Ongoing Projects
Breeding Bird Survey
The BBS is a standardized effort to monitor the status and trends of bird populations across North America. Nearly 600 routes were surveyed in the inaugural year of 1966, and today over 3000 routes are surveyed annually by 2000 dedicated volunteers. Analyses of long-term BBS data reveal that many grassland birds are declining whereas many wetland birds are increasing. These national trends are also evident in Montana.
Learn more about the BBS program here.
Christmas Bird Count
The CBC is the longest-running citizen science program on earth and is coordinated by National Audubon. The Christmas Bird Counts take place in Montana every winter, between Dec. 14, 2020 and January 5, 2021.
Montana Christmas Bird Count reports are released each spring: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Learn more about the CBC program here.
View National Audubon’s interactive map: zoom into Montana and click on a count for more information!
Climate Watch
A majority of North American Bird Species are under threat because of climate change. You can help improve their chances and make the world a better place for birds! The climate watch survey aims to document species responses to climate change. This survey occurs twice a year, January 15- February 15, and May 15-June 15.
Climate Watch Results from 2016, 2017, 2018 Here.
Learn more about the Climate Watch program here.
Great Backyard Bird Count
Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real-time. For at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, February 12-15, 2021, simply tally the numbers and kinds of birds you see. You can count from any location, anywhere in the world, for as long as you wish!
Learn more about the GBBC program here
Nest Watch Survey
Our Center in Billings conducts yearly spring nest box surveys, using Cornell Lab of Ornithologies Nest Watch program, monitoring the status and reproductive trends of breeding birds. This citizen-science opportunity aides the Center in their ongoing restoration efforts to provide beneficial wildlife habitat along the Yellowstone River. This survey takes place from mid-April- mid-July.
Learn more about the Nest Watch survey program here.
Montana eBird
A great way to keep year-round track of your bird lists and contribute bird data for science! As one of our ongoing citizen science projects, Montana Audubon is managing Montana eBird, a web portal directly linked to the popular and global eBird platform. 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.
Learn more about Montana eBird here.
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