Lon Strickler of Phantoms & Monsters recently spoke to a man who described an encounter he had in 2006 with a “large, dark being” that he said had “cape-like wings.”

"I recently received a telephone call from an eyewitness who stated that he and and his son observed a cape-winged humanoid in Bensenville, Illinois," said Strickler.

The eyewitness, Brian, told Strickler that he and his adult son were sitting on the back porch of his home one evening in August of 2006 when they saw the creature.

"The eyewitness' neighbor has a large pine tree in the adjacent yard. Both Brian and his son were looking in that direction when a large, dark being quickly 'dropped' to the ground from the tree and grabbed a squirrel with its talons. The squirrel was literally screaming during the attack. The dark being then quickly jettisoned up into the tree. Both witnesses could hear the being moving up the tree, but neither caught sight of it again," said Strickler.

"Brian described the humanoid as having strong and long 'grasshopper-like' legs with muscular thighs," he continued. "It seemed to have cape-like wings that were wrapped around the body. These wings were never unfurled. He estimated the height of the humanoid at six feet or so. There was no distinct head or eyes, but the overall size and form was too large to be any bird that the longtime [Bensenville] resident has ever seen or heard described [in his area]."

"Both witnesses were shocked at what they had seen," Strickler explained. "I asked about not getting a photo, [but] I was told that the event happened so quickly that they never had a chance to do so."

Like many witnesses, Brian shared his story after finding out that others had reported something similar.

"The witness decided to come forward after his elderly mother in Wisconsin read about the Chicago sightings and urged him to contact me," said Strickler.

This account has special significance, according to Strickler, who said "I believe that this is the first report to definitely state that one of these winged humanoids actually attacked an animal. This is also one of the better descriptions of the legs and talons on these beings."

Bensenville, Illinois, is a village bordering the southwest edge of O’Hare International Airport, and is less than 20 miles west of the location near the North Branch of the Chicago River where witness David Ramos said he saw a similarly cape-winged creature in 1971.

This is the most recently reported sighting in a series of unusual sighting reports that have taken place in the vicinity of O’Hare International Airport, although chronologically it takes place over a decade before the current sightings.

The sighting reports in this area so far include a January 23rd report from a man who said he saw an “egg-shaped” object fly over Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and shine a “brilliant blue light” to the ground, through which a “person” appeared to be taken aboard the craft, the December 6th sighting of a red-eyed, winged humanoid near O’Hare, a December 3rd report of a “red-eyed flying man” from a security person at O’Hare, a November 26th sighting of a seven-foot-tall “person with wings” outside of O’Hare, a September 29th sighting of a toddler-sized “bat creature…running like a gorilla” near Barrington, an October 30th sighting of a large, winged humanoid in Park Ridge, an October 29th report of a winged humanoid accompanied by several other beings who disappeared in a flash of blue light, a late October sighting of an “unknown flying human owl” in Hoffman Estates, an October 19th sighting of a “giant-sized bat” outside of the Edward Hotel in Rosemont, an October 5th sighting of a "tall creature" with "bright red eyes" and "large wings” near O’Hare, and a report from July of a six-foot-tall creature flying over the Des Plaines River near Rosemont.

These reports are seemingly related to a string of ‘Mothman’ sightings from within a few hundred mile radius surrounding Lake Michigan, including every state bordering the great lake. The sightings ostensibly began in the spring of 2017, but more historical accounts are being reported as more people become aware of the phenomenon. Sightings of weird winged beings around Lake Michigan have been reported at all hours, often in or near a park, and around water. Witnesses consistently describe a large, gray or black bat or bird-like creature—although in a small number of cases the creature was described as insect-like—sometimes with glowing or reflective red, yellow, or orange eyes; and humanoid features such as arms and legs are often reported. Many of the sightings are also of something seen only briefly or are described only as a flying creature with few details, which leaves open the possibility that a large avian being could explain some encounters. Sightings of anomalous avians, including thunderbirds and pterosaurs, are often reported in or near the same locations as those where witnesses have reported winged humanoids.

To report a sighting, reach out to us directly at the Singular Fortean Society through our contact page.

You can view a timeline of the Lake Michigan Mothman sightings so far here, and an interactive map here.