Impossibly large bird spotted in Mendenhall Valley

Eagles are a lot bigger than many folks who've not seen 'em in person might believe...

That being said, once upon a time, eagles came in rather larger sizes. The Haast Eagle, from New Zealand, had a wing span of between 8-12 ft., and could prey on just about anything from what I've read...

We can be fairly sure, if not positive, that large prey birds--bald eagle size or better--may have lived in North America. That would certainly give at least some credence to the Native American legends of the Thunderbird. There's a story in my family directly related to the legend. One of my great-greats, maybe another great in there somewhere...was a trapper in the area that includes what is now the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone areas, and up into Montana. This was long before the great Westward movement/Gold Rush...about 1830'ish, or so it's said.

He was out checking his trap lines, or had just finished, and was headed back to his camp, when off in the distance he saw a great bird. The local natives, who were relatively friendly, told him it was the Thunderbird. For whatever it's worth...I always loved the story. About the only thing that can be authenticated is my great-great was actually in the area. Nothin' else....

I've seen/heard/felt some odd things in the woods, and my family seems to attract strange things--whatever they are. Ghosts. Bigfoot (3 generations of sightings, and counting...).

a reply to: Darkblade71

Surprised I didn't find evidence of that impact. Hopefuwereit was okay as seemed vanishing into the night.

Yup,would have to keep it secretive or anonymous if shared online if I did.

I've had a 'ma eagle swoop down on me when I was trying to peer over a cliff to see her nest, which was just somehow, on a little ridge on the cliff beneath us. (I didn't want to upset her, so I gave up the photo-op) But the biggest most scary bird I've ever seen was an owl. Oh man! It's wing span went across my windshield.

HUGE. And gorgeous.

a reply to: seagull

I've seen/heard/felt some odd things in the woods, and my family seems to attract strange things--whatever they are. Ghosts. Bigfoot (3 generations of sightings, and counting...).

Oh ghost stories please please please! Make a thread?

originally posted by: superman2012
a reply to: GoShredAK
Is Juneau in the Alaskan Triangle? Anything mysterious to report?

Juneau is where we keep our politicians locked up, or where they go so we cant get at them, one or the other. Some of them are a mystery.


I'm not sure about these giant birds, but I'd suspect they saw a Golden Eagle and it looked big compared to the Bald Eagles they are used to seeing. Still it's fun to speculate. I know it's the largest we see up north of there.

a reply to: Blaine91555

I Never knew we had golden eagles in AK.

originally posted by: GoShredAK
a reply to: Blaine91555

I Never knew we had golden eagles in AK.

Heard tale of one snatching a baby in that neck of the Ozarks when I was a kid.

a reply to: GoShredAK

We don't normally have golden eagles, or condors.

But the way the weather has been the last few years, it doesn't surprise me if it was either of those.
Actually, if I had to say it was any known bird, I would go with a California Condor,
or Crowned eagle.

Two very massive birds.

The Thunderbird documentary I posted discusses both of these and both seem large enough to be what was seen.
To bad no one has gotten pictures.

a reply to: skunkape23

When we first moved up here, my daughter was only 4 and small for her age. We actually were worried that an eagle could swoop down and grab her.

It could happen.

a reply to: Darkblade71

Walking on the beach in Kenai last summer several eagles were legit eyeballing our beagle Dora.

A couple times they swooped down at her.

It was a scary moment. Would have been kind of truamatic, especially for the little ones.

If you were the military and wanted a drone that you could fly at low level you would camo it to look like something people see every day.

At 500 to 1000 feet what was seen in Alaska would just look like a big bird.

Most morons like ISIS fighters may take a couple pot shots at the big bird but until a camo drone looking like a bird becomes public likely ISIS or the norks will not catch on.

a reply to: seagull

"That being said, once upon a time, eagles came in rather larger sizes. The Haast Eagle, from New Zealand, had a wing span of between 8-12 ft., and could prey on just about anything from what I've read."

dont think there is much of a chance of what the OP saw was an egale from NZ. Those eagles have a habit of staying in NZ.

a reply to: Azureblue

Does seem rather unlikely, doesn't it??

My point was that there were eagles of rather large size in the world once upon a time, right up through to fairly recently...

You did notice, I hope, that I said something to the effect that North America probably played host to eagles of rather significant size? ...and that that could very well be the source of the Thunderbird legends...??

a reply to: angeldoll

Once many years ago, I had a friend that got too close to an eagle's nest, complete with baby eagles, and he got fairly well tore up by one of 'em...

His comment almost got him attacked by us... The idiot. "I only wanted to pet one." To this day, I have no response to idiocy of that magnitude. That eagle came perilously close to killing him, by nearly knocking him off the cliff. It was only about 100' or so to the beach below...he got within 50' or so, or so he said. I doubt he got that close...

originally posted by: angeldoll
I've had a 'ma eagle swoop down on me when I was trying to peer over a cliff to see her nest, which was just somehow, on a little ridge on the cliff beneath us. (I didn't want to upset her, so I gave up the photo-op) But the biggest most scary bird I've ever seen was an owl. Oh man! It's wing span went across my windshield.

HUGE. And gorgeous.

HA! yes big birds Owl's. We lived in WY at a private golf club for a while and would walk the golf course after work at nite.

Was buzzed a couple times by what had to be a Great Horned Owl. Now when I say buzzed, I mean it was a feeling as it glided above the ground spotlights just above our heads, with only a flash of it's belly to be seen. It was big, and silent.

Was really cool when it happened.

Also on the way up from Colorado, a young Baldy took off from a ditch as I passed by in my little Datsun. Wow it was big!

It was close enough that I could see the feathers changing on its head. I swear it's wings could have spanned my car, bumper to bumper.

originally posted by: skunkape23
A friend and I saw an owl sitting in a tree that must have been near 3 foot tall.
It never spread it's wings, but it must have had a huge span.
As far as I've researched they aren't known to get that big, but apparently they do.
This was at Brazos Bend State Park in southern Texas.
That thing could have easily snatched a small/medium sized dog.

I am north and west of Houston.Leaving for work one morning there was one on the side of our neighborhood road. At least 3 ft tall - I've lost 2 cats.

a reply to: skunkape23

An eagle tried to snatch my 28lb weiner dog once. When she us outside she tries to stay under the gazebo now. She looks up frequently when she is in the yard.

Has a small scar on her rear from the experience.

a reply to: skunkape23

My australian shepherd was attacked by a very large owl... My aussie was maybe 40-50 pounds and the thing picked her up... it struggled to fly with her as it dropped her about 5 feet but it was huge... never seen one that big before

A2D

My australian shepherd was attacked by a very large owl... My aussie was maybe 40-50 pounds and the thing picked her up... it struggled to fly with her as it dropped her about 5 feet but it was huge... never seen one that big before

Wow , that had to be a WT# moment.


I've had Bald and Golden Eagles cruise above me and with me for some distance while kayaking and canoeing the rivers in Colorado. The Golden's with their 8ft wingspan feel like a Cessna's about to land on top of you, they're huge.

originally posted by: TXTriker

I've lost 2 cats.

I've seen a red-tailed hawk fly off with a cat.