The state of Nuevo León, in northern Mexico, is known as the “State of Mountains.” It is from this mountainous region that an enigmatic legend arises — a story that may not be just a legend but rather a real account of an unknown being: a flying cryptid known as the “Bird Man.”
The existence of this winged humanoid is further supported after a photograph accidentally captured in 2018 shows a creature that appears humanoid and possesses a pair of wings.
The Bird Man is a supposed cryptid living in the mountains of Nuevo León. According to the legend, its first sightings date back to the late 19th century, but it was only in the late 1980s that the story gained popularity. This happened after several locals swore they had seen the creature in certain parts of the state, especially in the mountainous areas.
Although stories passed down from generation to generation mention the first sightings in 1877—when residents of the municipalities of Higueras and Marín, in Nuevo León, claimed to have seen a man flying over the church in those communities—it was only in the 1980s that the legend became popular.
And it was at the end of the 19th century, in the area of La Huasteca Park, that one of the earliest reports emerged: a man was walking with his dog when suddenly he found huge footprints on the ground, which looked like human footprints. The dog began barking because strange noises could be heard near the bushes.
Minutes passed, and the noise didn’t stop. Then, Mr. Pantaleón Magaña decided to throw a stone at the bushes to see what would happen. With a stunned look and a chill down his spine, Pantaleón and his dog watched a creature flap its large black wings as it flew toward the river. Later, the man told everything to the neighbors, who said that hunters in the region had already seen it.
The characteristics of the Mexican Birdman can remind us of another very famous creature in cryptozoology as well as ufology: the Mothman. Both are described as flying beings with humanoid appearance, surrounded by mystery and accompanied by reports of unexplained sightings.
The Mothman is a supposed creature — classified as a cryptid or, in some interpretations, as an alien entity — reported mainly in the United States. Its appearances have been associated with omens or warnings of future disasters.
Studied by cryptozoology, the Mothman is considered a cryptid but is also of interest in ufology due to possible connections with extraterrestrial phenomena.
The first sighting attributed to the Mothman occurred on November 12, 1966, when five men digging a grave in a cemetery near Clendenin, West Virginia, spotted “a brown human-like figure with large wings.”
One of the most notable cases happened on the afternoon of November 15, 1966, when two couples driving past an abandoned TNT factory near Point Pleasant, West Virginia, saw two enormous eyes about 5 cm wide and 15 cm apart, attached to a figure that “looked like a man but larger” — perhaps between 1.80 and 2.10 meters tall — with large wings folded on its back. The eyes were hypnotic, according to witnesses. When the creature began moving toward the factory door, the four panicked and fled. Soon after, they saw the same or a similar creature on a hillside near the road. It spread its bat-like wings, took off, and followed their car, which was traveling around 100 mph (160 km/h). One of the four told investigator John A. Keel that the creature didn’t flap its wings but just glided above them.
The witnesses told interim sheriff Millard Halstead that the creature made a sound like a record spinning at high speed or a mouse’s squeak, following them along Highway 62 to the outskirts of Point Pleasant.
The police in Charleston, West Virginia, received a phone call at 10:15 pm on Monday, November 21, from a man named Richard West, who insisted that a winged man was sitting on his roof. According to West, the creature was about 6 feet tall, with a wingspan between 6 and 8 feet, and had large red eyes.
Other reports also align with the creature chasing cars on roads and people on foot.
Returning to the case of the Birdman, it was from 2018 onward that the legend gained more attention and began to be considered not just a simple myth, but possibly a real story. This happened after the release of a photograph taken in front of one of the entrances to a cave known as “La Cueva de los Murciélagos.”
Located in Santiago, a municipality near Monterrey, the capital of the state of Nuevo León, there is a cave of great cultural, historical, and ecological importance to the region. Known locally as La Cueva de la Boca, but more commonly called La Cueva de los Murciélagos (Cave of the Bats), it offers an adventure for nature lovers and enthusiasts of local legends.
The site is ideal for long hikes and nature exploration. It is important to highlight that the cave is home to nearly 5 million bats from more than six different species, making it a natural sanctuary for these animals. Additionally, one of the most popular local legends claims that this cave is the home of the Birdman.
Natural formation
The Bat Cave, La Cueva de los Murciélagos Mexico pic.twitter.com/s81oSZvMXP
— Homeros (@HomerosHayyam41) June 5, 2025The most recent record, from 2018, of the possible Birdman was made when Adry Gaytán was walking in the area with her father and posted a photo on social media about their walk, impressed by a peculiar anomaly. The photograph caused a stir on social media, with people trying to figure out if the image was real or not, and trying to discover what the flying object over the trees might be.
On Facebook, the user posted a photo of a portrait of her father in front of the Cave of the Bats, where in the distance a figure that appears to be a humanoid with wings can be seen.
“Friends, sorry to interrupt your peaceful pre-moon night, but my family and I have a big question: What is flying in the photo?” wrote Adry Gaytán on her Facebook account.
“This photo was taken on Saturday when we went to the Cave of the Bats, and the person posing is my father. But when we arrived and looked closely at the photo, we noticed something flying away. We tried to find a logical explanation, like some kind of animal or something, but to be honest, it doesn’t look like anything familiar, haha. I can even see legs. Could it be the famous Birdman? Judge for yourselves,” she added at the time of the post.
The photograph immediately went viral on social media, sparking controversy over its authenticity due to the peculiar anomaly.
The mystery of the Mexican Birdman remains unexplained, dwelling in that fine line between legend and reality. Stories passed down through generations, along with more recent records such as the famous 2018 photograph, keep alive the curiosity and controversy surrounding the possible existence of this creature. For some, it is merely local folklore or an optical illusion; for others, it is proof that the unknown may be much closer than we imagine. Within cryptozoology, the case inevitably draws comparisons to the Mothman of the United States, reinforcing the idea that winged humanoid beings might exist in different parts of the world.
