Reports from the Void: 'Chicago Area Flying Humanoid Sighting That I Never Thought to Report'

An illustration by artist Donie Odulio of the creature people have been reporting in and around Chicago and the greater Lake Michigan area. *(Donie Odulio / Instagram: @donie_odulio)*

Reports from the Void is a repository to share those stories for which we do not have enough information to make a full report. This is usually because of little or no communication from the witness following their initial submission. The Singular Fortean Society will always provide as much information as possible regarding any correspondence during our attempts to speak with those involved.

This series is meant only to present you with the full breadth of the information sent to us and makes no judgments towards the veracity of any stories shared within it.

In November of 2022, The Singular Fortean Society received the following email from someone wishing to recount the experience of their brother, whom they said saw a strange flying humanoid in the summer of 2014.

In the summer of 2014, my brother was driving his girlfriend home at around 2 a.m. (both sober). They both lived in Streamwood [Illinois] in neighboring subdivisions off of Schaumburg Road. Across from the subdivisions on the other side of Schaumburg Road is a forest preserve, and they’re located just east of Irving Park Road.
During their short drive, my brother stopped his car, because what he described as a seven-foot-tall person with shiny black skin was standing in the middle of Schaumburg Road. Right when his car came to a stop, he said wings shot out from its sides and it bolted straight up, almost like it was propelled. They both saw it and just kept driving.
We grew up there and are familiar with the large birds in those woods, it was mainly red-tailed hawks and owls. I trust his account of the event and I don’t think he’d get that freaked out by a crane or an owl. Neither of us knew what “the Mothman” was until I looked into it online, and I found the Thunderbird of native folklore to fit his description more than it being a giant moth.
I know it’s years later and it’s me telling this second hand instead of him but he’s not much of a talker. I just thought I’d pass this along to add to the list of sightings in the area. Thanks.

In a follow-up email, investigator Tobias Wayland explained, “Traditionally, ‘Mothman’ isn't ever described with insectoid features, so your brother's sighting is consistent with what others have reported.”

He then expressed the importance of receiving sighting reports firsthand and asked if the person’s brother might be willing to speak with him directly, but never received a response.

Based on the written testimony, the sighting took place near Rolling Knolls Forest Preserve, which places it within less than a dozen miles of another reported sighting in Schaumburg.

That report—also a single email that could not be followed up on—described a seven-foot-tall humanoid with a "very large" wingspan that had red glowing eyes and gave the witness a feeling of "pure evil."

Both Schaumburg reports are centrally located among the dozens of reported 'Mothman' sightings received out of the Chicago metropolitan area over the past several years.

Those reports are seemingly part of a larger phenomenon—the Lake Michigan Mothman—that is commonly reported 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. They generally take place in the evening or at night, often in or near a park or natural area, and around water. Witnesses consistently describe a large gray, brown, or black, bat or bird-like creature, sometimes with glowing or reflective red, yellow, green, or orange eyes, and humanoid features such as arms and legs are often reported. Some witnesses have reported feeling intense fear and an aura of evil emanating from the creature they encountered. 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 misidentified large bird—such as a heron or crane—or some type of anomalous avian species could explain some, although certainly not all, of the encounters. A number of associated high strangeness incidents have also occurred alongside the creature sightings. These include reports of UFOs, other anomalous flying creatures and mysterious humanoids, parapsychological phenomena, and bizarre events experienced by those investigating the sightings.

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 sightings so far here.

A map of the sightings, compiled by Strickler, is available here.