Another miracle takes place every year in Hinckley, Ohio—

The return of the buzzards.

Does anyone ever write about the buzzards?

They signal a return to spring—

And boy, do they need it after the winter they had, LOL!

                                             Karla Dorman

For Karla

The buzzards are now back

In the town of Hinckley, OH

They are migratory critters, too

Legend tells a tale

About a free buffet

So from Florida, they quickly flew

These turkey buzzards, not human retirees,

Are the original feisty old ‘Snow Birds’

And it’s about time that we all knew!

Hinckley is located about 25 miles southwest of Cleveland. The main gathering area to watch these birds return is at a place called the Buzzard’s Roost.

A park ranger, expert at spotting the high flying birds, is on hand to provide information and local lore. The buzzards' flying technique is quite interesting. They make very efficient use of energy by spiraling their way up to an altitude high enough to catch an air current. They then basically coast, and ride the air stream to where they want to go. Thus, they are able to make trips of thousands of miles for their seasonal migrations.

Turkey vultures have always returned north from their winter ‘snow bird’ vacation in Florida. The birds reside in Dade County from fall until late winter, when they begin their long flight north. Their arrival in Florida around October 15 is not met with the same fanfare as their return to Hinckley on March 15th, however.

Legend has it that the buzzards first chose Hinckley for their summer residence during the spring of 1819. A huge organized animal hunt was held on Christmas Eve of that winter. The early settlers of the area had been losing their farm animals to the plentiful wildlife that lived in Hinckley at the time.

Over 600 men and boys began the hunt around the perimeter of the township early on the morning of December 24th. By evening, they had killed over a dozen wolves, 20 bears, 300 deer, and a number of fox, raccoons and turkeys.

A huge feast was held, and many families received meat from the hunt.

The dead animal carcasses were quickly gathered and left in a ravine near the area of today's Buzzard's Roost.

When spring thaw arrived, turkey vultures were attracted from miles away to the scent of the rotting animals.

The buzzards enjoyed the feast so much that they now return every year.  They are the original Florida ‘Snow Birds.’