July 25, 1977 in Lawndale, Illinois. Ten year old Marlon Lowe was outside when 2 huge birds, each with a wingspan that greatly exceeded 10 feet, appeared. Before he could run one of the birds swept down and griped the boy with his talons. He was carried more than 30 feet before he was dropped, possibly due to his mother's frantic cries, or perhaps simply because the bird tried to abscond with prey that was too big. Whatever the case it was terrifying to all involved, but thankfully there were no serious injuries.
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Thunderbirds may have been responsible for the crash of a United Airlines plane in November of 1962. When the wreckage of the plane was discovered in a wooded area in Maryland there were several very odd facts. Rescuers could find no bodies, but did stumble across an enormous mound of bloody, oversized feathers. Later, investigators took note of huge gouges and enormous scratch marks on the aircraft, with the bulk of the damage being near the rear tail assembly.
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