Summary: <p>We’re talking about <strong>Thunderbird</strong> this week and the huge North American birds that may have inspired Thunderbird’s physical description. Thanks to Desmon of the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-not-historians-podcast/id1200497921?mt=2">Not Historians podcast</a> for this week’s topic suggestion!</p> <p><strong>Further listening:</strong></p> <p>While I was in the middle of researching this episode, Thinking Sideways did a <a href="http://thinkingsidewayspodcast.com/washingtons-eagle/">whole episode on Washington’s Eagle</a>.</p> <p><strong>Further reading:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/09/earthquakes_and_tsunamis_in_the_pacific_northwest_native_american_myths.html">“The Great Quake and the Great Drowning”</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.dinosaurhome.com/the-myth-of-19th-century-pterodactyls-14388.html">“The Myth of 19th Century Pterodactyls”</a></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-189" src="http://strangeanimalspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/totem-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199"></p> <p>Depiction of Thunderbird on a Pacific Northwest totem pole</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-190" src="http://strangeanimalspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/albatross-300x201.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="201"></p> <p>A wandering albatross hanging out with a lot of lesser birds. Biggest wingspan in the world right here, folks!</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-191" src="http://strangeanimalspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Condor-216-212x300.jpg" alt="" width="212" height="300"></p> <p>A California condor. #16, in fact.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-192" src="http://strangeanimalspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baldeagles-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200"></p> <p>An adult bald eagle with a juvenile.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-193" src="http://strangeanimalspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Washingtoneagle-215x300.jpg" alt="" width="215" height="300"></p> <p>Washington’s eagle as painted by James Audubon</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-194" src="http://strangeanimalspodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/teratorn-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199"></p>
