The largest bird in North America is the California Condor with a wingspan of up to nine feet. The largest known bird today is the Andean Condor with a wingspan up to 12 feet. Unlike the Andean Condor, the California is a very rare and endangered bird with only a small territory left of its once large range. But as recently as the early 1800's it still apparently lived in eastern America as well, according to Halliday's Vanishing Birds. Could Andean Condors, however, be flying up - or have ever flown up from South America? In any event, Ornithologists tell us that the claw strength of either condor is not strong enough to carry food for much distance, and besides, the condor is a carrion eater, not a predator bird.

Be that as it may, reports of giant birds - Thunderbirds perhaps - have been reported in eastern America since colonial times. These giant birds are reported to have wings like a "B-29", and are known for trying to carry off children and livestock. Numerous modern reports from Illinois attest to this.

Interestingly, there once existed a gigantic bird in North America called the Teratornis Merriami (Feduccia, The Age of Birds). It stood five feet tall with a 24 foot wingspan. According to Dr. Kenneth Campbell it was, unlike the condor, a predator bird, "the long narrow beak was of the predator type, rather than the carrion eater type (condor)." He goes on to say, "the bones of some as recent as 8000 years ago have almost always been found in conjunction with human habitation sites." (Loren Coleman comments: "Were Amerindians killing these giant condor-like birds for their feathers or because the birds had been kidnapping their children and stock?) This is interesting information indeed, because 8000 years places it well within the human era, and Thunderbird legends may well be echoes of this giant predator bird.

Native Americans who have written me have this to say about the Giant Bird/Thunderbird connection: "The giant raptors were strong fliers and strong walkers. They preferred making short trips on foot and they were the size of a man and walked almost erect (not like the usual bird). Indians in Illinois dreaded meeting the giant raptor at night and mistaking it for a human, which happened."

From another source, "[Consider] Nadinahamasit, the Turkey Vulture. If you have ever seen this unmistakable form above you, it is real easy to visualize the Thunderbird. Black, all wings and primaries outstretched, just a ridin'-the-thermals, little no-neck head darting this way and that, looking for prey."

These descriptions are particularly relevant as the silhouette of a giant walking turkey vulture (if there is such a thing) would from behind have a very similar silhouette to the Mothman, and, it is interesting to note that the Mothman is described as "... from behind, it appears to have no head."

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