HINCKLEY TOWNSHIP, Ohio --- In the 60-plus years since Hinckley Township residents and visitors began looking to the sky for the annual return of its turkey vulture neighbors to Buzzard’s Roost in the Cleveland Metroparks Hinckley Reservation, there have been a number of noteworthy moments.
Few, however, were as surprising as a gender reveal event for two Medina Raptor Center buzzards, Mattie and Paris, following this year’s Hinckley Buzzard Sunday events March 20. In short, though the birds have lived at the raptor center since 1998 and 2008 respectively, recent genetic testing found that “Matilda” is actually “Matthew.”
“Turkey vultures are sexually dimorphic; the females are generally larger because they have to carry eggs,” said Medina Raptor Center volunteer, Jill Raber. “But the only way you can really tell [the sex of the bird] is the size. It is the same with a lot of hawks and owls.”
Medina Raptor Center volunteer Heather Eaken said genetic testing of both birds was ordered when Paris recently began to display unusual signs of aggression toward Mattie. Raber noted that it is not entirely unusual that the aggression, if related to mating at all, began this late in the buzzards’ respective lives.
“Vultures don’t become sexually active until around 11 years old,” she said, noting that turkey vultures typically live 50 to 80 years in captivity.
Sadly, the pair will now need to be separated, Raber said, to avoid the obvious and the not so obvious.
“Having a male and a female requires special permitting,” she said, noting with a laugh. “And Mattie is nasty [and] doesn’t need to be having babies.”
While the Medina Raptor Center gender reveal was not officially part of Hinckley’s Buzzard Sunday 2022, plenty of traditional fun was had by the hundreds who showed up at Hinckley Elementary School and Bronger’s Park to meet Mattie and Paris and enjoy a craft show, games, storytelling and a pancake breakfast.
“I want to eat the pancakes,” said an enthusiastic Antonio Carriero, 4, who attended his first Hinckley Buzzard Sunday with his sister, Adelina, 6, and dad, Tony.
“We just moved here a year ago,” Tony said. “The best part is definitely the community, seeing everyone come out for this.”
Cleveland Metroparks Seasonal Naturalist Tim Klima agreed.
“This is impressive. A lot of people came out,” Klima said. “I grew up in Brecksville, so I have been going to these programs my entire life. The best thing is just seeing everyone so excited. [The buzzards] are here all year around, as the weather has gotten warmer in recent years. So we celebrate them being here.”
Indeed, Raber said, warming weather patterns have affected the buzzards’ migratory patterns to some degree. However, they have never been a particularly ambitious bird when it comes to traveling.
Unlike hawks and other birds of prey, Raber said, turkey vulture “only go as far as their next meal.”
“So that might be Virginia, or it might only be southern Ohio,” she said.
Yet another surprise at Hinckley Buzzard Sunday 2022, though one fact is likely to never change; humans in Northeast Ohio are sure to continue making their favorite winged ambassadors feel right at home in Hinckley.
Read more news from the Brunswick Sun.
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Hinckley Buzzard Sunday 2022: traditional fun with a few surprises - cleveland.com
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