Birds
Southwest Montana abounds with birdlife: raptors, songbirds, waterfowl, you name it. From watching to hunting, this here's a page that's gone to the birds. For more great info, check out the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Bird Guide.
The shadows stretched long as my wife, daughter, and I drove to our friends’ ranch to catch a few fish on the Madison. Getting out of the car we noticed a commotion above us. Three ospreys flew around erratically; then we saw an eagle, and then another, talons outstretched and beaks open. Read more >>
A few years ago I was guiding a family in Yellowstone National Park and, as usual, we were focused on bears. But while having a picnic under a big Douglas fir, we were all startled to see a red-tailed hawk drop down into the sagebrush about 15 yards away. Read more >>
Harrison Lake, aka Willow Creek Reservoir, just east of Harrison in the Madison Valley, is now formally an Important Bird Area (IBA)—the 40th IBA in Montana. Read more >>
Walking through a Jefferson County ranch one summer day, I inadvertently flushed a great horned owl. Before I could clear out so she could return to her roost, two ravens and a golden eagle swooped in from above. Read more >>
In wildlife-rich Montana, it’s common to spot a cool raptor flying overhead—but how often can you identify it? Was it a hawk or falcon? Swainson’s or red-tailed? Prairie or peregrine? Read more >>
It seems like only yesterday that bald eagles were so scarce. If you spotted one, you’d tell everyone you knew. Now people hardly give the appearance of this national symbol a second thought. Read more >>
If you've seen the film Winged Migration, you may already be familiar with the humbling feeling that comes with really noticing the remarkable endurance of migratory birds. Read more >>
Having just closed the Jeep door, my eyes haven't yet adjusted to the inky indigo darkness of the March night. There is just enough moon to illuminate the snow with an odd bluish glow. Read more >>
"One must have a mind of winter," the poet Wallace Stevens says, to “see the nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.” If you hike along the frosty water outside Bozeman this winter, you won't need much imagination to discover lots of bird activity beneath the glitter of the January sun Read more >>
Hiking Montana's mountain trails is enjoyment in and of itself, but when you add the thrill of birding, it takes on a whole new level of wonder and excitement – like turning a lazy, late-afternoon river float into a safari expedition. Read more >>
In the deep green world of its backcountry, a hiker with a small pair of binoculars and an alert nature will get to know, up close and personal, many of the birds of Yellowstone Park. Read more >>
Raptor Center
The Montana Raptor Center helps birds in our area with rescue and education programs. If you find an injured raptor, give them a call.
Birding Group
Join the Sacajawea Audubon Society to commingle with other bird watchers and conservationists. Check out their website for a map of local bird watching spots.
Yell. Association
The Yellowstone Association provides educational tools so you can learn more about the Park inside and out.
