Preface
At nearly 381,000 square kilometers, Montana is the fourth largest state in the U.S. and exceeds the size of many countries. It is well known for splendid scenery, pristine wilderness, and vast open spaces populated by more cows than people. From an ornithological standpoint, however, it does not command the attention that states such as Arizona, Texas, Florida, or even New Jersey do. Yet, Montana has an array of bird species that should impress ornithologists and birdwatchers alike. The prairies east of the Continental Divide encompass large portions of the global breeding ranges of the Mountain Plover, Sprague’s Pipit, Baird’s Sparrow, and McCown’s Longspur, and the mountains to the west harbor boreal species such as Harlequin Duck, Spruce Grouse, Great Gray Owl, and Black-backed Woodpecker. Species more typical of the Great Basin also nest in Montana, including Plumbeous Vireo, Pinyon Jay, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and Sage Sparrow. Indeed, Montana’s high diversity of habitat types contributes to a rich assemblage of birds, resulting in a breeding avifauna that includes 22 species of waterfowl, 6 species of grouse, 14 species of owls, 4 species of swifts, 10 species of woodpeckers, 13 species of tyrant flycatchers, and 22 species of sparrows and their allies.
Only in Montana can one find nests of an Alder Flycatcher and a Cassin’s Kingbird, or stand near an incubating American Pipit in an alpine meadow and gaze down on a shortgrass prairie where Sprague’s Pipits are feeding nestlings. Outside the nesting season, waves of migrating waterfowl pass through Montana each spring and fall, and on the right day in August, more than 15 species of wood-warblers might be found at a town park in the northeastern corner of the state where they pause during southward migration to wintering sites in the Neotropics. Montana also has had its share of astonishing vagrants, including Manx Shearwater, Ross’s Gull, Long-billed Murrelet, Vermilion Flycatcher, Siberian Accentor, and Painted Redstart. More than 80 years ago, Saunders (1921: 8) acknowledged Montana’s significance for birds when he stated that it is “ornithologically one of the most interesting and wonderful of our states.” We could not agree with him more.
Since Montana became a state in 1889, 422 species of wild birds have been documented within its borders. Of that total, at least 270 species have nested, a number that represents about 58% of the landbird species that regularly nest in the New World north of Mexico. Thus, it is fair to say that Montana is blessed with a high number of bird species, especially for a northern state that does not border an ocean. Montana’s birds have been the subject of several important publications, including a birdwatching guide that appeared less than 20 years ago (McEneaney 1993), and a series of works on occurrence and distribution that began with the first edition of P.D. Skaar’s ground-breaking Montana Bird Distribution, published in 1975. What Montana has not had is a book that covers the historical aspects, conservation status, relative abundance, and ecology of all species of extant birds known to have occurred in the state. The closest we have had to such a book is the 1921 monograph by the aforementioned Saunders, A Distributional List of the Birds of Montana, which covers only 290 species (70% of the current species total), and which is woefully out of date. Becoming outdated is no shame; rather, it is the fate of all books concerned with the status and distribution of a state’s birds. This fact should not discourage one from undertaking the writing of such a book.
Without question, a modern account of the biology and conservation of Montana’s birds is long overdue. We have strived to provide a useful ornithological reference that also will increase awareness of conservation issues regarding birds and their habitats in western North America. A critical step in conservation education is to make the subject matter interesting to the audience. Toward that end, we have included information on history, behavior, and general biology, summarizing research conducted in Montana where possible. Our goal has been to produce a treatise that will engage Montana bird enthusiasts and also appeal to agency biologists, professional ornithologists, and birdwatchers from outside the state.
Copyright Notice: © 2008. Jeffrey S. Marks. All Rights Reserved