In April of 1890 CE two men in Arizona killed a massive winged creature. According to the reports, this being had a giant wingspan and smooth, hairless skin. Its wings were said to be bereft of feathers and to more closely resemble the wings of a bat than those of a bird. The creature’s head was equated to that of an alligator.

In July of 1977 CE three young boys were playing outdoors in Illinois when a giant bird-type creature swooped down and carried one of the boys away. The creature only managed to lift the struggling boy about two feet off the ground and dropped him after only several yards.

In 2002 CE a giant bird with a reported 14-foot wingspan was sighted in Alaska.

In 2007 CE a similar creature was spotted in Texas.

Native American tribes have, for centuries, had legends, stories and accounts about giant birds they refer to as thunderbirds. Similar accounts from around the world tell of giant birds. These are sometimes called Rocs, but seem to be the same basic type of creatures.

These creatures are thought by many to be misidentified known animal species. Others do believe that thunderbirds are real and are some manner of little known, or unknown, bird species. Whatever they are, the sheer number of accounts points to there being something out there that has given rise to this phenomena.

Whatever these creatures are, they have been known to attack small animals and even, as quoted in the July 1977 CE report above, young human children. As such, defense against and protection from these things must be considered. They are included in this series of preternatural defense articles for that reason and due to the mystical significance given to thunderbirds by Native American tribes, some of whom believe that their own ancestors were descended from thunderbirds.

In the event of an attack by a thunderbird, your best defense would probably take the form of any sort of weaponry that would cause damage or irritation. Anything that would damage the heart or brain, or sever the head, should prove very effective.

Mace or pepper spray might also prove to be effective against thunderbirds. Given the legendary eyesight of raptors, which thunderbirds appear to be, anything that disrupts that eyesight would be both beneficial for the intended victim of the creature as well as extremely frightening and off-putting to the thunderbird itself.

Sonic devices might be affective against these creatures. Sonic waves can be very disorienting and cause nausea and lack of balance and coordination, making it difficult for the thunderbird to continue flying while under such an assault.