And smartphone cameras are not particularly good at capturing tiny, fast-moving subjects against a bright background without preparation.

The resulting photographs, when available, reportedly showed little more than distant shapes or specks.

To the person who took the photograph, the object may have been unmistakably enormous in person.

But once reduced to a tiny mark on a screen, the image became almost impossible to analyze.

There was no clear feather pattern.

No identifiable head.

No reliable measurement of the wings.

No distinctive markings.

No close-up image capable of settling the debate.

And without those details, the photographs could not provide a definitive answer.

Biologists Asked the Questions That Mattered

Wildlife experts looking into an unusual bird report would want much more than an estimate of its size.

They would want to know exactly what witnesses observed.

What direction was the bird traveling?

How long was it visible?

How high did it appear to be?