It was 1934, to enhance the local farms of decoy birds, the first was organized “National Bird Festival” of Almenno San Salvatore within the framework of the “Settembre Orobico” events. The initiative started with a magistrate, Comm. Gaetano Buttinoni and found the support of a group of enthusiastic hunters and local authorities who collaborated in the full success of the event which, repeated with increasing success over the years, has assumed national fame and importance. The organizers, from year to year, have brought continuous improvements to the Festival by giving it the “Parco Sant'Uberto” as its headquarters.
In Almenno San Salvatore, village of ancient Celtic origin already remarkably important in the period of Roman and then Longobardic domination, the inhabitants devoted mainly to agriculture, until the mid-twentieth century, have always been actively interested in fowling with nets and the breeding of decoy birds for hunting to be used first of all on its own, in the birdhouse or in the wide or in the shed, or to be given to hunters and amateurs, for a good fee, justified by the excellent quality of the song of the calls bred with great care and authentic passion. This double ancient activity of passionate fowlers and bird breeders has allowed those most interested in this type of hunting to acquire what today could be called the "Professional technique" of plant engineering and management of rocks and birds of all types, favored in this by the geographical position of Almenno San Salvatore.
Bird catching systems with vertical or horizontal nets were here placed in the direction of the "Passata" (Pasada) or line of autumn migration of birds that had already been precisely identified in the centuries passed while working in the fields of the plain (Agèr or Aghèr) or on the hills. "On the occasion of the 83rd Festival - writes the president of the organizing committee, Diego Cornali - I want to remember all the Presidents, collaborators, all those people who have been close to us in our organizational work, the exhibitors and visitors who in all these years have honored us with their presence. For my part and for all my collaborators there will always be that enthusiasm and commitment to continue what we and our predecessors did.
Despite the many difficulties encountered in recent years by the hunting world, we will always try to keep up the prestige achieved by our festival, proud of our tradition ”. The event will take place on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 August at the Parco Sant'Uberto. Holy Mass is scheduled for Saturday at 18.00 pm, followed at 19 pm by the falconers of the Orobie who present: “Getting to know hawks, owls and owls, a lesson for the little ones”. Sunday 12 August the program includes: bird song competition, dog show of the hunting dog and Bergamasco shepherd, illustration of the Art of Falconry "Hunting with the falcons", race of the Franco Carsana Memorial hen.