“An ancient race of magical, giant birds....[They] are birds of prey. They hunt and kill whatever they like. Some stories say that a single thunderbird could carry off a horse and rider with one claw and a full-grown cow with the other....But thunderbirds never stay in one place too long, because if they do, they soon eat everything that is there” (3:386-387). They are called thunderbirds because “they can make thunder with their wings. They can make strong winds as well—strong enough to blow down trees” (3:389). They are also able to shoot lightning bolts from their eyes. They have powerful magic of their own and are not deceived by illusions. A dragon is the only creature known to have enough power to challenge a thunderbird.
Thunderbird eggs take a very long time to hatch. There is a known group of thunderbirds in the far south of Thraxon.