Birds & Science

This year Montana Audubon is partnering with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to carry out statewide surveys for colonial-nesting waterbirds.

The Montana Audubon science team is preparing for another season of bird surveys for the Audubon Conservation Ranching program.

We’re looking for volunteers to help build screech-owl nesting boxes for a citizen science project.

It’s that time again! Audubon’s Winter Climate Watch program is back from January 15 to February 15, 2026.

Earlier this year, Christian Meny, Montana Audubon’s Director of Conservation, was a co-author on a paper that highlights IMBCR and its effectiveness. The paper, titled “Monitoring at management scales: Multi-scale trend estimates for bird populations in the western United States,” was published in the journal Ecosphere.

The Audubon Chapters in Montana host the CBCs for their respective areas. Contact your local chapter for more details and to sign up- contact information can be found on each Chapter’s website.

For those who missed it back in October, the recording of our Citizen Science season wrap-up presentation is now available on YouTube!

This year, Montana Audubon organized three Citizen Science surveys: a new pilot project surveying for Nightjars; surveys for Western and Eastern Screech-owls; and the continuation of the Long-billed Curlew Initiative.

Last fall, Montana Audubon’s Director of Conservation Christian Meny gave a presentation for Buzz on the Range, a project testing innovative grazing practices to support both cattle production and pollinator habitat on working Montana ranches.

This article was originally published in the Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society Flyer (August 2025). Reprinted by permission from YVAS and the author.