Scary Massive Grey Raptor, 4 ft tall, What the heck is it?

Hi,

We saw an enormous, very tall (maybe 4 ft), dark grey bird with a very strange, long, huge, sort of s-shaped bill on our neighbor's property. It was very high in the tree top and held itself in the launch position, hanging from a limb at sort of an obtuse angle from the position it would be in if it were perched upright. We have squirrels around, and a few neighborhood cats around. This thing seriously looked like it could kill a human! Scary thing is that this was a back yard in shoreline CT. Just a regular neighborhood. I've looked everywhere trying to identify what it was, but can't anything like it anywhere online. I haven't seen it again since, thank God! I've lived here for 30 years and never saw anything like this. It was just passing through. It doesn't look like anything North American that I've seen.

Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

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Scary Massive Grey Raptor, 4 ft tall, What the heck is it?

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Mar 24, 2012
 turkey vulture?
by: Anonymous

It sounds like a vulture to me. We live by a body of water in Ohio, and have LOTS of them. They are very large, grey, UGLY (<: birds; which, when standing, have an "s" shaped appearance to their neck. I hope that this helps you.
Feb 05, 2012
 The Search Goes On!
by: Re: Hmmm...

I know! I've Googled lots too. It is a big mystery! I would really like to know what this is. I'll keeping checking back, and posting here if i find anything!
Jan 30, 2012
 hmmmm...
by: Anonymous

I wish someone had some sort of idea what it could possibly be. I swear i have googled so much but I have not found anything to give any sort of idea what it may be. Even googled. " what is the largest bird in the world".. nothing. Maybe it wasn't a bird, but something else...hmmmmm....
Jan 29, 2012
 Thanks!
by: Original Poster

Thanks so much for your help! I haven't had any luck identifying it yet. The thing that made it so different was the really strange 'beak' or 'bill', and also that it could hold itself in the launch or dive position off of the limb. Very muscular! This bird was definitely lost, and really looked to me like it was from another country. Could a bird like this actually fly across the ocean?

I don't think it's an osprey because of the sheer size of the body and beak. This bird was way too large. The other thing is that it was hunting in a backyard. I think osprey eat only fish. It could've gone to the water right down the street, but it chose a yard.

I went to 'what bird' and tried to join, but it won't let me. I enter all my info and it keeps telling me that there is already someone joined who has my email address. I tried to join with a different email, but I got the same message. That's one of the nice things about this website--you don't have to join in order to post! Thank you to whoever allows this!
Jan 27, 2012
 website
by: Anonymous

Go to whatbird.com and enter what u saw. The only thing I'm really coming up with is a osprey, eagle, vulture or some type of water bird. Either way, keep us informed!
Jan 27, 2012
 freaky bird
by: Anonymous

Me too now! I been googling but cannot find anything. What about an Osprey? That's the only thing I have found even close. That does sound pretty freaky. I'm going to help u do some searching..lol
Jan 26, 2012
 It wasn't a blue heron
by: Poster of the Orignial Message

Hi,
Thanks for your responses! I just looked up what a blue heron looks like. The bird I saw didn't have long legs, it was approx 4 ft of solid bird down to it's talons. It was skinny at all, but pretty massive in build. Also, I wanted to add that it had a 'beak' or 'bill' that was about the size of a standard 16.9 oz bottle of Poland Spring in height and width. It wasn't a straight or hooked beak, rather it curved outward twice, a bit like an S, but with a lot less curve. I don't even know what to call it--beak isn't the right word. It's head was probably a third of the size. This was a freak of a bird. I'm very curious about what this was!
Jan 25, 2012
 Possible Blue Heron
by: Anonymous

What your describing sounds like a Blue Heron. There used to be one who came every night at dusk to the tall tree across the pond from my house. It looked exactly like what u described.
Jan 25, 2012
 Large grey raptor
by: Holly

When I lived in Ohio, there was a Blue Heron that lived way up in the tree across the lake from me. It looked exactly like what your describing. Everynight at dusk he came and left every morning. maybe it is a Blue Heron??

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