First Nations, from the west coast to the Great Lakes Anishinaabe to the Pennsylvania Susquehannocks have Thunderbird stories. Glenbow Museum’s Cory Gross tells Shayla about teratorns, huge birds that lived until the end of the ice age and may be the source of ancestral cultural memory. Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation Chief Rand Cooke says in their origin story, thunderbird brought many gifts.

Ed Keleman, Pennsylvania author of paranormal books, claims to have briefly seen a thunderbird with a huge wingspan. Pennsylvania also has stories of the albatwitch (apple snitcher), which the local Algonquins called Megumoowesoos. Doc concludes with a Cree story, Flaps of Thunder.