11 March 2026

In case you haven’t noticed, turkey vultures have begun migrating north to their summer breeding grounds. At first there were just one or two but their numbers are growing now that the snow is gone and the ground has thawed.

Turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) originated in South America, then expanded into North America. They leave our area in autumn because winter has two big disadvantages: there are no rising thermals to help them fly, and frozen meat neither rots nor smells so their preferred food is hard to find. Nature’s Cleanup Crew goes south to dine on roadkill.

As you can see from their range map, they do not go far so it’s easy for them to come back earlier than other birds.

Their return is a trickle in late February but by mid-March their numbers have grown and it’s time to celebrate them in Hinckley, Ohio.

This Sunday 15 March is Hinckley Buzzard Day, held from 7:00am to 2:00pm at Hinckley Prep Academy, 1586 Center Road in Hinckley, Ohio.

This annual celebration dates back to 1957 when 9,000 visitors flocked to the township to see the buzzards return from their winter hiatus. The event includes an early bird hike, skits, songs, stories performed in tents or fields, displays, crafts, photos, contests, and other hikes. Don’t miss this rite of Spring. Learn about the legend that surrounds Buzzard Day and why so many buzzards and people come out in March.

— Ohio Traveler: Hinckley Buzzard Sunday

It also includes vultures in the wild and at least one on the glove from Medina Raptor Center. For more information visit the Hinckley Buzzard Day Facebook page.

Can’t make it to the festival this Sunday?

You’ll enjoy this book by Katie Fallon –> Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird.

Few animals have a worse reputation than the vulture. But is it deserved? With Vulture, Katie Fallon offers an irresistible argument to the contrary, tracing a year in the life of a typical North American turkey vulture. 

— Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird from Brandeis University Press

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p.s. Why are they called buzzards in Ohio when “buzzards” are species of hawks elsewhere in the world?

“Early settlers in the Americas used the word buzzard to refer to large, soaring birds, especially the turkey vulture. The name stuck, and so in North America especially, “buzzard” often refers to a vulture, not a hawk.” — Buzzard vs. Vulture: Different Names for the Same Bird?