I saw the WEIRDEST bird yesterday!

[Jilliman]

I live in northeastern Pennsylvania in the US. Specifically in a small town. I live in said town in an urban area.

This happened at about 12pm yesterday. The weather was pretty warm (in the 80's F). It may have been a little cloudy but was very sunny for the most part.

I went to the mud porch to get my toaster and looked out the back window. What I saw was a large creature gliding in the sky. I say creature because the wings appeared bat-like. My initial thought was, "Bats don't come out during the day" followed by, "That is way too big to be a bat anyways!"

I would say our mystery bird is about the size of a red-tailed hawk or a bald eagle. We do have some in the area. They actually destroyed our pigeon population a few years ago.

The second thing that caught my attention was its long and flowing tail feathers. All birds of prey in the area have straight tail feathers. The feathers were not straight and trailed behind it, bending with the flow of the air. These were definitely the tail feathers, the bird was not carrying anything that could have been mistaken for them.

It was too bright for me to see what color it was. Looked to be dark but I couldn't tell as it was so bright. It was heading towards a tree a large storage house. It did not make any sound.

I looked up pics of Eagles, Hawks, Herons, Ospreys, and Kestrels and so far no match. My dad is an avid bird watcher and quite the expert and has no idea either. Could it be an exotic bird that got free?

I'd appreciate the input, thanks!

[MissMelsWell]

Sounds like someone's parrot got loose. Macaws are roughly the size of hawks (sometimes even bigger) and have curved bat-like wings Their bodies tend to be more slender than a hawks, and their tails are quite long. I've known macaw owners who allow their birds to fly free. I would never do that, ever, but some are idiotic enough to do it. If it was a Military Macaw, it might be hard to tell what color it was since they're olive green for the most part. If it was VERY large, it could have been a deep blue hyacinth macaw (they're ENORMOUS) but I can't imagine someone letting their hyacinth get out. They're quite rare and costly. But it could happen.

I say it was probably a parrot because to the best of my knowledge there are no north American birds of prey with long tails.

[+Liquid Gardens]

I'm assuming you probably would be able to spot a Turkey Vulture as they are at least pretty common in Michigan, so probably not it. I think eagles are typically a bit larger than Red-Tailed Hawks, but the vultures are closer to the size of eagles. It'd be cool if it turns out to be something more exotic though!

[+OverSword]

Hang around the area you spotted it in with a camera and try to get a photo.

[Jilliman]

Pretty sure it wasn't a vulture either. Body features and flight didn't match up.

I did look up some images of macaws flying and that pretty much looks like my mystery bird. I guess someone lets their birds outside or it got loose. I will have to check the local shelter and see if anyone has reported theirs missing.

I'll be keeping an eye out it any more sightings.

[Lioness_Heart]

I would bet on Batman, but he can't fly!

[Davros of Skaro]

Maybe it was this?

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eudimorphodon

https://www.google.com/search?q=Eudimorphodon&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=jG37U5KEDse4ogSctYCICA&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=320&bih=356

BTW it's been awhile since I heard the term "Mud Porch".

[Merc14]

Check on the internet for lost pets/lost birds and see if anyone close by has lost their Parrot, I am sure they'd appreciate a location hit on their bird.

[_Only]

Check on the internet for lost pets/lost birds and see if anyone close by has lost their Parrot, I am sure they'd appreciate a location hit on their bird.

Don't do this. You're not even sure what you saw, so definitely no need to get anyone all turned around looking for red herrings.

[Ealdwita]

Don't do this. You're not even sure what you saw, so definitely no need to get anyone all turned around looking for red herrings.

Erm....I'm pretty sure a red herring flying across your back garden would be fairly easy to recognize!

[Merc14]

Don't do this. You're not even sure what you saw, so definitely no need to get anyone all turned around looking for red herrings.

No, he can tell them what he saw and let the owners decide if it was their bird or not. He can describe the sighting and they will know if it was possibly their bird or not and I guarantee they'd appreciate the chance to make the determination rather than have someone sit on it.

Edited August 25, 2014 by Merc14

[Jilliman]

I am 90% certain that it was a macaw. The wings and tail are almost identical. I did check the local newspaper lost and found, our local shelter's website, and Craigslist and have not found any recent missing birds. Perhaps the owner lets it out from time to time or tracked it down pretty quick.

[crypto-ufologist]

I live in northeastern Pennsylvania in the US. Specifically in a small town. I live in said town in an urban area.

This happened at about 12pm yesterday. The weather was pretty warm (in the 80's F). It may have been a little cloudy but was very sunny for the most part.

I went to the mud porch to get my toaster and looked out the back window. What I saw was a large creature gliding in the sky. I say creature because the wings appeared bat-like. My initial thought was, "Bats don't come out during the day" followed by, "That is way too big to be a bat anyways!"

I would say our mystery bird is about the size of a red-tailed hawk or a bald eagle. We do have some in the area. They actually destroyed our pigeon population a few years ago.

The second thing that caught my attention was its long and flowing tail feathers. All birds of prey in the area have straight tail feathers. The feathers were not straight and trailed behind it, bending with the flow of the air. These were definitely the tail feathers, the bird was not carrying anything that could have been mistaken for them.

It was too bright for me to see what color it was. Looked to be dark but I couldn't tell as it was so bright. It was heading towards a tree a large storage house. It did not make any sound.

I looked up pics of Eagles, Hawks, Herons, Ospreys, and Kestrels and so far no match. My dad is an avid bird watcher and quite the expert and has no idea either. Could it be an exotic bird that got free?

I'd appreciate the input, thanks!

The bat-wings and large size with long tail suggest it could be something different from a regular bird. I'll take a bet that it wasn't flapping it's wings and seemed to propel itself somehow else..

Hey, I just did a check and found that Pennsylvania is a hotspot for giant bird-like creatures:

This one flying without flapping it's wings; a common feature often reported:

Location. Near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Date: February 23 2008, Time: early morning

A man was driving about 35-40 miles per hour, when a huge bird like thing appeared from above the trees, came down and seemed to hover above his vehicle. The witness pointed out that he is an active hunter and angler, and had never seen anything like this before. He stated that the thing was huge, but wasn’t sure that he could call it a bird. The shadow of the creature covered the entire truck. The driver who had a gun permit, and had the weapon with him, stopped his truck and got out to get a better look at the creature. Whatever it was, had now flown above the trees and was moving away. The witness who has watched many birds in the woods said this thing kind of soared or glided without a flapping motion. The witness admitted that he was quite scared during the observation, and stressed how huge the creature was, and stated, “Like prehistoric almost.” The witness went on to say that he knew what he saw, and if people want to call him crazy that is fine.

This a sighting at very close range during the day:

Location. Washington County, Pennsylvania

Date: May 20 2008, Time: 1400

The witness was traveling south on PA Route 43 about two miles from the Route 40 interchange. As the man traveled down the road, his attention was drawn to what he thought at first was an aircraft moving over the trees. He soon noticed that the wings were moving. The flying thing was moving in the direction of his car, so he pulled off the road, and got out to get a better look. The winged thing passed over the car and moved behind the witness about 100 feet overhead. At that point this creature appeared to be gliding, and getting lower, and it looked more like a giant bat than a bird. The witness could see no feathers, only short dark gray or black hair on the body. The wings appeared to be a membrane stretched over bone. It was a little difficult to see the details due to the sky being so bright. The witness commented that a small amount of light could be seen through the membrane. He emphasized that it was not solid like metal. As the man watched, the creature dropped lower from the sky behind his car. Apparently other motorists also caught sight of the huge flying animal. One car stopped down the road, and a person got out. That driver had a camera with him, and was seen taking pictures of the flying creature. As they watched, the creature glided down to no more than 20 feet above the road surface, and was seen flapping its wings once or twice. With each wing flap, the creature appeared to rise about 20 feet higher above the roadway. Since the creature was flying so low its huge wingspan was very evident to the witness. The man stated that when the creature spread its wings, they extended beyond the one edge of the pavement, to the other side of the two lane road. That would be about 20 feet or more in length. The creature flew off towards the west, and was lost from sight over the trees on that side of the road. The man with the camera was seen running into the woods following the creature. At this point the main witness decided to leave since he was concerned that he could be attacked.

This is smaller bird-like entity:

Location. Near Granite Run, Pennsylvania

Date: June or July 2007 Time: 01:30 a.m.

The witness was driving through the area when he stopped to get some gas. While pumping the gas, he heard a scratching sound which appeared to be coming from the roof of a nearby building. The man observed a dark shadow which he described as a being which stood from 3 to 4 feet tall, in a hunched position. He was able to observe that it had wings, but not feathers. The wings were above the creature’s head. The witness felt that the creature was observing him, and from what he could see from the shape, it didn’t appear to be that of a bird. The witness left the location for a brief time, and he returned, he heard a whooshing sound and wings flapping, and could see that the creature had flown over to another nearby structure. The man had to be somewhere, and he left the area, still wondering about what he saw. The witness was certain that this was not a bird, owl, or anything he was familiar with.

Yet another sighting:

Location. Washington County, Pennsylvania

Date: February 2 2005, Time: 16:40

The driver of a car traveling in the vicinity of the toll booth entrance had her attention drawn to something huge and black in the sky. The witness watched as the object made a left turn swoop, and realized that she wasn’t observing an aircraft, but instead a huge bird. The creature was all black, and the wings were estimated to be the length of a small aircraft. The witness pulled off the road and watched the strange sight for a few minutes.

Either a giant bird-type or a winged flying humanoid:

Location. Greensburg, Pennsylvania

Date: September 1 2005, Time: 15:30

Some people traveling in a vehicle and were approaching the Pleasant Unity exit when suddenly a huge dark shadow in the shape of huge wings appeared over the right side hood of the car. This happened in a matter of seconds, and no sound was heard. The witnesses were under the impression that possibly a huge bird had passed over the car.

I'd like to include your sighting in the ebook I'm currently writing please

Edited August 25, 2014 by crypto-ufologist

[Stubbly_Dooright]

Jersey Devil? You're close enough?

Seriously, now.

Mixed breed?

Edited August 25, 2014 by Stubbly_Dooright

[+Hammerclaw]

A turkey flying?

[ninjadude]

pheasant?

[taniwha]

I'd appreciate the input, thanks!

Do you remember any more details? For instance did it appear to sleep by hanging upside down in a tree?

[Merc14]

I am 90% certain that it was a macaw. The wings and tail are almost identical. I did check the local newspaper lost and found, our local shelter's website, and Craigslist and have not found any recent missing birds. Perhaps the owner lets it out from time to time or tracked it down pretty quick.

You are probably right. If you can, periodically check the lost and found sources because if it is a lost bird there are probably some very distraught people looking for it and any possible sightings will be appreciated.

[Jilliman]

I've been checking my sources and so far no one has reported a missing bird.:/ Maybe they caught it quickly.

It's tail feathers did not match a turkey and the wings didn't match a pheasant. I'm still leaning towards a macaw but the tail feathers were just so long, looked like only one or two of them and they curved and curled. Pretty sure it was gliding to with the wings up like a bat almost. I checked for feathers yesterday and found none.

[Jilliman]

I'd like to include your sighting in the ebook I'm currently writing please

Sure, go ahead. I'm still fairly certain it was a macaw but the tail feathers were unlike anything I've ever seen. Pretty big bird too. I think bigger than a turkey vulture.

[Jilliman]

Jersey Devil? You're close enough?

Seriously, now.

Mixed breed?

My fiancé was teasing me that it was the jersey devil the other day. He calls the bird my UFO. Not sure what it would be mixed with.

[Merc14]

Hyacinth Macaw photos

http://www.arkive.org/hyacinth-macaw/anodorhynchus-hyacinthinus/image-G6394.html

[crypto-ufologist]

Sure, go ahead. I'm still fairly certain it was a macaw but the tail feathers were unlike anything I've ever seen. Pretty big bird too. I think bigger than a turkey vulture.

Thanks. Did you see it flap it's wings at all? How long did you see it 'glide' for?

Edit: Thinking about it, a turkey vulture is way bigger than a macaw. So if it was bigger than a turkey vulture, it probably wasn't a macaw at all.

Edited August 26, 2014 by crypto-ufologist

[Mr.United_Nations]

Thanks. Did you see it flap it's wings at all? How long did you see it 'glide' for?

Edit: Thinking about it, a turkey vulture is way bigger than a macaw. So if it was bigger than a turkey vulture, it probably wasn't a macaw at all.

not if you know the biggest macaw

[Stubbly_Dooright]

My fiancé was teasing me that it was the jersey devil the other day. He calls the bird my UFO. Not sure what it would be mixed with.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Devil#mediaviewer/File:Jersey_Devil_Philadelphia_Post_1909.jpg

ok, seriously, it looks nothing like you were describing, but I understand there have been varying degrees of accounts on what the Jersey Devil looks like and what was sighted. I use to live in Jersey over ten years ago. The myth, if I remember, was it was the last child born to somebody in the sixteen hundreds and left alone to fend for itself. It was also was said it was born in a building in either Burlington or Mount Holly Nj. I use to pass that building thinking how interesting if that was true.