The swallows return to Capistrano and the Vultures return to Hinckley like clockwork every year. But the excitement of those events is more than matched by the yearly return of the Buzzards to Makoshika (ma-KO-shi-ka) State Park in Glendive, Montana.

      Crowds gather from 100s of miles away to watch for the appearance of the omnivorous birds who find this semi-arid country a great place to spend the summer.

      June 9, 2007, marks the 18th annual Buzzard Day celebration in this eastern Montana town of 2500. The whole town gets involved in the celebration, including the Kiwanians who prepare their much-anticipated “Buzzard Burger.” (Ornithologists need not be concerned, however; no buzzards are harmed in the preparation of the meal.) Visitors also can look forward to the Vulture Variety Show that showcases talent from all over the Montana/North Dakota region.

      The Turkey Buzzard is officially known as cathartes aura, which is Latin for “cleansers of the air.” They begin arriving in the Glendive area in late April and their chicks begin to hatch from late May to early June. Both mom and dad spend much of their days searching for food for the fledglings, which they bring back to the nest and serve up in (ahem) pre-digested form.

      It’s time now to dispel a myth about Turkey Buzzards made famous by so many spaghetti Westerns—When you see them circling slowly overhead, there’s no need to fear that they are waiting for you to keel over. They’re actually just “catching a thermal” and relaxing by riding it until the next one. 

      “Kind of like lying on a rubber raft in your pool,” according to Ryan Sokoloski, Park Manager of Makoshika State Park, which is Montana’s largest state park.

      The residents of Glendive (a town which is also known for having some of the most unique dinosaur displays in the country) are anxiously awaiting the celebration of the return of some of their most famous and reliable residents.

      For more information about Buzzard Day and Makoshika State Park, visit their website at: http://fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors/HTML/articles/2003/makoshika.htm or call 406-377-MAKO

     As published by www.sogonow.com      http://www.sogonow.com/archives/2007/05/montana_buzzard.php

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