In Arkansas, we have two sightings, separated by about five years. The 1977 sighting was in the early afternoon. The 1982 sighting was in the twilight evening.
Pterosaur Sighting in Arkansas (summer of 1977)
“My father and I saw a huge, featherless bird in Arkansas . . . when I was sixteen . . . We were sitting on big rocks at a cliff about 300 foot above the river when it flew out just under us and we watched it all the way down toward the river till it passed the tree lines. It was an awesome experience, indeed. It was however smaller, and wing span of maybe eight feet . . .”
Later in her answering questions, she used the word “teradactyl,” instead of “featherless bird.” The flying creature, or pterosaur, had a large head with a head crest that she described as “fat, long and curved back toward the neck.” The tail length was similar to about half the wingspan (about four feet and eight feet). She was certain about the lack of any feathers, later indicating that the creature was first observed only about twenty feet away. She was impressed by its graceful flight.
From the book Live Pterosaurs in America
. . . It [about] 1982 when me and my older brother were sitting in our carport . . . in Texarkana, AR. It was getting dark but there was plenty of light in the sky when we saw what we believe to be a pterodactyle. The wingspan seemed to be about twenty-five to thirty feet wide. It was probably about 70-80 [feet] off the ground, flying over a large tree in front of the house.
something “huge” took off into the air from the far side of the clearing. The creature ran to their left, taking six to ten steps to get airborne. . . . It then disappeared over the dense brush but soon returned and flew over the clearing, presenting a “perfect side view” of its features . . .
[When eyewitnesses mention “pterodactyle” or “pterodactyl,” they mean “pterosaur.”]
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