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Records 2019–2024 · GBIF

Birds in Montana

Our list for Montana has 201 bird species recorded regularly there: 36 residents, 80 summer visitors, 31 winter visitors, 49 passage migrants and 5 scarce visitors

The list comes from 5.1 million birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Species on our list
201
In October
126
Common
77
Busiest month
May

What's special about Montana

vs United States

The birds recorded far more often here than across United States, as a share of all bird records. These are the ones Montana is worth visiting for.

  1. Grey PartridgeGrey Partridge40×Winter visitor · 0.22% of records here, 0.01% across United States
  2. Bohemian WaxwingBohemian Waxwing16×Winter visitor · 0.16% of records here, 0.01% across United States
  3. Red-naped SapsuckerRed-naped Sapsucker15×Summer visitor · 0.49% of records here, 0.03% across United States
  4. American Three-toed WoodpeckerAmerican Three-toed Woodpecker13×Resident · 0.07% of records here, 0.01% across United States
  5. Evening GrosbeakEvening Grosbeak13×Resident · 0.76% of records here, 0.06% across United States
  6. Rough-legged HawkRough-legged Hawk10×Winter visitor · 0.54% of records here, 0.05% across United States
  7. Mountain BluebirdMountain Bluebird10×Summer visitor · 0.64% of records here, 0.06% across United States
  8. Vesper SparrowVesper Sparrow9.9×Summer visitor · 0.96% of records here, 0.10% across United States

This month: October

GBIF · Oct

Most likely

  1. Northern FlickerNorthern Flicker3.56%
  2. Common RavenCommon Raven3.34%
  3. Common StarlingCommon Starling2.87%
  4. MallardMallard2.87%
  5. Canada GooseCanada Goose2.84%
  6. American RobinAmerican Robin2.74%

Arriving now

  1. American Tree SparrowAmerican Tree SparrowWinter visitorSep 0.01% → Oct 0.61%
  2. Rough-legged HawkRough-legged HawkWinter visitorSep 0.01% → Oct 0.45%
  3. Snow GooseSnow GoosePassage migrantSep 0.02% → Oct 0.28%
  4. Tundra SwanTundra SwanWinter visitorSep 0.00% → Oct 0.24%
  5. Surf ScoterSurf ScoterPassage migrantSep 0.00% → Oct 0.15%
  6. Bohemian WaxwingBohemian WaxwingWinter visitorSep 0.01% → Oct 0.09%

Share of all bird records in Montana in October, 2019–2024. “Arriving now” are the birds whose share rises most from last month. Each month links to that month’s page.

Near you this week

The birds most likely around your town or postcode right now, from the same records, for a square about 9 km across.

The bird calendar for Montana

Month by month

When each bird is around, through the year. The darker the square, the closer that month is to the bird’s busiest. Filter by summer or winter visitors to see the seasons turn over.

The year in Montana

Records by month
Bird records in Montana by month, 2019–2024
January181,480
February157,492
March279,284
April489,687
May1,006,033
June985,070
July570,545
August418,082
September380,597
October260,616
November189,346
December163,513

May has the most records (1.0 million). Records follow birdwatchers as well as birds: a busy month means more people out looking, as well as more birds passing through.

By family

12 of 28
All 28 families in Montana

How common

More of United States

All of United States

All 201 birds, A to Z

Show all 201 birds

Questions

4

What birds is Montana known for?

Compared with the rest of United States, Montana stands out for Grey Partridge, Bohemian Waxwing, Red-naped Sapsucker and American Three-toed Woodpecker. Each is recorded at least 12.9 times as often here as across United States, as a share of all bird records (2019–2024).

How many birds are on Birdfact's list for Montana?

201 species, each recorded regularly in Montana (in at least 3 of the 6 years 2019–2024): 36 residents, 80 summer visitors, 31 winter visitors, 49 passage migrants and 5 scarce visitors. The list includes only birds with a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur in Montana, and rarer vagrants are not listed.

What birds can I see in Montana in October?

126 species on our list for Montana are recorded regularly in October. Of these, the most often recorded are Northern Flicker, Common Raven, Common Starling, Mallard and Canada Goose.

What are the most common birds in Montana?

Of the birds on our list, the ones birdwatchers record most often in Montana are Common Raven, Northern Flicker, Canada Goose, American Robin and Mallard.

Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made

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