BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2026 Release · 1966–2025

Montana Breeding Birds

253 species recorded across 116 survey routes, 1968 to 2025. 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 →

Evening Grosbeak has collapsed in Montana: down 95% 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 →

Canada Goose has surged in Montana: up 21× 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 →

Trumpeter Swan has collapsed in Montana: down 92% 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 →

Sandhill Crane has surged in Montana: up 19× 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 →

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 →

Upland Sandpiper has surged in Montana: up 13× 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 →

-50%

Game birds

7 species
-28%

Arid-land birds

2 species
-11%

Waterfowl

21 species
-5%

Grassland birds

16 species
-3%

Forest birds

80 species
-1%

Generalists

13 species
+4%

Shorebirds

8 species
+19%

Birds of prey

19 species
+20%

Aerial insectivores

21 species
+45%

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 -85%Bald Eagle +923%Cooper's Hawk -81%Ferruginous Hawk +171%Golden Eagle +38%Northern Harrier -11%Red-tailed Hawk +322%Sharp-shinned Hawk -74%Swainson's Hawk +683%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark +3%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -23%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

American Wigeon -41%Barrow's Goldeneye -86%Blue-winged Teal +15%Bufflehead +280%Canada Goose 21×Canvasback -27%Cinnamon Teal -26%Common Goldeneye -77%Common Merganser +367%Gadwall +1%Green-winged Teal -22%Hooded Merganser +66%Lesser Scaup -0%Mallard -20%Northern Pintail -38%Northern Shoveler +41%Redhead +96%Ring-necked Duck -12%Ruddy Duck +231%Trumpeter Swan -92%Wood Duck -53%

Swifts Apodidae

Black Swift -62%Chimney Swift -28%Vaux's Swift -41%White-throated Swift +419%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

American Bittern -13%Great Blue Heron -56%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +499%

Longspurs & Snow Buntings Calcariidae

Chestnut-collared Longspur +76%Thick-billed Longspur +290%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Common Nighthawk +42%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Black-headed Grosbeak +376%Dickcissel +856%Lazuli Bunting +117%Western Tanager +205%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Turkey Vulture +83%

Treecreepers Certhiidae

Brown Creeper -26%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer -41%

Dippers Cinclidae

American Dipper -23%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Eurasian Collared-Dove +899%Mourning Dove -3%Rock Pigeon +332%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow -25%Black-billed Magpie -30%Blue Jay +24%Canada Jay -59%Clark's Nutcracker +118%Common Raven +342%Pinyon Jay -90%Steller's Jay -83%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -74%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel -21%Merlin -42%Peregrine Falcon +7%Prairie Falcon -51%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch +46%Cassin's Finch +37%Evening Grosbeak -95%House Finch +584%Pine Grosbeak -34%Pine Siskin -20%Red Crossbill +186%White-winged Crossbill -46%

Loons Gaviidae

Common Loon -2%

Cranes Gruidae

Sandhill Crane 19×

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -81%Barn Swallow -12%Cliff Swallow +49%Northern Rough-winged Swallow +50%Tree Swallow +114%Violet-green Swallow +94%

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole +29%Bobolink +932%Brewer's Blackbird -55%Brown-headed Cowbird +288%Bullock's Oriole +50%Common Grackle +231%Orchard Oriole +834%Red-winged Blackbird +76%Western Meadowlark -10%Yellow-headed Blackbird -1%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat -23%

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike -18%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Black Tern -85%California Gull -61%Common Tern -83%Franklin's Gull +242%Ring-billed Gull +934%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher +24%Gray Catbird +31%Northern Mockingbird -27%Sage Thrasher -55%

Wagtails & Pipits Motacillidae

Sprague's Pipit +107%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey +189%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee +61%Chestnut-backed Chickadee -15%Mountain Chickadee +97%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart +6%Common Yellowthroat -6%MacGillivray's Warbler +95%Nashville Warbler +448%Northern Waterthrush +502%Orange-crowned Warbler +55%Ovenbird +310%Tennessee Warbler +12%Townsend's Warbler +167%Wilson's Warbler -18%Yellow Warbler +79%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Baird's Sparrow +51%Brewer's Sparrow -22%Chipping Sparrow +11%Clay-colored Sparrow +123%Field Sparrow +420%Fox Sparrow +217%Grasshopper Sparrow +503%Green-tailed Towhee -16%Lark Bunting -58%Lark Sparrow -51%Lincoln's Sparrow +785%Savannah Sparrow +333%Song Sparrow -34%Spotted Towhee +241%Vesper Sparrow +73%White-crowned Sparrow +82%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow +47%

Pelicans Pelecanidae

American White Pelican +789%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant +64%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Dusky Grouse -55%Gray Partridge +124%Greater Sage-Grouse -79%Ring-necked Pheasant -26%Ruffed Grouse +90%Sharp-tailed Grouse +7%Wild Turkey +256%

Woodpeckers Picidae

American Three-toed Woodpecker -66%Black-backed Woodpecker -63%Downy Woodpecker -57%Hairy Woodpecker +350%Lewis's Woodpecker -23%Pileated Woodpecker +110%Red-headed Woodpecker +20%Red-naped Sapsucker +648%Williamson's Sapsucker -63%

Grebes Podicipedidae

Eared Grebe +15%Pied-billed Grebe -14%Red-necked Grebe -80%Western Grebe +88%

Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae

American Coot +107%Sora -36%Virginia Rail +47%

Avocets & Stilts Recurvirostridae

American Avocet +255%

Kinglets Regulidae

Golden-crowned Kinglet +783%Ruby-crowned Kinglet +45%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

Long-billed Curlew +378%Marbled Godwit +482%Spotted Sandpiper -10%Upland Sandpiper 13×Willet +510%Wilson's Phalarope +29%Wilson's Snipe +20%

Nuthatches Sittidae

Pygmy Nuthatch -78%Red-breasted Nuthatch +415%White-breasted Nuthatch -72%

Owls Strigidae

Burrowing Owl +12%Great Horned Owl -24%Northern Pygmy-Owl -36%Short-eared Owl -5%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling +145%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Black-chinned Hummingbird -56%Broad-tailed Hummingbird -34%Calliope Hummingbird +25%Rufous Hummingbird -20%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Marsh Wren +141%Northern House Wren +101%Pacific Wren +320%Rock Wren +16%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin +19%Hermit Thrush +738%Mountain Bluebird +43%Swainson's Thrush +142%Townsend's Solitaire -69%Varied Thrush -21%Veery -67%Western Bluebird -33%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Cassin's Kingbird -41%Dusky Flycatcher +529%Eastern Kingbird +44%Hammond's Flycatcher +314%Least Flycatcher +944%Olive-sided Flycatcher +5%Say's Phoebe +306%Western Kingbird +93%Western Wood-Pewee +324%Willow Flycatcher -20%

Vireos Vireonidae

Cassin's Vireo -19%Plumbeous Vireo -72%Red-eyed Vireo -50%Warbling Vireo +119%

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-08-14.