I just received a sighting report from a man who was about eight years old when he saw a “featherless flying animal” near Jefferson, Texas. Several details suggest that this is no hoax: a genuine sighting.

He estimated the wingspan at 4 1/2 to 5 feet with a long tail that had a “diamond type shape” at the end. The creature had leathery skin rather than any hair or feathers. One unusual feature was a series of highly contrasted stripes on the animal’s topside (back); the underside (stomach), however, had a much more neutral coloring. It had a “long mouth/beak” with teeth. It was flying only about eight feet above the ground, making a noisy flapping. Nothing obstructed the boy’s view of the creature.

The boy was alone at the time. The creature left before the boy’s mother came outside; she told him “it was just a bird and it was my imagination.” I believe the boy’s version of what happened, for several aspects of his report are supported by other eyewitness testimonies for other sightings in the U.S.

Tags: 1995, diamond, featherless, Jefferson, leathery skin, long tail, Marion County, no hoax, sighting, stripes, teeth, Texas, wingspan