Rare Birds in Montana
Our list for Montana has 55 rare birds recorded regularly there: 7 residents, 13 summer visitors, 2 winter visitors, 28 passage migrants and 5 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Montana in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 55, most common first
Blackpoll WarblerSetophaga striataPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly May–Sep
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaPassage migrantRare27–30 cmRegularly May–Oct
Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalusSummer visitorRare19–23 cmRegularly May–Sep
Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianusSummer visitorRare18–22 cmRegularly May–Sep
ChukarAlectoris chukarWinter visitorRare32–38 cmRecorded all year
Black-backed WoodpeckerPicoides arcticusResidentRare21–24 cmRecorded all year
Western Screech-owlMegascops kennicottiiSummer visitorRare19–25 cmRegularly Nov–Sep
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusPassage migrantRare23–32 cmRegularly May–Oct
Chestnut-sided WarblerSetophaga pensylvanicaPassage migrantRare10–14 cmRegularly May–Sep
Purple MartinProgne subisSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly May–Sep
Black-throated Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescensPassage migrantRare11–13 cmRegularly Sep
DickcisselSpiza americanaPassage migrantRare14–16 cmRegularly Jun–Jul
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusWinter visitorRare62–68 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgianaPassage migrantRare12–15 cmRegularly Sep–Feb
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusPassage migrantRare52–64 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
American BitternBotaurus lentiginosusSummer visitorRare58–85 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
DunlinCalidris alpinaPassage migrantRare16–22 cmRegularly Sep–May
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataPassage migrantRare53–69 cmRegularly Oct–Nov
Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorumSummer visitorRare13–17 cmRegularly May–Sep
American Golden-PloverPluvialis dominicaPassage migrantRare24–28 cmRegularly May–Oct
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisPassage migrantRare15–18 cmRegularly May–Jun
Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asioSummer visitorRare16–25 cmRegularly Feb–Dec
Magnolia WarblerSetophaga magnoliaPassage migrantRare11–13 cmRegularly May–Oct
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