The Unknown Predator from McLoud, OKlahoma!

The Unknown Predator from McLoud, OK

  We recently received the following inquiry:

I'm sending this to you as I'm not sure of what to make of it.

It was just after Thanksgiving 2013, during the daytime, and we had just put up a fence for our 2 mos old chicks. I let them outside & decided to close the door to the porch area where we were keeping them. We live in McLoud, OK.

I was washing dishes and looked out the window and saw wings flapping, BIG wings. I yell, Oh my God! and ran outside to the porch and out to the fence. There was this enormous bird with white wings with it's talons wrapped around or almost around my rooster. I'm yelling get out of here! My husband comes out with a BB gun as we have dogs sometimes that come too close to the fence. I'm yelling that will do no good, get the gun (as we have a 22 caliber rifle). The bird dropped the rooster when it saw me. The wing span on the bird was wider than my arms outstretched totally (over 55 inches easily). The wings were white inside, and as the bird flew off close to the ground as it was so large it couldn't take off like a normal smaller bird due to it's weight. It had gray and brown feathers on it's back, not much of a tail. At first I thought it must be a hawk, but now think it had to be an owl. Everything happened so fast, I didn't get a look at the head, which thinking back on it, if I had it probably would have scared me. I haven't seen it since and am thankful for that, but our chicks will not go outside without me now. They run inside at the simplest noise or shadow overhead. Can't blame them.

I'm wondering if anyone else has seen such a large bird. I was at least 5 ft from it when it was startled and flew off, so there is no mistaken for the size. My husband also saw it fly off and remarked how enormous it was.

Thanks,
Frances

NOTE: Oklahoma has a varied selection of raptors, vultures and owls...some are fairly large predators. The Golden Eagle first comes to mind...as well as the Great Horned Owl. Black Vultures, as well as Turkey Vultures, are also know to inhabit Oklahoma. BTW...there have been thunderbird & pterosaur reports from Oklahoma, but the witness made no reference to that type of cryptid. What do you think? Lon

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