Bird education and conservation take flight at Bridger Raptor Festival

While birds are a common sight around Montana, they took the spotlight at the “Bridger Raptor Festival,” a two-day showcase that transformed the ordinary into the extraordinary. The festival centered around all things raptors, ranging from conservation efforts to education.

The festival, nicknamed “Raptor Fest,” has been held yearly at Bridger Bowl Ski Area since 1993, according to Bridger Raptor Festival’s website. This year’s festival took place from Oct. 5 to Oct. 6. The event, which always occurs in early October, focused on birds that are classified as raptors. According to the Bureau of Land Management, this classification of bird is distinguished by its hooked beak, talons, eyesight and carnivorous diet.

According to Erin O’Connor, the marketing director for “Raptor Fest,” the festival began with a focus solely on raptor migration. “This whole event started with counting. There is a huge migratory path for golden eagles up on the [Bridger] range. We also have 19 different species that fly over this range,” she said. “Now, there are people up on the top of the ridge called raptor counters, sponsored by Sacajawea Audubon and Hawkwatch International.”

Although the event started out with counting raptors through their migration, “Raptor Fest” has expanded over the past 30 years. On top of documenting raptors as they migrate, the festival now contains various kinds of booths, including those representing Sacajawea Audubon and the Montana Audubon. These are both organizations of the National Audubon Society, an organization dedicated to bird habitat conservation, scientific research and advocacy, according to its website.

The goal of the Montana Audubon, as well as the Sacajawea Audubon — the local chapter of the Montana Audubon — is to provide education regarding different kinds of topics relating to raptors. The same can be said for Hawkwatch International.

Paulette Epple, a conservationist with the Sacajawea Audubon, provided insight into window safety surrounding birds. “Birds can’t see glass — they see a reflection of trees and shrubs and sky, and they fly into the windows, crash and die,” she said. “We think that about half a billion birds die from [crashing into] private residence homes every year.”

In addition to educating audiences on bird-window fatalities, Epple provided tips on how to prevent this from happening, explaining that decorating your windows utilizing tape or paint pens is the most effective method.

On top of the educational aspect, “Raptor Fest” aims to highlight raptor conservation by bringing in organizations like the Montana Raptor Conservation Center (MRCC). According to Keaton Thomas, the education director of the MRCC, the center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit rehabilitation center covering nearly 88,000 square miles of Montana. “We get in about 200 raptors every year — 20 different species, generally,” she said. According to Thomas, cars are the primary cause of injuries in raptors.

Jordan Spyke, a director of operations for the MRCC, added, “We see a lot of eagles and owls. We’ve brought in 152 birds so far this year.”

In addition to providing education regarding raptors, the MRCC brings live ambassador birds to “Raptor Fest” in order to get people face-to-face with various raptors. These birds, for various reasons, cannot be released back into the wild to live independently, according to Thomas. The event showcased a turkey vulture named Pilgrim, a Swainson’s hawk named Chaco and an American kestrel falcon named Watson.

With such variety in events, “Raptor Fest” continues to be a hit, pulling in an estimated 5,000 attendees each year, O’Connor said.

Mark Burr, a six-year attendee of “Raptor Fest,” noted that one of his favorite aspects of the festival was the bird identification event. Similarly, Bozeman resident Mia Belting, a first-time attendee of “Raptor Fest,” explained that they enjoyed the ability to connect with other bird enthusiasts. “I have this theory about birds, that you only ever see them if they want to be seen. They feel sort of otherworldly to me. When I get to see them, it feels like an honor every time,” they said.

For readers who want to learn more about raptors, “Raptor Fest” is the perfect blend of education and excitement. To check out more information on the event, head to https://bridgerraptorfest.com/.