The Thunderbird was a beautiful brightly colored bird of prey in Native American folklore. Like a giant eagle, it was said that it lived high above the clouds and mountains. Each beat of its wings was so strong that it caused gusts of wind and sounded like thunder, hence it’s name.
The giant bird was also said to shoot lightning from its eyes and could grow large enough to catch a whale! It was seen as neither good nor bad since it was often followed by rain, it just depended on if the rain was needed or turned to detrimental flooding. The Thunderbird has found a foothold in pop culture as a car and a comic book character.
Next time you hear thunder roll, keep an eye out for this mythic creature!
