Birding Hotspots
Birding is one of the fastest-growing recreational activities in the United States. Ask any birder and they will be able to tell you why: the enjoyment that comes from being outdoors, the satisfaction of learning about the natural world, and the pleasure of seeing an unexpected flash of color in the trees. Here we provide statewide information on where to see birds, how to find out what other birders are seeing, and more.
Montana Audubon and local Audubon chapters have put out “birding hotspots” maps and checklists for numerous locations around the state. Below you can access the current hotspots publications or websites. Be sure to check out the websites to find more detailed information and checklists.
Montana State Bird Check List, 2018
The 2018 edition of the Checklist of Montana Birds is based on current bird distribution data. The state bird list is a cooperative project between the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks; Montana Audubon; the Montana Natural Heritage Program; and the Montana Bird Records Committee. Hard copies will be available free of charge at all FWP regional offices and the Helena headquarters, or you can download a copy below.
Billings Hotspots
Billings Birding Hotspots
Find more information and checklists at the Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society website!
Bitterroot Valley Hotspots
Bitterroot Valley Birding Hotspots
Find more information and checklists at the Bitterroot Valley Audubon Society website!
Bozeman Hotspots
Gallatin Valley Birding Hotspots (2014 edition)
Find more information and checklists at the Sacajawea Audubon Society website!
Central Montana Hotspots
Central Montana Birding Hotspots
Find more information on the Central Montana website!
Eastern Montana Hotspots
Eastern Montana Birding Hotspots
Find more information and checklists at the Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society website!
Helena Hotspots
Helena Birding Hotspots
Canyon Ferry Wildlife Management Area Birding
Find more information and checklists at the Last Chance Audubon Society website!
Flathead Valley Hotspots
Flathead Basin Birding Hotspots
Birding Guide for the Flathead Valley
Find more information and checklists at the Flathead Valley Audubon Society website!
Freezeout Lake
Freezeout Lake Wildlife Management Area Birding Trails
Find more information on how to visit and a checklist at the Freezeout Lake Wildlife Management Area StoryMap, on the Montana FWP website!
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park Birding Checklist
Glacier County Birding
Find more information on the Glacier National Park website!
Great Falls Hotspots
Great Falls River’s Edge Trail Checklist (2014 edition)
Check out the Upper Missouri Breaks Facebook page!
Missoula Hotspots
Missoula Birding Hotspots
Find more information and checklists at the Five Valleys Audubon Society website!
Montana eBird
A great way to keep year-round track of your bird lists and contribute bird data for science! On this site, you can access a great deal of Montana-specific bird information about species, recent checklists, local hotspots and links to data collected by thousands of other eBirders across the state. In addition, photos from local birders, sightings of uncommon birds and Montana Audubon’s news feed can easily be found there.
Montana Important Bird Areas
Long-term conservation of birds and their habitats is a major goal of Montana Audubon. Central to this goal is the Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program which is a global initiative to identify, monitor, and protect a network of sites critical for the conservation of birds. Since 1995, the National Audubon Society has taken the lead in implementing the IBA Program in the US, and Montana Audubon administers the program in Montana.
Southwest Montana Hotspots
Southwest Montana Birding Hotspots
Find more information on the Southwest Montana website!
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park Birding
Yellowstone Bird Project Annual Reports
Find more information on the Yellowstone National Park website!
Develop a List of Montana Birds for your Area
A bird list for a specific area in Montana can be developed by:
- Click here: http://mtnhp.org/SpeciesSnapshot/.
- In the upper left corner, there is a filter that is defaulted to “Statewide.” Click on the down arrow on that filter and select the area you are interested in: county; township; LL, QLL or QQLL; etc.
- The definitions of LL, QLL, and QQLL can be found HERE.
- The boundaries of each LL, QLL, and QQLL, can be found HERE. All maps on this page are printable as 8-1/2″ X 11″ pdf maps. There are two types of maps available:
> Individual QQLL Reference Maps. Detailed individual maps of each QQLL are available. From a map of the state of Montana, this interactive map lets you select any QQLL map you want. You can look at maps on your computer or print them to take into the field.
> Travel Maps. Travel maps show QQLL boundaries for large sections of Montana, with the entire state divided into 7 regions. These maps allow you to roughly determine which QQLL you are in.
- If you only want a bird list (you can also get mammals, reptiles, etc.), click on the ‘down’ arrow on the adjacent “All Species” filter and click on “Birds.” Similarly, you can filter out species of a particular status with this filter that is currently defaulted to “All Status.” For information on status, click HERE.
- To see your list, click on the “+” next to the birds link at the bottom of the report to expand/see the list of birds. The total number of species is reported in the header of the report.
- To print or download the information: below the animal/plant summary table, click the “Print Species List” link or export a PDF Field Guide by clicking on the “Download PDF FieldGuide” link above the report. The Field Guide provides one page of information for each species.
- To download these instructions, click Instruction_Sheet_for_Area_Bird_List