BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Montana Breeding Birds

253 species recorded across 116 survey routes, 1968 to 2024. Browse by family or guild below.

Montana Bird Population TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →

long arc declinecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Trumpeter Swan has collapsed in Montana: down 94% on the route-weighted index since 1975.

long arc increasecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Canada Goose has surged in Montana: up 20× on the route-weighted index since 1970.

long arc declinecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Evening Grosbeak has collapsed in Montana: down 92% on the route-weighted index since 1970.

long arc increasecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

American White Pelican has surged in Montana: up 18× on the route-weighted index since 1971.

long arc declinecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Pinyon Jay has collapsed in Montana: down 90% on the route-weighted index since 1971.

long arc increasecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Sandhill Crane has surged in Montana: up 16× on the route-weighted index since 1970.

How Bird Guilds Are Faring in MontanaGuild trendA mean-index aggregate across the species in this group — the structural direction of the guild, with individual-species noise smoothed out.Full methodology →

-54%

Game birds

7 species
-40%

Arid-land birds

2 species
-17%

Waterfowl

21 species
-13%

Grassland birds

16 species
-5%

Generalists

13 species
+2%

Forest birds

79 species
+8%

Shorebirds

8 species
+13%

Birds of prey

19 species
+16%

Aerial insectivores

21 species
+40%

Wetland birds

22 species

Montana Bird Survey Routes

Browse Montana Birds By FamilyTrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →

Each species links to its trend in Montana.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

American Goshawk -74%Bald Eagle +752%Cooper's Hawk -80%Ferruginous Hawk +238%Golden Eagle +12%Northern Harrier -11%Red-tailed Hawk +306%Sharp-shinned Hawk -74%Swainson's Hawk +644%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark -1%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -21%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

American Wigeon -49%Barrow's Goldeneye -86%Blue-winged Teal +4%Bufflehead +252%Canada Goose 20×Canvasback -35%Cinnamon Teal -26%Common Goldeneye -77%Common Merganser +313%Gadwall -7%Green-winged Teal -24%Hooded Merganser +67%Lesser Scaup -24%Mallard -19%Northern Pintail -42%Northern Shoveler +43%Redhead +120%Ring-necked Duck -21%Ruddy Duck +192%Trumpeter Swan -94%Wood Duck -40%

Swifts Apodidae

Black Swift -62%Chimney Swift -11%Vaux's Swift -41%White-throated Swift +179%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

American Bittern -13%Great Blue Heron -57%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +560%

Longspurs & Snow Buntings Calcariidae

Chestnut-collared Longspur +66%Thick-billed Longspur +232%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Common Nighthawk +24%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Black-headed Grosbeak +390%Dickcissel +859%Lazuli Bunting +115%Western Tanager +235%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Turkey Vulture +105%

Treecreepers Certhiidae

Brown Creeper +36%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer -39%

Dippers Cinclidae

American Dipper -12%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Eurasian Collared-Dove +913%Mourning Dove -9%Rock Pigeon +272%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow -36%Black-billed Magpie -31%Canada Jay -36%Clark's Nutcracker +23%Common Raven +374%Pinyon Jay -90%Steller's Jay -73%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -71%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel -30%Merlin -47%Peregrine Falcon +7%Prairie Falcon -42%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch +47%Cassin's Finch +57%Evening Grosbeak -92%House Finch +486%Pine Grosbeak -34%Pine Siskin -18%Red Crossbill +207%White-winged Crossbill -46%

Loons Gaviidae

Common Loon -9%

Cranes Gruidae

Sandhill Crane 16×

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -75%Barn Swallow -18%Cliff Swallow +43%Northern Rough-winged Swallow +25%Tree Swallow +112%Violet-green Swallow +69%

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole +2%Bobolink +926%Brewer's Blackbird -55%Brown-headed Cowbird +251%Bullock's Oriole +47%Common Grackle +178%Orchard Oriole +727%Red-winged Blackbird +67%Western Meadowlark -13%Yellow-headed Blackbird -1%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat -20%

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike -27%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Black Tern -71%California Gull -51%Common Tern -83%Franklin's Gull +184%Ring-billed Gull 11×

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher +13%Gray Catbird +33%Northern Mockingbird -26%Sage Thrasher -61%

Wagtails & Pipits Motacillidae

Sprague's Pipit +141%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey +193%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee +72%Chestnut-backed Chickadee +39%Mountain Chickadee +130%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart +22%Common Yellowthroat -5%MacGillivray's Warbler +101%Nashville Warbler +444%Northern Waterthrush +592%Orange-crowned Warbler +65%Ovenbird +295%Tennessee Warbler +12%Townsend's Warbler +183%Wilson's Warbler -18%Yellow Warbler +76%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Baird's Sparrow +64%Brewer's Sparrow -35%Chipping Sparrow +12%Clay-colored Sparrow +116%Field Sparrow +326%Fox Sparrow +232%Grasshopper Sparrow +490%Green-tailed Towhee -37%Lark Bunting -69%Lark Sparrow -56%Lincoln's Sparrow +757%Savannah Sparrow +313%Song Sparrow -21%Spotted Towhee +233%Vesper Sparrow +70%White-crowned Sparrow +70%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow +52%

Pelicans Pelecanidae

American White Pelican 18×

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant +400%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Dusky Grouse -61%Gray Partridge +70%Greater Sage-Grouse -79%Ring-necked Pheasant -28%Ruffed Grouse +153%Sharp-tailed Grouse +13%Wild Turkey +135%

Woodpeckers Picidae

American Three-toed Woodpecker -37%Black-backed Woodpecker -52%Downy Woodpecker -37%Hairy Woodpecker +467%Lewis's Woodpecker -40%Pileated Woodpecker +96%Red-headed Woodpecker -32%Red-naped Sapsucker +587%Williamson's Sapsucker -43%

Grebes Podicipedidae

Eared Grebe +49%Pied-billed Grebe -27%Red-necked Grebe -80%Western Grebe +89%

Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae

American Coot +62%Sora -36%Virginia Rail +47%

Avocets & Stilts Recurvirostridae

American Avocet +217%

Kinglets Regulidae

Golden-crowned Kinglet 11×Ruby-crowned Kinglet +51%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

Long-billed Curlew +407%Marbled Godwit +445%Spotted Sandpiper +9%Upland Sandpiper +937%Willet +537%Wilson's Phalarope +20%Wilson's Snipe +32%

Nuthatches Sittidae

Pygmy Nuthatch -78%Red-breasted Nuthatch +625%White-breasted Nuthatch -74%

Owls Strigidae

Burrowing Owl -31%Great Horned Owl -20%Northern Pygmy-Owl -36%Short-eared Owl -1%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling +142%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Black-chinned Hummingbird -56%Broad-tailed Hummingbird -3%Calliope Hummingbird +26%Rufous Hummingbird -11%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Marsh Wren +181%Northern House Wren +106%Pacific Wren +463%Rock Wren +15%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin +26%Hermit Thrush +804%Mountain Bluebird +24%Swainson's Thrush +163%Townsend's Solitaire -53%Varied Thrush +12%Veery -66%Western Bluebird -32%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Cassin's Kingbird -66%Dusky Flycatcher +538%Eastern Kingbird +40%Hammond's Flycatcher +351%Least Flycatcher +821%Olive-sided Flycatcher +16%Say's Phoebe +266%Western Kingbird +74%Western Wood-Pewee +329%Willow Flycatcher -17%

Vireos Vireonidae

Cassin's Vireo -6%Plumbeous Vireo -63%Red-eyed Vireo -54%Warbling Vireo +121%

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22.