Mothman-Like Sightings in Chicago, Illinois (2017)

Beginning in the spring of 2017 and continuing through the fall of that year, a remarkable wave of sightings of a large, winged, humanoid creature was reported across the Chicago metropolitan area. Witnesses described encountering a being standing six to seven feet tall with large, bat-like wings and glowing red or orange eyes — descriptions strikingly similar to the original Mothman reports from Point Pleasant in 1966. The sightings were concentrated along the Lake Michigan shoreline and in neighborhoods on the city's north and northwest sides. Reports came from a diverse cross-section of witnesses, including couples on evening walks, late-night commuters, construction workers, and individuals near the Chicago River. Investigator Lon Strickler of the Phantoms and Monsters website catalogued over fifty-five separate reports during 2017. Notably, several sightings occurred near O'Hare International Airport, prompting speculation about potential aviation safety concerns. The Chicago sighting wave was unusual for occurring in a major urban environment — most Mothman-type encounters are reported in rural or semi-rural areas. Skeptics suggested the witnesses may have been seeing large owls, herons, or drones, amplified by social media-driven suggestion and pattern-seeking. The Chicago Mothman flap remains one of the most concentrated waves of flying humanoid sightings in modern history.