Chaco the Swainson's hawk took a nap mid-program. Millie the peregrine falcon (named for the Millennium Falcon, naturally) stole hearts. And Bozeman showed up for the birds — about 5,000 strong.
The 30th annual Bridger Raptor Festival filled Bridger Bowl on Oct. 3–4 with free raptor viewing, nature talks and live ambassador birds from the Montana Raptor Conservation Center, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports.
Katee Lynch of Bridger Bowl told the Chronicle the fest typically draws about 5,000 attendees. Visitors met birds including Chaco (a chill Swainson's hawk rescued as a nestling 25 years ago), Millie (a peregrine who can't be released after a car strike in Bozeman), Stella the kestrel and Tony the red-tailed hawk.
The Bridger Flyway holds the largest-known concentration of migratory golden eagles in the U.S. — roughly 1,200 to 1,500 a year — and the weekend mixed science with that can't-fake Montana magic of standing a few feet from a hawk.
"It's amazing how much Bozeman is showing up for their raptors," educational volunteer Gabi Pulliam told the Chronicle. We're still thinking about Chaco's mid-lecture snooze.
Source: Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Read the original article.
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