Bridger Bowl to host 27th annual Raptor Fest

Every fall, the Bridger Range experiences one of the highest volumes of migrating eagles, ospreys, falcons and hawks of any range in the country. And for a weekend each October, Bridger Raptor Festival hosts one of the greatest congregations of predatory bird enthusiasts in the nation.

“It's for everybody. It's free,” said Katee Lynch, Bridger Raptor Festival organizer. The event takes place Saturday, Oct. 8, and Sunday, Oct. 9, at Bridger Bowl Ski Area and will feature a variety of activities. “We have everything from exhibits that cater to children to lectures for birders,” Lynch said. “I think everybody's favorite is seeing the live birds.”

Bridger Raptor Festival began in the 90’s after the discovery of a high volume of birds migrating through the range in the prior decade. The inaugural event in 1996 attracted nearly a thousand participants. This year’s festival is expected to be attended by more than 5,000 people, according to Lynch.

The 2022 event will offer live bird presentations all morning and afternoon on Saturday and Sunday, along with lectures, games, exhibits and live music. Oktoberfest-themed food and beverages will be available both days.

Those with an itch for exploration can make the two-mile, 2,200 vertical feet trek to the ridge to join bird observers and see firsthand the inspiration behind the event: migrating raptors. “We'll have all three observers up there and we'll be chatting with people while we collect data,” said Luisa Frankenburg, an observer with the Bridger Migration Project.

Frankenburg and her colleagues have hiked to the ridge nearly every day since August 27 to observe migrating birds and will continue to do so for the rest of the month.

“[Raptors] are pretty good environmental barometers, and can indicate a lot about the ecosystem,” Frankenburg said.

To aid in the process, Frankenburg has a couple of tricks up her sleeve. “We use two owl decoys which helps to lure the raptors so that we can get a closer look at them,” she said.

As the birds dive to the ridge to bombard the plastic owls, the observers can identify traits like age and sex that are difficult to determine from afar.

“Most raptors, particularly smaller hawk species, really hate great horned owls,” Frankenburg said.

If you’re unable to visit the team on the ridge, you can follow along with the Bridger Migration Project’s work on its Instagram page, @bridgermigrationproject. You can also check out the “Bridger Mountains” entry on hawkcount.org, a shared database for raptor observers across the continent.

The Bridger Raptor Festival is a must-see event for any Bozemanite with an enthusiasm for nature and wildlife. For more information, check out bridgerraptorfest.com or “Bridger Raptor Festival” on Facebook.