GoBirdMontana, LLC

09/12/2024

We have one Warm Springs bird Walk left for 2024. We had 21 participants last week and observed 55 species. We have nine folks signed up for the last walk on September 21. If you want to be included in this final walk let us know.

08/09/2024

We will soon be doing are fall bird walks at Warm springs Ponds. If you are interested in these free guided birds walks, please sign up. Typically, the fill up rather quickly.

It appears that birds are leaving the Arctic region a few weeks early this year. We should good numbers of waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds to observe. We typically observe more than 60 species per walk, it all depends on the weather.

GoBirdMontana, LLLP

04/06/2024

04/03/2023

The BW Blacksmith in Butte serves quite the hamburger. Took me a while to eat it all.

12/15/2021

Christmas Bird Counts are coming up! Visit our site https://www.gobirdmontana.org/ or message us for more information.

Grant-Kohrs Ranch (December 21st)

Warm Springs (January 1st)

Gary Swant was a biology and field ecology teacher for 25 years in the Upper Clark Fork River drainage before starting GoBirdMontana, LLC in 2009. The vision was guiding people who were interested in birds of Southwest Montana, and to develop a stewardship attitude for all things related to birds i...

02/03/2021

European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
I almost didn’t write about the European Starling as I dislike this species so much, but you might find the facts about this bird interesting.
This species is a native of Europe and is a member of rather large showy family of birds. Worldwide there are 76 species of starlings with the majority of them found in Africa, Asia, India and China. I have seen 15 species of starlings and some are very beautiful birds. The European Starling is no beauty in either the breeding or non-breeding plumage.
In 1890, sixty European Starlings were released into New York’s Central Park. The idea behind this introduction was to have all of the bird species in Shakespeare’s plays breeding in New York. Those 60 original individuals had spread to the west coast in less than 60 years. Unfortunately, in the process they usurped the habitat of many native species and forever changed avian populations in America. Starlings prefer the company of humans and do well in urban environments. Typically perches are power lines and roof edges. As the country side turned into urban environments starlings flourished and generally became a pest species. In a little more than a century this species grew from sixty individuals to more than an estimated 200,000,000 birds. They are aggressive cavity nesters and out compete native species for nesting sites. Bluebird, and woodpecker populations have been especially hard hit . Starlings are a colonial rooster and as many as a million birds have been known to occupy a roost site creating health issues that are hard to manage.
In Montana they breed state wide and overwinter in much of the state. In the upper Clark Fork Valley winter numbers are not large, but by April you begin to see flocks of several hundred. In the fall, migrating flocks can reach a thousand or more. Fall flocks often contain several species of blackbirds as well.
European Starlings are about the size of a meadowlark with an obvious short tail and sharply pointed large bill that is yellow in breeding and black in non-breeding birds. The breeding plumage is iridescent with faint white spots. Winter plumage shows a heavy speckling of white dots. The difference is enough that novice birders think the two plumages are separate species. Their song is a combination of harsh whistle, clicks, and chuckles. They often mimic other birds, and do an amazing imitation of a Red-tailed Hawk.
Eradication programs, have killed million of starlings by trapping and poisoning, but has had little effect on the total population. I am not aware of any major eradication programs having being conducted in Montana.
The next time you see a European Starling, realize that taking a species from one habitat and transplanting into another habitat has its risks. Without the natural predators that have developed with a species, over time the population can explode. An out-of-balance population can be a threat to native species. Fortunately, we have learned from our mistakes and rarely are species moved from one part of the world to another any longer.

02/03/2021

GoBirdMontana is excited for all of the Southwest Montana birding opportunities in 2021. Call or email us to find out more

09/18/2020

We are in the height of Fall migration. Check out some of the more rare waterfowl that may be flying by!

By Gary Swant Southwest Montana is a great place to observe waterfowl. The best places to look are Racetrack Pond, Warm Springs Wildlife Management Area, Clark Canyon Reservior, Georgetown and Silver Lakes. I have observed four species of geese, two species of swans, and 25 species of ducks in these...

03/28/2020

Feathered Friday – Bluebirds
The first Bluebirds of the year are always a good sign that spring is here. Western Montana has two breeding species of Bluebird. The Mountain Bluebird is the more wide spread of the two and can be found all across the state. The male is bright blue all over while the female is mostly gray with some blue on the wings and tail. The Western Bluebird is only breeds in far western Montana especially in the Bitterroot, Missoula, and Flathead valleys. The male has a much darker blue on it’s head and back and it’s belly is bright orange. While the Western Bluebird does not breed in much the state during Migration is does move through the western half of the state and is not unusual to see one in the Deer Lodge valley in March or April.

01/24/2020

Feathered Friday – Snowy Owl
Staring out over a snow-covered fields like an arctic phantom the Snowy Owl is one of the most recognizable and well known owls in the world. What you may not know is that they come to Montana in small numbers every winter. The problem is their numbers are drastically different in this state every year.
The Snowy owl is our largest owl by mass, over 4 pounds, and easily the most recognizable. A male is white all over with a few black bars while the female is heavily barred with black although still mostly bright white. They are often seen during the day sitting on a fence post, hill or roof watching for mice and voles in a field. It is thought that the abundance of these rodents in Canada is what determines how many of these beautiful owls end up over wintering in Montana. Some years there are dozens of Snowies in one valley while other years they appear to be absent from western Montana altogether. Fortunately there are always a few along the highline every winter.
If you are interested in looking for Snowy Owls or learning about other Western Montana birds you can reach us a GobirdMontana at 406-691-0368 or at [email protected] to schedule your own Montana bird tour.

01/17/2020

Feathered Friday – Gyrfalcon

January 1st 2020. The ruckus was so loud I could not help but look up. In a blind panic about 60 Mallards leaped out of the grain field into the air raced toward westward at top speed. The speed of these mallards is what stuck with me. Mallards are normally very fast flyers, but these birds were obviously running. I gave the flock a once over with my binoculars to look for an Eagle and was about the glance over the field, when a light gray streak literally fell into the view of the lens. A huge falcon dropped in right behind the ducks rapidly catching up. “Gyrfalcon!” I called out. Everyone in the car watched as raptor got within a body length of a hen and both promptly vanished behind a hill.

We did re-find the Gyrfalcon about 15 minutes later sitting on a power pole it obviously failed to bring down the Mallard. The spectacle Gary, Laura and I witnessed this month is exactly why the Gyrfalcon has been a symbol of royalty in numerous cultures and to this day is one of the most valuable and sought-after birds in falconry. It is the world’s largest falcon and one of the fastest birds in the world reaching speeds of 130 mph in a dive and over a short stretch of time can sprint at 90 mph in level flight. While this dive speed is nothing compared to a Peregrine Falcon, the Peregrine weighs under 2 pounds while the Gyrfalcon comes in at more than 3 pounds, making it one impressive bird of prey indeed.

The Gyrfalcon is relatively rare across the it’s breeding range around the arctic circle. In the winter a few birds come as far south as Montana. They are almost always found in farmland with plenty of prey be that ducks or gamebirds that are near cliffs. One of the most regular places to find them is along the Rocky Mountain front which has all three of these things in spades. Across Montana in the winter the most common large falcon is the Prairie Falcon which tends to have a browner back, a white line above the eye, a very distinct brown “Moustache” below the eyes, and in flight has distinct black arm pits. The Gyrfalcon is double the size of the Prairie Falcon tends to have grayer back (this is not always true), has a very weak “moustache” that blends in the cheeks.

If you are interested in looking for a Gyrfaclon or other Western Montana birds you can reach us a GobirdMontana at 406-691-0368 or at [email protected] to schedule your own Montana bird tour.

01/10/2020

Feathered Friday – Sharp-shinned Hawk
Isn’t it splendid your feeders are covered in birds as American Goldfinches, Dark-eyed Juncos, and House Finches all enjoy the bounty of food in your yard. Then soundly like a bolt of the lightning this peaceful scene is gone replaced by alarm calls and scatted feathers. An unlucky Pine Siskin is pined between the snow and the talons of a Sharp-shined Hawk.

Anyone who has well used bird feeders knows the Sharp-shinned Hawk. The smallest hawk in North America is an expert at hunting small birds and yards and parks are a favorite hunting ground, especially in winter, with lots trees and brush to hide in and plenty of prey. The Sharp-shinned Hawk is likely the most numerous hawk in western Montana, but it secretive nature makes it a treat to see.

The sharp shinned hawk is easily identified as an Accipiter by is barred belly, dark brown (female) or Dark Blue (Male) back, and a long black and white barred tail. The tricky part is telling it apart from the similar Cooper’s hawk which is much bigger and has a proportionally larger head. But size is often the best que. The Sibley Field Guide to Birds puts the length and weight of a Cooper’s Hawk at 16.5 inches and 16 ounces while a Sharp-shinned hawk comes in at 11 inches and 5 ounces.

Some people get upset when they see a hawk swoop in and kill one of their feeder birds, but I see this behavior as a huge success for your yard it means that the neighborhood is becoming a full fledged ecosystem. So keep your eyes out this winter and you might just spot this smallest of hawks.
If you know more about Western Montana’s birds at 406-691-0368 or at [email protected] to schedule your own Montana bird tour.