Uncommon Birds in Montana
Our list for Montana has 69 uncommon birds recorded regularly there: 6 residents, 34 summer visitors, 12 winter visitors and 17 passage migrants
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 69, most common first
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorUncommon24–33 cmRecorded all year
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly May–Oct
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorSummer visitorUncommon22–24 cmRegularly May–Sep
Wood DuckAix sponsaResidentUncommon47–54 cmRecorded all year
American AvocetRecurvirostra americanaSummer visitorUncommon43–51 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusPassage migrantUncommon31–38 cmRegularly Mar–Dec
American RedstartSetophaga ruticillaSummer visitorUncommon11–14 cmRegularly May–Sep
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorUncommon53–76 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Marsh WrenCistothorus palustrisSummer visitorUncommon10–14 cmRecorded all year
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Oct–May
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Oct
Lark SparrowChondestes grammacusSummer visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly May–Sep
Grey PartridgePerdix perdixWinter visitorUncommon28–32 cmRecorded all year
Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcanSummer visitorUncommon32–36 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatusSummer visitorUncommon14–18 cmRegularly May–Nov
Clay-colored SparrowSpizella pallidaSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Sep
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaSummer visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly May–Sep
American Herring GullLarus smithsonianusWinter visitorUncommon53–65 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusPassage migrantUncommon27–30 cmRegularly May–Nov
Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensisSummer visitorUncommon12–15 cmRegularly May–Sep
BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorusSummer visitorUncommon16–20 cmRegularly May–Aug
WilletTringa semipalmataSummer visitorUncommon33–41 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
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