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An event tomorrow (2/16) in Branson will celebrate a bird many people likely know little about. Michele Skalicky has more.
It's cold out here at the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery in Branson and that's the perfect weather for getting a chance to view a vulture up close.
As I head down a trail here, 2 black vultures eye my warily from their perch in a tree above me.
As many as 30 vultures can be seen roosting in a tree off in the distance.
Tomorrow, they'll be celebrated during a special event at the Hatchery.
John Miller is manager of the visitor center at the Hatchery. He says many people know very little about vultures, also known as buzzards, and what they think they know isn't accurate.
As many as 500 vultures hang out at the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery. Miller says that's because conditions are perfect there for the birds.
Both black and turkey vultures winter at Lake Taneycomo. Miller says southern MO is as far north as black vultures venture, so people travel from miles away to see them.
It's easy to tell the difference between the two. Turkey vultures have red head and half their wings are silver. Black vultures have black heads and white tips on their black wings.
Both kinds have some disgusting habits--at least to us. They dine on carrion or dead animals. In fact, they have no feathers on their heads to minimize the amount of harmful bacteria that could get on their bodies as they eat.
Another thing that might repulse--or fascinate--a person is the way a vulture reacts when it gets scared.
But vultures certainly have many redeeming qualities. We have them to thank for getting rid of dead things that not only smell bad but that might spread disease. According to Miller, a vulture's digestive juices are so powerful that harmful bacteria is rendered harmless after it passes thru a vulture's gut.
You can learn more about buzzards tomorrow at Vulture Venture from noon to 6 at the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery in Branson.
There will be lots of activities for the whole family including programs featuring Socrates, a vulture from Wonders of Wildlife. And spotting scopes will be set up near Lake Taneycomo so you can get an upclose look at the birds in the wild--without taking a chance on getting thrown up on.
For KSMU News, I'm Michele Skalicky.