In the
mythology of
Native American tribes from the Pacific Northwest and Great Lakes, the Thunderbird could shoot
lightning from its eyes and cause
thunderclaps by flapping its immense wings.
The most recent Thunderbird tale comes from the deserts of Arizona, where in 1890, the Tombstone Epigraph ran a story about two cowboys that shot, killed, and dragged a huge bird into town. With two horses, they managed to carry this ninety feet long bird for many miles.
This was all just typical media-make-believe, though. The Tombstone Epigraph made most of it up. Instead, a source who knew the cowboys reported that they actually saw a big bird, with a wingspan of around twenty to thirty feet. They shot at it, but missed because it was too far away. Their horses refused to go any closer to it. They never carried it into town, and no picture of the event exists (contrary to popular opinion.)