The List of Montana birds lists every wild bird species seen in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Montana

Montana

Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...

, based on the list published by the Montana Audubon.

Only birds that are considered to have established, self-sustaining, wild populations in Montana are included on this list. This means that birds that are considered probable escapees, although they may have been sighted flying free in Montana, are not included on this list. Introduced species

Introduced species

An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...

 that are not native to North America, but were brought to this continent by man are marked on this list as (I).

This list is presented in taxonomic order

Taxonomic order

Taxonomic sequence is a sequence followed in listing of taxa which aids ease of use and roughly reflects the evolutionary relationships among the taxa...

 and follows The Check-list of North American Birds (7th ed., 1998), published by the American Ornithologists' Union

American Ornithologists' Union

The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders...

. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family accounts.

Table of contents
Non-passerines: Ducks, Geese, and Swans • Partridges, Grouse, Turkeys, and Old World Quail • Loons • Grebes • Shearwaters and petrels • Pelicans • Cormorants • Bitterns, Herons, and Egrets • Ibises and Spoonbills • Storks • New World Vultures • Hawks, Kites, and Eagles • Caracaras and Falcons • Rails, Gallinules, and Coots • Cranes • Lapwings and Plovers • Stilts and Avocets • Sandpipers, Curlews, Stints, Godwits, Snipes, and Phalaropes • Skuas, Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers • Auks, Murres and Puffins • Pigeons and Doves • Cuckoos, Roadrunners, and Anis • Barn owls • True owls • Nightjars • Swifts • Hummingbirds • Kingfishers • Woodpeckers, Sapsuckers, and Flickers
Passerines: Tyrant flycatchers • Shrikes • Vireos • Jays, Crows, Magpies, and Ravens • Larks • Swallows and Martins • Chickadees and Titmice • Nuthatches • Treecreepers • Wrens • Dippers • Kinglets • Old World warblers and Gnatcatchers • Thrushes • Mockingbirds and Thrashers • Starlings • Accentors • Wagtails and Pipits • Waxwings • Wood-warblers • Tanagers • American sparrows, Towhees, Juncos, and Longspurs • Cardinals, Saltators, and Grosbeaks • Icterids • Fringilline Finches, Cardueline Finches, and Allies • Old World sparrows
See also        References        External links

Ducks, Geese, and Swans

Order: Anseriformes

Anseriformes

The order Anseriformes contains about 150 living species of birds in three extant families: the Anhimidae , Anseranatidae , and the Anatidae, which includes over 140 species of waterfowl, among them the ducks, geese, and swans.All species in the order are highly adapted for an aquatic existence at...

Family: Anatidae

Anatidae

Anatidae is the biological family of birds that includes ducks, geese and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica and on most of the world's islands and island groups...

The family Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swan. These are birds that are modified for an aquatic existence with webbed feet, bills which are flattened to a greater or lesser extent, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to special oils. There are 131 species world wide, 61 North American species, and 39 Montana species.

• Greater White-fronted Goose
  White-fronted Goose
  The Greater White-fronted Goose is a species of goose. The Greater White-fronted Goose is more closely related to the smaller Lesser White-fronted Goose...
  
  , Anser albifrons
• Snow Goose
  Snow Goose
  The Snow Goose , also known as the Blue Goose, is a North American species of goose. Its name derives from the typically white plumage. The genus of this bird is disputed...
  
  , Chen caerulescens
• Ross's Goose
  Ross's Goose
  The Ross's Goose is a North American species of goose.The American Ornithologists' Union places this species and the other two "white" geese in the genus Chen rather than the more traditional "grey" goose genus Anser.This goose breeds in northern Canada, mainly in the Queen Maud Gulf Migratory...
  
  , Chen rossii
• Brant
  Brent Goose
  The Brant or Brent Goose, Branta bernicla, is a species of goose of the genus Branta. The Black Brant is an American subspecies. The specific descriptor bernicla is from the same source as "barnacle" in Barnacle Goose, which looks similar but is not a close relation.-Appearance:The Brant Goose is...
  
  , Branta bernicla
• Cackling Goose
  Canada Goose
  The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
  
  , Branta hutchinsonii
• Canada Goose
  Canada Goose
  The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
  
  , Branta canadensis
• Mute Swan
  Mute Swan
  The Mute Swan is a species of swan, and thus a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is native to much of Europe and Asia, and the far north of Africa. It is also an introduced species in North America, Australasia and southern Africa. The name 'mute' derives from it being less...
  
  , Cygnus olor (I)
• Trumpeter Swan
  Trumpeter Swan
  The Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator, is the largest native North American bird, if measured in terms of weight and length, and is the largest living waterfowl species on earth. It is the North American counterpart of the European Whooper Swan.-Description:Males typically measure from and weigh...
  
  , Cygnus buccinator
• Tundra Swan, Cygnus columbianus
• Wood Duck
  Wood Duck
  The Wood Duck or Carolina Duck is a species of duck found in North America. It is one of the most colourful of North American waterfowl.-Description:...
  
  , Aix sponsa
• Gadwall
  Gadwall
  The Gadwall is a common and widespread duck of the family Anatidae.- Description :The Gadwall is 46–56 cm long with a 78–90 cm wingspan. The male is slightly larger than the female, weighing on average 990 g against her 850 g...
  
  , Anas strepera
• Eurasian Wigeon, Anas penelope
• American Wigeon
  American Wigeon
  The American Wigeon, also American Widgeon or Baldpate, is a species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus Anas. If this is split up, all wigeons will go into their old genus Mareca again...
  
  , Anas americana
• American Black Duck
  American Black Duck
  The American Black Duck is a large dabbling duck. American Black Ducks are similar to Mallards in size, and resemble the female Mallard in coloration, although the Black Duck's plumage is darker...
  
  , Anas rubripes
• Mallard
  Mallard
  The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
  
  , Anas platyrhynchos
• Blue-winged Teal
  Blue-winged Teal
  The Blue-winged Teal is a small dabbling duck from North America.-Description:The Blue-winged Teal is long, with a wingspan of , and a weight of . The adult male has a greyish blue head with a white facial crescent, a light brown body with a white patch near the rear and a black tail. The adult...
  
  , Anas discors
• Cinnamon Teal
  Cinnamon Teal
  The Cinnamon Teal is a small, reddish dabbling duck found in marshes and ponds of western North and South America.thumb|left|Female Anas cyanoptera septentrionalium...
  
  , Anas cyanoptera
• Northern Shoveler
  Northern Shoveler
  The Northern Shoveler , Northern Shoveller in British English, sometimes known simply as the Shoveler, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America, and is a rare vagrant to Australia...
  
  , Anas clypeata
• Northern Pintail
  Northern Pintail
  The Pintail or Northern Pintail is a widely occurring duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator...
  
  , Anas acuta
• Garganey
  Garganey
  The Garganey is a small dabbling duck. It breeds in much of Europe and western Asia, but is strictly migratory, with the entire population moving to southern Africa, India Santragachi and Australasia in winter, where large flocks can occur. This species was first described by Linnaeus in 1758...
  
  , Anas querquedula
• Green-winged Teal
  Green-winged Teal
  The Green-winged Teal is a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of North America except on the Aleutian Islands. It was considered conspecific with the Common Teal The Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis) is a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of...
  
  , Anas crecca
• Canvasback
  Canvasback
  The Canvasback is the largest of the North American diving ducks, that ranges from between long and weighs approximately , with a wingspan of . The canvasback has a distinctive wedge-shaped head and long graceful neck. The adult male has a black bill, a chestnut red head and neck, a black...
  
  , Aythya valisineria
• Redhead
  Redhead (duck)
  The Redhead is a medium-sized diving duck, 37 cm long with an 84 cm wingspan.The adult male has a blue bill, a red head and neck, a black breast, yellow eyes and a grey back. The adult female has a brown head and body and a darker bluish bill with a black tip.The breeding habitat is...
  
  , Aythya americana
• Ring-necked Duck
  Ring-necked Duck
  The Ring-necked Duck is a smaller diving duck from North America.The adult male is similar in color pattern to the Eurasian Tufted Duck, its relative. It has a grey bill with a white band, a shiny purple head, a white breast, yellow eyes and a dark grey back...
  
  , Aythya collaris
• Tufted Duck
  Tufted Duck
  The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler...
  
  , Aythya fuligula
• Greater Scaup
  Greater Scaup
  The Greater Scaup , just Scaup in Europe, or colloquially known as "Bluebill", for its bright blue bill, is small compared to other diving ducks, however it is larger than the closely related Lesser Scaup...
  
  , Aythya marila
• Lesser Scaup
  Lesser Scaup
  The Lesser Scaup is a small North American diving duck that migrates south as far as Central America in winter. It is colloquially known as the Little Bluebill or Broadbill because of its distinctive blue bill...
  
  , Aythya affinis
• Harlequin Duck
  Harlequin Duck
  The Harlequin Duck is a small sea duck. It takes its name from Arlecchino, Harlequin in French, a colourfully dressed character in Commedia dell'arte. The species name comes from the Latin word "histrio", "actor". In North America it is also known as Lords and ladies...
  
  , Histrionicus histrionicus
• Surf Scoter
  Surf Scoter
  The Surf Scoter is a large sea duck, which breeds in Canada and Alaska. It is placed in the subgenus Melanitta, along with the Velvet and White-winged Scoters, distinct from the subgenus Oidemia, Black and Common Scoters.It winters further south in temperate zones, on the coasts of the northern USA...
  
  , Melanitta perspicillata
• White-winged Scoter
  White-winged Scoter
  The White-winged Scoter is a large sea duck.-Description:It is characterised by its bulky shape and large bill. This is the largest species of scoter. Females range from 950-1950 grams and 48–56 cm , averaging 1180 grams and 52.3 cm . She is brown with pale head patches...
  
  , Melanitta fusca
• Black Scoter
  Black Scoter
  The Black or American Scoter is a large sea duck, 43 to 49 centimeters in length. Together with the Common Scoter M. nigra, it forms the subgenus Oidemia; the two are sometimes considered conspecific, the Black Scoter then being referred to as M. nigra americana...
  
  , Melanitta nigra
• Long-tailed Duck
  Long-tailed Duck
  The Long-tailed Duck or Oldsquaw is a medium-sized sea duck. It is the only living member of its genus, Clangula; this was formerly used for the goldeneyes, with the Long-tailed Duck being placed in Harelda...
  
  , Clangula hyemalis
• Bufflehead
  Bufflehead
  The Bufflehead is a small American sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Anas albeola.-Description:...
  
  , Bucephala albeola
• Common Goldeneye
  Common Goldeneye
  The Common Goldeneye is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. Their closest relative is the similar Barrow's Goldeneye....
  
  , Bucephala clangula
• Barrow's Goldeneye
  Barrow's Goldeneye
  Barrow's Goldeneye is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. This bird was named after Sir John Barrow....
  
  , Bucephala islandica
• Hooded Merganser
  Hooded Merganser
  The Hooded Merganser is a small duck and is the only member of the genus Lophodytes.Hooded Mergansers have a crest at the back of the head which can be expanded or contracted. In adult males, this crest has a large white patch, the head is black and the sides of the duck are reddish-brown...
  
  , Lophodytes cucullatus
• Common Merganser
  Common Merganser
  The Common Merganser or Goosander Mergus merganser is a large duck, of rivers and lakes of forested areas of Europe, northern and central Asia, and North America. It eats fish and nests in holes in trees...
  
  , Mergus merganser
• Red-breasted Merganser
  Red-breasted Merganser
  The Red-breasted Merganser is a diving duck.-Taxonomy:The Red-breasted Merganser was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th-century work, Systema Naturae.-Description:...
  
  , Mergus serrator
• Ruddy Duck
  Ruddy Duck
  The Ruddy Duck is a small stiff-tailed duck.Their breeding habitat is marshy lakes and ponds throughout much of North America, and in South America in the Andes. They nest in dense marsh vegetation near water. The female builds her nest out of grass, locating it in tall vegetation to hide it from...
  
  , Oxyura jamaicensis

Partridges, Grouse, Turkeys, and Old World Quail

Order: Galliformes

Galliformes

Galliformes are an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game bird, containing turkey, grouse, chicken, New and Old World Quail, ptarmigan, partridge, pheasant, and the Cracidae. Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds, landfowl, gallinaceous birds or galliforms...

Family: Phasianidae

Phasianidae

The Phasianidae is a family of birds which consists of the pheasants and partridges, including the junglefowl , Old World Quail, francolins, monals and peafowl. The family is a large one, and is occasionally broken up into two subfamilies, the Phasianinae, and the Perdicinae...

The Phasianidae is a family of birds which consists of the pheasants and their allies. These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump, with broad relatively short wings. Many species are gamebirds, or have been domesticated as a food source for humans. There are 180 species world wide, 16 North American species, and 12 Montana species.

• Chukar
  Chukar
  The Chukar Partridge or Chukar is a Eurasian upland gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It has been considered to form a superspecies complex along with the Rock Partridge, Philby's Partridge and Przevalski's Partridge and treated in the past as conspecific particularly with the first...
  
  , Alectoris chukar (I)
• Grey Partridge
  Grey Partridge
  The Grey Partridge, Perdix perdix, also known as the English Partridge, Hungarian Partridge, or Hun, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds...
  
  , Perdix perdix (I)
• Ring-necked Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus (I)
• Ruffed Grouse
  Ruffed Grouse
  The Ruffed Grouse is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is non-migratory.The Ruffed Grouse is frequently referred to as a "partridge"...
  
  , Bonasa umbellus
• Greater Sage-Grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus
• Spruce Grouse
  Spruce Grouse
  The Spruce Grouse or Canada Grouse is a medium-sized grouse closely associated with the coniferous boreal forests or taiga of North America. It is one of the most arboreal grouse, fairly well adapted to perching and moving about in trees...
  
  , Dendragapus canadensis
• Willow Ptarmigan, Lagopus lagopus
• White-tailed Ptarmigan
  White-tailed Ptarmigan
  The White-tailed Ptarmigan, Lagopus leucura, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is found in the mountains of the western United States, Canada and Alaska.-Description:...
  
  , Lagopus leucurus
• Dusky Grouse, Dendragapus obscurus
• Sharp-tailed Grouse
  Sharp-tailed Grouse
  The Sharp-tailed Grouse, Tympanuchus phasianellus , is a medium-sized prairie grouse. It is also known as the sharptail, and is known as "fire grouse" or "fire bird" by Native American Indians due to their reliance on brush fires to keep their habitat open.-Taxonomy:The Greater Prairie-chicken,...
  
  , Tympanuchus phasianellus
• Greater Prairie-Chicken
  Greater Prairie Chicken
  The Greater Prairie Chicken or Pinnated Grouse, Tympanuchus cupido, is a large bird in the grouse family. This North American species was once abundant, but has become extremely rare or extinct over much of its range due to habitat loss. There are current efforts to help this species gain the...
  
  , Tympanuchus cupido
• Wild Turkey
  Wild Turkey
  The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...
  
  , Meleagris gallopavo

Loons

Order: Gaviiformes

Gaviiformes

Gaviiformes is an order of aquatic birds containing the loons or divers and their closest extinct relatives. Modern gaviiformes are found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia , though prehistoric species were more widespread.-Classification and evolution:There are five living...

Family: Gaviidae

Loons are aquatic birds the size of a large duck, to which they are unrelated. Their plumage is largely grey or black, and they have spear-shaped bills. Loons swim well, and fly adequately, but, because their legs are placed towards the rear of the body, are almost hopeless on land. There are five species worldwide, 5 North American species, and 4 Montana species.

• Red-throated Loon
  Red-throated Diver
  The Red-throated Loon or Red-throated Diver is a migratory aquatic bird found in the northern hemisphere. It breeds primarily in Arctic regions, and winters in northern coastal waters. It is the most widely distributed member of the loon or diver family. Ranging from in length, the Red-throated...
  
  , Gavia stellata
• Pacific Loon
  Pacific Diver
  The Pacific Loon or Pacific Diver , is a medium-sized member of the loon, or diver, family. It may be conspecific with Black-throated Diver/Arctic Loon, which it closely resembles....
  
  , Gavia pacifica
• Common Loon
  Great Northern Diver
  The Great Northern Loon, Great Northern Diver, or Common Loon , is a large member of the loon, or diver, family of birds...
  
  , Gavia immer
• Yellow-billed Loon, Gavia adamsii

Grebes

Order: Podicipediformes
Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-large sized freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes, and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land. There are 20 species worldwide, 7 North American species, and 6 Montana species.

• Pied-billed Grebe
  Pied-billed Grebe
  The Pied-billed Grebe is a species of the grebe family of water birds. Since the Atitlán Grebe, Podilymbus gigas, has become extinct, it is the sole extant member of the genus Podilymbus.-Description:...
  
  , Podilymbus podiceps
• Horned Grebe
  Slavonian Grebe
  The Horned Grebe or Slavonian Grebe, Podiceps auritus, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The Slavonian Grebe is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish prey underwater...
  
  , Podiceps auritus
• Red-necked Grebe
  Red-necked Grebe
  The Red-necked Grebe is a migratory aquatic bird found in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Its wintering habitat is largely restricted to calm waters just beyond the waves around ocean coasts, although some birds may winter on large lakes...
  
  , Podiceps grisegena
• Eared Grebe
  Black-necked Grebe
  The Black-necked Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis, known in North America as the Eared Grebe, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. It occurs on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.-Taxonomy:There are three subspecies:*P. n...
  
  , Podiceps nigricollis
• Western Grebe
  Western Grebe
  The Western Grebe, , is a species in the grebe family of water birds. Folk names include "dabchick", "swan grebe" and "swan-necked grebe"....
  
  , Aechmorphorus occidentalis
• Clark's Grebe
  Clark's Grebe
  Clark's Grebe is a North American species in the grebe family. Until the 1980s, it was thought to be a pale morph of the Western Grebe, which it resembles in size, range, and behavior...
  
  , Aechmorphorus clarkii

Shearwaters and petrels

Order: Procellariiformes

Procellariiformes

Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, storm petrels, and diving petrels...

Family: Procellariidae

Procellariidae

The family Procellariidae is a group of seabirds that comprises the fulmarine petrels, the gadfly petrels, the prions, and the shearwaters. This family is part of the bird order Procellariiformes , which also includes the albatrosses, the storm-petrels, and the diving petrels.The procellariids are...

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized 'true petrels', characterised by united nostrils with medium septum, and a long outer functional primary. There are 80 species worldwide, 29 North American species, and 1 Montana species.

• Manx Shearwater
  Manx Shearwater
  The Manx Shearwater is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. The scientific name of this species records a name shift: Manx Shearwaters were called Manks Puffins in the 17th century. Puffin is an Anglo-Norman word for the cured carcasses of nestling shearwaters...
  
  , Puffinus puffinus

Pelicans

Order: Pelecaniformes

Pelecaniformes

The Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...

Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are very large water birds with a distinctive pouch under the beak. Like other birds in the order Pelecaniformes, they have four webbed toes. There are 8 species world wide, 2 North American species, and 1 Montana species.

• American White Pelican
  American White Pelican
  The American White Pelican is a large aquatic bird from the order Pelecaniformes. It breeds in interior North America, moving south and to the coasts, as far as Central America, in winter....
  
  , Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Cormorants

Order: Pelecaniformes

Pelecaniformes

The Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...

Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants are medium-to-large aquatic birds, usually with mainly dark plumage and areas of coloured skin on the face. The bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked. Their feet are four-toed and webbed, a distinguishing feature among the Pelecaniformes order. There are 36 species worldwide, 6 North American species, and 1 Montana species.

• Double-crested Cormorant
  Double-crested Cormorant
  The Double-crested Cormorant is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It occurs along inland waterways as well as in coastal areas, and is widely distributed across North America, from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska down to Florida and Mexico...
  
  , Phalacrocorax auritus

Bitterns, Herons, and Egrets

Order: Ciconiiformes

Ciconiiformes

Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...

Family: Ardeidae

The family Ardeidae contains the herons, egrets, and bitterns. Herons and Egrets are medium to large-sized wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more secretive. Unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills, members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted. There are 61 species worldwide, 17 North American species, and 10 Montana species.

• American Bittern
  American Bittern
  The American Bittern is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae. New evidence has led the American Ornithologists' Union to move the heron family into the order Pelecaniformes .-Description:...
  
  , Botaurus lentiginosus
• Least Bittern
  Least Bittern
  The Least Bittern is a small wading bird, the smallest heron found in the Americas.This bird's underparts and throat are white with light brown streaks. Their face and the sides of the neck are light brown; they have yellow eyes and a yellow bill. The adult male is glossy greenish black on the...
  
  , Ixobrychus exilis
• Great Blue Heron
  Great Blue Heron
  The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
  
  , Ardea herodias
• Great Egret
  Great Egret
  The Great Egret , also known as the Great White Egret or Common Egret, White Heron, or Great White Heron, is a large, widely-distributed egret. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, in southern Europe it is rather localized...
  
  , Ardea alba
• Snowy Egret
  Snowy Egret
  The Snowy Egret is a small white heron. It is the American counterpart to the very similar Old World Little Egret, which has established a foothold in the Bahamas....
  
  , Egretta thula
• Little Blue Heron
  Little Blue Heron
  The Little Blue Heron, Egretta caerulea, is a small heron. It breeds from the Gulf states of the USA through Central America and the Caribbean south to Peru and Uruguay. It is a resident breeder in most of its range, but some northern breeders migrate to the southeastern USA or beyond in winter...
  
  , Egretta caerulea
• Cattle Egret
  Cattle Egret
  The Cattle Egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species, the Western Cattle Egret and the Eastern Cattle Egret...
  
  , Bubulcus ibis
• Green Heron
  Green Heron
  The Green Heron is a small heron of North and Central America. It was long considered conspecific with its sister species the Striated Heron , and together they were called "Green-backed Heron"...
  
  , Butorides virescens
• Black-crowned Night-Heron
  Black-crowned Night Heron
  The Black-crowned Night Heron commonly abbreviated to just Night Heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, except in the coldest regions and Australasia .-Description:Adults are...
  
  , Nycticorax nycticorax
• Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
  Yellow-crowned Night Heron
  The Yellow-crowned Night Heron , also called the American Night Heron or squawk, is a fairly small heron, similar in appearance to the Black-crowned Night Heron...
  
  , Nyctanassa violacea

Ibises and spoonbills

Order: Ciconiiformes

Ciconiiformes

Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...

Family: Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae

The family Threskiornithidae includes 34 species of large terrestrial and wading birds, falling into two subfamilies, the ibises and the spoonbills. It was formerly known as Plataleidae. The spoonbills and ibises were once thought to be related to other groups of long-legged wading birds in the...

The family Threskiornithidae includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings. Their bodies tend to be elongated, the neck more so, with rather long legs. The bill is also long, decurved in the case of the ibises, straight and distinctively flattened in the spoonbills. There are 36 species world wide, 5 North American species, and 2 Montana species.

• Glossy Ibis
  Glossy Ibis
  The Glossy Ibis is a wading bird in the ibis family Threskiornithidae.This is the most widespread ibis species, breeding in scattered sites in warm regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Atlantic and Caribbean region of the Americas...
  
  , Plegadis falcinellus
• White-faced Ibis
  White-faced Ibis
  The White-faced Ibis is a wading bird in the ibis family Threskiornithidae.This species breeds colonially in marshes, usually nesting in bushes or low trees. Its breeding range extends from the western USA south through Mexico, as well as from southeastern Brazil and southeastern Bolivia south to...
  
  , Plegadis chihi

Storks

Order: Ciconiiformes

Ciconiiformes

Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...

Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, heavy, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long stout bills and wide wingspans. They lack the powder down that other wading birds such as herons, spoonbills and ibises use to clean off fish slime. Storks lack a pharynx and are mute. There are 19 species world wide, 2 North American species, and 1 Montana species.

• Wood Stork
  Wood Stork
  The Wood Stork is a large American wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It was formerly called the "Wood Ibis", though it is not really an ibis.-Appearance:...
  
  , Mycteria americana

New World Vultures

Order: Ciconiiformes

Ciconiiformes

Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...

Family: Cathartidae

The New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures, but superficially resemble them because of convergent evolution. Like the Old World vultures, they are scavengers, however, unlike Old World vultures, which find carcasses by sight, New World vultures have a good sense of smell with which they locate carcasses. There are 7 species world wide, all found only in the Americas, 3 North American species, and 1 Montana species

• Turkey Vulture
  Turkey Vulture
  The Turkey Vulture is a bird found throughout most of the Americas. It is also known in some North American regions as the Turkey Buzzard , and in some areas of the Caribbean as the John Crow or Carrion Crow...
  
  , Cathartes aura

Hawks, Kites, and Eagles

Order: Falconiformes

Falconiformes

The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...

Family: Accipitridae

Accipitridae

The Accipitridae, one of the two major families within the order Accipitriformes , are a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-sized mammals, with a number feeding on carrion and a...

The family Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey and include hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures. These birds have very large powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight. There are 233 species world wide, 28 North American species, and 15 Montana species.

• Osprey
  Osprey
  The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
  
  , Pandion haliaetus
• White-tailed Kite
  White-tailed Kite
  The White-tailed Kite is an elanid kite of genus Elanus found in western North America and parts of South America.Their coloration is gull-like, but their shape and flight falcon-like, with a rounded tail...
  
  , Elanus leucurus
• Mississippi Kite
  Mississippi Kite
  The Mississippi Kite is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is 12 to 15 inches beak to tail and has a wingspan averaging 3 feet . Weight is from 214 to 388 grams . Adults are gray with darker gray on their tail feathers and outer wings and lighter gray on their heads...
  
  , Ictinia mississippiensis
• Bald Eagle
  Bald Eagle
  The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
  
  , Haliaeetus leucocephalus
• Northern Harrier, Circus cyaneus
• Sharp-shinned Hawk
  Sharp-shinned Hawk
  The Sharp-shinned Hawk is a small hawk. In fact, "sharp-shins" or "sharpies" are the smallest to reside in USA and Canada, though some Neotropical species are smaller...
  
  , Accipiter striatus
• Cooper's Hawk
  Cooper's Hawk
  Cooper's Hawk is a medium-sized hawk native to the North American continent and found from Canada to Mexico. As in many birds of prey, the male is smaller than the female...
  
  , Accipiter cooperii
• Northern Goshawk, Accipiter gentilis
• Red-shouldered Hawk
  Red-shouldered Hawk
  The Red-shouldered Hawk is a medium-sized hawk. Its breeding range spans eastern North America and along the coast of California and northern to northeastern-central Mexico.-Description:...
  
  , Buteo lineatus
• Broad-winged Hawk
  Broad-winged Hawk
  The Broad-winged Hawk is a small hawk of the genus Buteo. During the summer some subspecies are distributed over eastern North America, as far west as British Columbia and Texas; they then migrate south to winter in the neotropics from Mexico down to southern Brazil. Other subspecies are all-year...
  
  , Buteo platypterus
• Swainson's Hawk
  Swainson's Hawk
  The Swainson's Hawk , is a large buteo hawk of the Falconiformes, sometimes separated in the Accipitriformes like its relatives. This species was named after William Swainson, a British naturalist...
  
  , Buteo swainsoni
• Red-tailed Hawk
  Red-tailed Hawk
  The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
  
  , Buteo jamaicensis
• Ferruginous Hawk
  Ferruginous Hawk
  The Ferruginous Hawk , Buteo regalis , is a large bird of prey. It is not a true hawk like sparrowhawks or goshawks, but rather belongs to the broad-winged buteo hawks, known as "buzzards" in Europe...
  
  , Buteo regalis
• Rough-legged Hawk, Buteo lagopus
• Golden Eagle
  Golden Eagle
  The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
  
  , Aquila chrysaetos

Caracaras and falcons

Order: Falconiformes

Falconiformes

The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...

Family: Falconidae

Falconidae

The falcons and caracaras are around 60 species of diurnal birds of prey that make up the family Falconidae. The family is divided into two subfamiles, Polyborinae, which includes the caracaras and forest falcons, and Falconinae, the falcons, kestrels and falconets.-Description:Falcons and...

Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey, notably the falcons and caracaras. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their feet. There are 62 species world wide, 10 North American species, and 5 Montana species.

• American Kestrel
  American Kestrel
  The American Kestrel , sometimes colloquially known as the Sparrow Hawk, is a small falcon, and the only kestrel found in the Americas. It is the most common falcon in North America, and is found in a wide variety of habitats. At long, it is also the smallest falcon in North America...
  
  , Falco sparverius
• Merlin
  Merlin (bird)
  The Merlin is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere. A bird of prey once known colloquially as a pigeon hawk in North America, the Merlin breeds in the northern Holarctic; some migrate to subtropical and northern tropical regions in winter.-European and North American...
  
  , Falco columbarius
• Gyrfalcon
  Gyrfalcon
  The Gyrfalcon — Falco rusticolus — is the largest of the falcon species. The Gyrfalcon breeds on Arctic coasts and the islands of North America, Europe, and Asia. It is mainly resident there also, but some Gyrfalcons disperse more widely after the breeding season, or in winter.Individual vagrancy...
  
  , Falco rusticolus
• Peregrine Falcon
  Peregrine Falcon
  The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
  
  , Falco peregrinus
• Prairie Falcon
  Prairie Falcon
  The Prairie Falcon is a medium-sized falcon of western North America.It is about the size of a Peregrine Falcon or a crow, with an average length of 40 cm , wingspan of 1 metre , and weight of 720 g...
  
  , Falco mexicanus

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

Order: Gruiformes

Gruiformes

The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....

Family: Rallidae

Rallidae

The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and the family also includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules...

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. The most typical family members occupy dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs, and have long toes which are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and tend to be weak fliers. There are 143 species world wide, 13 North American species, and 5 Montana species.

• Yellow Rail
  Yellow Rail
  The Yellow Rail, Coturnicops noveboracensis, is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae.Adults have brown upperparts streaked with black, a yellowish-brown breast, a light belly and barred flanks. The short thick dark bill turns yellow in males during the breeding season. The feathers on the back...
  
  , Coturnicops noveboracensis
• Virginia Rail
  Virginia Rail
  The Virginia Rail, Rallus limicola, is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae.Adults are mainly brown, darker on the back and crown, with orange-brown legs. They have long toes, a short tail and a long slim reddish bill...
  
  , Rallus limicola
• Sora
  Sora (crake)
  The Sora is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae, sometimes also referred to as the Sora Rail or Sora Crake.Adults Soras are long, with dark-marked brown upperparts, a blue-grey face and underparts, and black and white barring on the flanks. They have a short thick yellow bill, with black...
  
  , Porzana carolina
• Common Moorhen
  Common Moorhen
  The Common Moorhen is a bird in the Rallidae family with an almost worldwide distribution. The North and South American Committees of the AOU and the IOC have voted on or before July 2011 to split the American forms into a new species Common Gallinule, however, no other committee has voted to...
  
  , Gallinula chloropus
• American Coot
  American Coot
  The American Coot is a bird of the family Rallidae, inhabiting wetlands and open water bodies. Measuring in length and across the wings, adults have a short thick white bill and white frontal shield, which usually has a reddish-brown spot near the top of the bill between the eyes...
  
  , Fulica americana

Cranes

Order: Gruiformes

Gruiformes

The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....

Family: Gruidae

Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances". There are 15 species worldwide, 3 North American species, and 2 Montana species.

• Sandhill Crane
  Sandhill Crane
  The Sandhill Crane is a large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird references habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills in the American Midwest...
  
  , Grus canadensis
• Whooping Crane
  Whooping Crane
  The whooping crane , the tallest North American bird, is an endangered crane species named for its whooping sound. Along with the Sandhill Crane, it is one of only two crane species found in North America. The whooping crane's lifespan is estimated to be 22 to 24 years in the wild...
  
  , Grus americana

Lapwings and Plovers

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

Family: Charadriidae

Charadriidae

The bird family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings, about 64 to 66 species in all.- Morphology :They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings, but most species of lapwing may have more rounded wings...

The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water, although there are some exceptions. There are 66 species worldwide, 17 North American species, and 7 Montana species.

• Black-bellied Plover
  Grey Plover
  The Grey Plover , known as the Black-bellied Plover in North America, is a medium-sized plover breeding in arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding....
  
  , Pluvialis squatarola
• American Golden-Plover
  American Golden Plover
  The American Golden Plover is a medium-sized plover.Adults are spotted gold and black on the crown, back and wings. Their face and neck are black with a white border; they have a black breast and a dark rump. The legs are black....
  
  , Pluvialis dominica
• Snowy Plover
  Snowy Plover
  The Snowy Plover is a small wader in the plover bird family. It breeds in Ecuador, Peru, Chile, the southern and western USA and the Caribbean...
  
  , Charadrius alexandrinus
• Semipalmated Plover
  Semipalmated Plover
  The Semipalmated Plover is a small plover.This species weighs and measures in length and across the wings. Adults have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband...
  
  , Charadrius semipalmatus
• Piping Plover
  Piping Plover
  The Piping Plover is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange legs, a black band across the forehead from eye to eye, and a black ring around the neck...
  
  , Charadrius melodus
• Killdeer
  Killdeer
  The Killdeer is a medium-sized plover.Adults have a brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with two black bands. The rump is tawny orange. The face and cap are brown with a white forehead. They have an orange-red eyering...
  
  , Charadrius vociferus
• Mountain Plover
  Mountain Plover
  The Mountain Plover is a medium-sized ground bird in the plover family . It is misnamed, as it lives on level land...
  
  , Charadrius montanus

Stilts and Avocets

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

Family: Recurvirostridae

Recurvirostridae

Recurvirostridae is a family of birds in the wader suborder Charadrii. It contains two distinct groups of birds, the avocets and the stilts .-Description and diet:...

Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and the stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. There are 9 species world wide, 3 North American species, and 2 Montana species.

• Black-necked Stilt
  Black-necked Stilt
  The Black-necked Stilt is a locally abundant shorebird of American wetlands and coastlines. It is found from the coastal areas of California through much of the interior western United States and along the Gulf of Mexico as far east as Florida, then south through Central America and the Caribbean...
  
  , Himantopus mexicanus
• American Avocet
  American Avocet
  The American Avocet is a large wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae.This avocet has long, thin, gray legs, giving it its colloquial name, "blue shanks". The plumage is black and white on the back with white on the underbelly. The neck and head are cinnamon colored in the summer...
  
  , Recurvirostra americana

Sandpipers, Curlews, Stints, Godwits, Snipes, and Phalaropes

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

Family: Scolopacidae

Scolopacidae

The sandpipers are a large family, Scolopacidae, of waders or shorebirds. They include many species called sandpipers, as well as those called by names such as curlew and snipe. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil...

The Scolopacidae are a large diverse family of small to medium sized shorebirds including the Sandpipers, Curlews, Godwits, Shanks, Tattlers, Woodcocks, Snipes, Dowitchers and Phalaropes. The majority of species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Different lengths of legs and bills enable different species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. There are 86 species world wide, 65 North American species, and 32 Montana species.

• Spotted Sandpiper
  Spotted Sandpiper
  The Spotted Sandpiper is a small shorebird, 18–20 cm long. Together with its sister species, the Common Sandpiper they make up the genus Actitis...
  
  , Actitis macularia
• Solitary Sandpiper
  Solitary Sandpiper
  The Solitary Sandpiper is a small wader .-Description:This species measures long, with a wingspan up to and a body mass of . It is a dumpy wader with a dark green back, greyish head and breast and otherwise white underparts. It is obvious in flight, with wings dark above and below, and a dark...
  
  , Tringa solitaria
• Greater Yellowlegs
  Greater Yellowlegs
  The Greater Yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca, is a large North American shorebird, similar in appearance to the smaller Lesser Yellowlegs. Its closest relative, however, is the Greenshank, which together with the Spotted Redshank form a close-knit group...
  
  , Tringa melanoleuca
• Willet
  Willet
  The Willet, Tringa semipalmata , is a large shorebird in the sandpiper family. It is a good-sized and stout scolopacid, the largest of the shanks...
  
  , Catoptrophorus semipalmatus
• Lesser Yellowlegs
  Lesser Yellowlegs
  The Lesser Yellowlegs is a medium-sized shorebird similar in appearance to the larger Greater Yellowlegs. It is not closely related to this bird, however, but instead to the much larger and quite dissimilar Willet; merely the fine, clear and dense pattern of the neck shown in breeding plumage...
  
  , Tringa flavipes
• Upland Sandpiper
  Upland Sandpiper
  The Upland Sandpiper is a large shorebird, closely related to the curlews . Older names are the Upland Plover and Bartram's Sandpiper. It is the only member of the genus Bartramia. The genus name and the old common name Bartram's Sandpiper commemorate the American naturalist William Bartram...
  
  , Bartramia longicauda
• Whimbrel
  Whimbrel
  The Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the mostwidespread of the curlews, breeding across much of subarctic North America, Europe and Asia as far south as Scotland....
  
  , Numenius phaeopus
• Long-billed Curlew
  Long-billed Curlew
  The Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, is a large North American shorebird of the family Scolopacidae. This species was also called "sicklebird" and the "candlestick bird". The species is native to central and western North America...
  
  , Numenius americanus
• Hudsonian Godwit
  Hudsonian Godwit
  The Hudsonian Godwit, Limosa haemastica, is a large shorebird.-Identification:Adults have long dark legs and a long pink bill with a slight upward curve and dark at the tip. The upper parts are mottled brown and the underparts are chestnut. The tail is black and the rump is white...
  
  , Limosa haemastica
• Marbled Godwit
  Marbled Godwit
  The Marbled Godwit, Limosa fedoa, is a large shorebird. On average, it is the largest of the 4 species of godwit. The total length is , including a large bill of , and wingspan is . Body mass can vary from ....
  
  , Limosa fedoa
• Ruddy Turnstone
  Ruddy Turnstone
  The Ruddy Turnstone is a small wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plover family Charadriidae...
  
  , Arenaria interpres
• Black Turnstone
  Black Turnstone
  The Black Turnstone is a species of small wading bird. It is one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria, the Ruddy Turnstone being the other. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plover family Charadriidae...
  
  , Tournepierre noir
• Red Knot
  Red Knot
  The Red Knot, Calidris canutus , is a medium sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is a large member of the Calidris sandpipers, second only to the Great Knot...
  
  , Calidris canutus
• Sanderling
  Sanderling
  The Sanderling is a small wader. It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia...
  
  , Calidris alba
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
  Semipalmated Sandpiper
  The Semipalmated Sandpiper, Calidris pusilla, is a very small shorebird. It is sometimes separated with other "stints" in Erolia but although these apparently form a monophyletic group, the present species' old genus Ereunetes had been proposed before Erolia.Adults have black legs and a short stout...
  
  , Calidris pusilla
• Western Sandpiper
  Western Sandpiper
  The Western Sandpiper, Calidris or Erolia mauri, is a small shorebird.Adults have dark legs and a short thin dark bill, thinner at the tip. The body is brown on top and white underneath. They are reddish-brown on the crown. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny...
  
  , Calidris mauri
• Least Sandpiper
  Least Sandpiper
  The Least Sandpiper is the smallest shorebird.This species has greenish legs and a short thin dark bill. Breeding adults are brown with dark brown streaks on top and white underneath. They have a light line above the eye and a dark crown. In winter, Least Sandpipers are grey above...
  
  , Calidris minutilla
• White-rumped Sandpiper
  White-rumped Sandpiper
  The White-rumped Sandpiper is a small shorebird.Adults have black legs and a small thin dark bill. The body is dark brown on top and mainly white underneath, with brown streaks on the breast and a white rump. They have a white stripe over their eyes. This bird shows long wings in flight. In winter...
  
  , Calidris fuscicollis
• Baird's Sandpiper
  Baird's Sandpiper
  The Baird's Sandpiper is a small shorebird. It is among those calidrids sometimes separated in Erolia.Adults have black legs and a short thin dark bill. They are dark brown on top and mainly white underneath with a black patch on the rump. The head and breast are light brown with dark streaks. In...
  
  , Calidris bairdii
• Pectoral Sandpiper
  Pectoral Sandpiper
  The Pectoral Sandpiper, Calidris melanotos, is a small wader. It is sometimes separated with the "stint" sandpipers in Erolia. This may or may not represent a good monophyletic group, depending on the placement of the phylogenetically enigmatic Curlew Sandpiper , the type species of Erolia...
  
  , Calidris melanotos
• Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
  Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
  The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Calidris acuminata is a small wader.- Taxonomy :More recently, a review of new data has indicated that this bird should perhaps better be placed into the genus Philomachus- as P...
  
  , Calidris acuminata
• Dunlin
  Dunlin
  The Dunlin, Calidris alpina, is a small wader, sometimes separated with the other "stints" in Erolia. It is a circumpolar breeder in Arctic or subarctic regions. Birds that breed in northern Europe and Asia are long-distance migrants, wintering south to Africa, southeast Asia and the Middle East...
  
  , Calidris alpina
• Curlew Sandpiper
  Curlew Sandpiper
  The Curlew Sandpiper is a small wader that breeds on the tundra of Arctic Siberia. It is strongly migratory, wintering mainly in Africa, but also in south and southeast Asia and in Australasia...
  
  , Calidris ferruginea
• Stilt Sandpiper
  Stilt Sandpiper
  The Stilt Sandpiper, Calidris himantopus or Micropalama himantopus, is a small shorebird; it bears some resemblance to the smaller calidrid sandpipers or "stints". DNA sequence information is incapable of determining whether it should be placed in Calidris or in the monotypic genus Micropalama...
  
  , Calidris himantopus
• Buff-breasted Sandpiper
  Buff-breasted Sandpiper
  The Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Tryngites subruficollis, is a small shorebird. It is a calidrid sandpipers and currently considered to be the only member of the genus Tryngites. Indeed, it probably belongs in the genus Calidris itself, or more precisely with the small species thereof which should be...
  
  , Tryngites subruficollis
• Short-billed Dowitcher
  Short-billed Dowitcher
  The Short-billed Dowitcher like its congener the Long-billed Dowitcher, is a medium-sized, stocky, long-billed shorebird in the family Scolopacidae. It is an inhabitant of North America, Middle America, and northern South America. It is strongly migratory; it completely vacates in breeding areas...
  
  , Limnodromus griseus
• Long-billed Dowitcher
  Long-billed Dowitcher
  The Long-billed Dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus, is a medium-sized shorebird.Adults have yellowish legs and a long straight dark bill. The body is dark brown on top and reddish underneath with spotted throat and breast, bars on flanks. The tail has a black and white barred pattern...
  
  , Limnodromus scolopaceus
• Wilson's Snipe
  Wilson's Snipe
  Wilson's Snipe is a small, stocky shorebird. This species was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Common Snipe, G. gallinago. Wilson's Snipe differs from the latter species in having a narrower white edge to the wings, and eight pairs of tail feathers instead of seven.Adults are...
  
  , Gallinago delicata
• American Woodcock
  American Woodcock
  The American Woodcock , sometimes colloquially referred to as the Timberdoodle, is a small chunky shorebird species found primarily in the eastern half of North America...
  
  , Scolopax minor
• Wilson's Phalarope
  Wilson's Phalarope
  The Wilson's Phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor, is a small wader. This bird, the largest of the phalaropes, breeds in the prairies of North America in western Canada and the western United States. It is migratory, wintering around the central Andes in South America. They are passage migrants through...
  
  , Phalaropus tricolor
• Red-necked Phalarope
  Red-necked Phalarope
  The Red-necked Phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus, is a small wader. This phalarope breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia. It is migratory, and, unusually for a wader, winters at sea on tropical oceans....
  
  , Phalaropus lobatus
• Red Phalarope
  Red Phalarope
  The Red Phalarope , Phalaropus fulicarius, is a small wader. This phalarope breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia...
  
  , Phalaropus fulicarius

Skuas, Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

Family: Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes jaegers, skuas, gulls, terns, kittiwakes and skimmers. They are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. There are 108 species world wide, 54 North American species, and 26 Montana species.

• Black-legged Kittiwake
  Black-legged Kittiwake
  The Black-legged Kittiwake is a seabird species in the gull family Laridae.This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Larus tridactylus....
  
  , Rissa tridactyla
• Ross's Gull
  Ross's Gull
  The Ross's Gull is a small gull, the only species in its genus, although it has been suggested it should be moved to the genus Hydrocoloeus, which otherwise only includes the Little Gull....
  
  , Rhodostethia rosea
• Laughing Gull
  Laughing Gull
  The Laughing Gull, Leucophaeus atricilla, is a medium-sized gull of North and South America. It breeds on the Atlantic coast of North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. Northernmost populations migrate further south in winter, and this species occurs as a rare vagrant to western...
  
  , Larus atricilla
• Franklin's Gull
  Franklin's Gull
  The Franklin's Gull is a small gull.-Description:It breeds in central provinces of Canada and adjacent states of the northern United States...
  
  , Larus pipixcan
• Little Gull
  Little Gull
  The Little Gull, Hydrocoloeus minutus or Larus minutus, is a small gull which breeds in northern Europe and Asia. It also has small colonies in parts of southern Canada. It is migratory, wintering on coasts in western Europe, the Mediterranean and the northeast USA. As is the case with many gulls,...
  
  , Larus minutus
• Sabine's Gull
  Sabine's Gull
  The Sabine's Gull is a small gull. Its generic placement is disputed; some authors treat it as the sole species in the genus Xema as Xema sabini, while others retain it in the genus Larus as Larus sabini. It breeds in the arctic and has a circumpolar distribution through northernmost North America...
  
  , Xema sabini
• Bonaparte's Gull
  Bonaparte's Gull
  The Bonaparte's Gull is a small gull.The Bonaparte's Gull is a small species, larger only than the Little Gull and the Saunders's Gull among all gull species. Adults are long with a wingspan and a body mass of . They have a black hood and a short thin dark bill. The body is mainly white with...
  
  , Larus philadelphia
• Mew Gull
  Common Gull
  The Common Gull or Mew Gull Larus canus is a medium-sized gull which breeds in northern Asia, northern Europe and northwestern North America. It migrates further south in winter...
  
  , Larus canus
• Ring-billed Gull
  Ring-billed Gull
  The Ring-billed Gull is a medium-sized gull.Adults are length and with a wingspan. The head, neck and underparts are white; the relatively short bill is yellow with a dark ring; the back and wings are silver gray; and the legs are yellow. The eyes are yellow with red rims...
  
  , Larus delawarensis
• California Gull
  California Gull
  The California Gull Larus californicus is a medium-sized gull, smaller on average than the Herring Gull but larger on average than the Ring-billed Gull, though may overlap in size greatly with both....
  
  , Larus californicus
• Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
• Thayer's Gull
  Thayer's Gull
  The Thayer's Gull is a large gull native to North America that breeds in the Arctic islands of Canada and primarily winters on the Pacific coast, from southern Alaska to the Gulf of California, though there are also wintering populations on the Great Lakes and the upper Mississippi River...
  
  , Larus thayeri
• Iceland Gull
  Iceland Gull
  The Iceland Gull, Larus glaucoides, is a large gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland, but not Iceland, where it is only seen in the winter. It is migratory, wintering from in the North Atlantic as far south as the British Isles and northernmost states of the eastern USA,...
  
  , Larus glaucoides
• Lesser Black-backed Gull
  Lesser Black-backed Gull
  The Lesser Black-backed Gull is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa...
  
  , Larus fuscus
• Glaucous-winged Gull
  Glaucous-winged Gull
  The Glaucous-winged Gull, Larus glaucescens, is a large, white-headed gull residing from the western coast of Alaska to the coast of Washington. It also breeds on the northwest coast of Alaska. During non-breeding seasons they can be found along the coast of California...
  
  , Larus glaucescens
• Glaucous Gull
  Glaucous Gull
  The Glaucous Gull is a large gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of the northern hemisphere and the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans as far south as the British Isles and northernmost states of the USA, also on the Great...
  
  , Larus hyperboreus
• Great Black-backed Gull
  Great Black-backed Gull
  The Great Black-backed Gull is the largest gull in the world, which breeds on the European and North American coasts and islands of the North Atlantic...
  
  , Larus marinus
• Least Tern, Sternula antillarum
• Caspian Tern
  Caspian Tern
  The Caspian Tern is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no subspecies accepted either...
  
  , Hydroprogne caspia
• Black Tern
  Black Tern
  The Black Tern, Chlidonias niger, is a small tern generally found in or near inland water in Europe and North America. As its name suggests, it has predominantly dark plumage.- Description :...
  
  , Chlidonias niger
• Common Tern
  Common Tern
  The Common Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, breeding in temperate and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia and east and central North America. It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. It is sometimes...
  
  , Sterna hirundo
• Arctic Tern
  Arctic Tern
  The Arctic Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar breeding distribution covering the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America...
  
  , Sterna paradisaea
• Forster's Tern
  Forster's Tern
  The Forster's Tern, Sterna forsteri, is a member of the tern family Sternidae. It breeds inland in North America and winters south to the Caribbean and northern South America....
  
  , Sterna forsteri
• Pomarine Jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus
• Parasitic Jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus
• Long-tailed Jaeger, Stercorarius longicaudus

Auks, Murres and Puffins

Order: Cuculiformes

Cuculiformes

The near passerine bird order Cuculiformes traditionally included three families as below:* Musophagidae - turacos and allies* Cuculidae - cuckoos, coucals, roadrunners and anis* Opisthocomidae - Hoatzin...

Family: Alcidae

The family Alcidae includes auks, Murres and Puffins. These are short winged birds that live on the open sea and normally only come ashore for breeding. There are 23 species world wide, 22 North American species, and 2 Montana species.

• Long-billed Murrelet
  Long-billed Murrelet
  The Long-billed Murrelet is a small seabird from the North Pacific. It is an unusual member of the auk family, often nesting far inland in old growth forests...
  
  , Brachyramphus perdix
• Ancient Murrelet
  Ancient Murrelet
  The Ancient Murrelet, Synthliboramphus antiquus, is a bird in the auk family. It breeds from the Yellow Sea , through the Russian Pacific coast and the Aleutian Islands to the Haida Gwaii archipelago of British Columbia, where about half of the world population breeds.These birds breed in colonies,...
  
  , Synthliboarmphus antiquus

Pigeons and doves

Order: Columbiformes

Columbiformes

Columbiformes are an avian order that includes the very widespread and successful doves and pigeons, classified in the family Columbidae, and the extinct Dodo and the Rodrigues Solitaire, long classified as a second family Raphidae. 313 species, found worldwide, comprise the Columbiformes order....

Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. There are 308 species world wide, 18 North American species, and 6 Montana species.

• Rock Pigeon, Columba livia (I)
• Band-tailed Pigeon
  Band-tailed Pigeon
  The Band-tailed Pigeon, Patagioenas fasciata, is a medium-sized bird of the Americas. Its closest relatives are the Chilean Pigeon and the Ring-tailed Pigeon, which form a clade of Patagioenas with a terminal tail band and iridescent plumage on their necks.It ranges from British Columbia, Utah, and...
  
  , Patagioenas fasciata
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
  Eurasian Collared Dove
  The Eurasian Collared Dove most often simply called the Collared Dove, also sometimes hyphenated as Eurasian Collared-dove is a species of dove native to Asia and Europe, and also recently introduced in North America....
  
  , Streptopelia decaocto (I)
• White-winged Dove
  White-winged Dove
  The White-winged Dove is a dove whose native range extends from the south-western USA through Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. In recent years with increasing urbanization and backyard feeding, it has expanded throughout Texas and into Louisiana...
  
  , Zenaida asiatica
• Mourning Dove
  Mourning Dove
  The Mourning Dove is a member of the dove family . The bird is also called the Turtle Dove or the American Mourning Dove or Rain Dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina Pigeon or Carolina Turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds...
  
  , Zenaida macroura
• Inca Dove
  Inca Dove
  The Inca Dove is a small New World dove; it might belong to the genus. It ranges from the southwestern United States and Mexico through Central America to Costa Rica; the Inca Dove only lives on the Pacific side of Central America. Despite being named after the Inca Empire, this species does not...
  
  , Columbina inca

Cuckoos, Roadrunners, and Anis

Order: Cuculiformes

Cuculiformes

The near passerine bird order Cuculiformes traditionally included three families as below:* Musophagidae - turacos and allies* Cuculidae - cuckoos, coucals, roadrunners and anis* Opisthocomidae - Hoatzin...

Family: Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. Unlike the cuckoo species of the Old World, North American cuckoos are not brood parasites. There are 138 species world wide, 8 North American species, and 2 Montana species.

• Black-billed Cuckoo
  Black-billed Cuckoo
  The Black-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus, is a cuckoo.Adults have a long brown tail and a black bill. The head and upper parts are brown and the underparts are white. There is a red ring around the eye. Juveniles are drabber, and the eye ring is greenish.Their breeding habitat is edges of...
  
  , Coccyzus erythropthalmus
• Yellow-billed Cuckoo
  Yellow-billed Cuckoo
  The Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus, is a cuckoo. Common folk-names for this bird in the southern United States are Rain Crow and Storm Crow...
  
  , Coccyzus americanus

Barn Owls

Order: Strigiformes
Family: Tytonidae

Tytonidae

Barn-owls are one of the two families of owls, the other being the true owls, Strigidae. They are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons...

Barn owls are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons. There are 16 species world wide, 1 North American species, and 1 Montana species.

• Barn Owl
  Barn Owl
  The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
  
  , Tyto alba

True owls

Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae

Typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk. There are 195 species world wide, 21 North American species, and 14 Montana species.

• Flammulated Owl
  Flammulated Owl
  The Flammulated Owl is a small, nocturnal owl approximately 15 cm long with a 36 cm wingspan. Males and females can be distinguished by their weight. Females are larger, ranging from 62-65 grams and males are smaller ranging from 50-52 grams. The owl gets the name flammulated from the flame...
  
  , Otus flammeolus
• Western Screech-Owl, Megascops kennicottii
• Eastern Screech-Owl
  Eastern Screech Owl
  The Eastern Screech Owl or Eastern Screech-Owl is a small owl that is relatively common in Eastern North America, from Mexico to Canada.-Description:...
  
  , Megascops asio
• Great Horned Owl
  Great Horned Owl
  The Great Horned Owl, , also known as the Tiger Owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.-Description:...
  
  , Bubo virginianus
• Snowy Owl
  Snowy Owl
  The Snowy Owl is a large owl of the typical owl family Strigidae. The Snowy Owl was first classified in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish naturalist who developed binomial nomenclature to classify and organize plants and animals. The bird is also known in North America as the Arctic Owl, Great...
  
  , Bubo scandiacus
• Northern Hawk Owl
  Northern Hawk Owl
  The Northern Hawk-Owl is a non-migratory owl that usually stays within its breeding range. It sometimes irrupts southward.-General:It is the only living species in the genus Surnia...
  
  , Surnia ulula
• Northern Pygmy-owl, Glaucidium gnoma
• Burrowing Owl
  Burrowing Owl
  The Burrowing Owl is a tiny but long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing Owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other open dry area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated...
  
  , Athene cunicularia
• Barred Owl
  Barred Owl
  The Barred Owl is a large typical owl. It goes by many other names, including eight hooter, rain owl, wood owl, and striped owl, but is probably best known as the hoot owl.-Description:...
  
  , Strix varia
• Great Gray Owl, Strix nebulosa
• Long-eared Owl
  Long-eared Owl
  The Long-eared Owl - Asio otus is a species of owl which breeds in Europe, Asia, and North America. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, family Strigidae, which contains most species of owl...
  
  , Asio otus
• Short-eared Owl
  Short-eared Owl
  The Short-eared Owl is a species of typical owl . In Scotland this species of owl is often referred to as a cataface, grass owl or short-horned hootlet. Owls belonging to genus Asio are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or may...
  
  , Asio flammeus
• Boreal Owl, Aegolius funereus
• Northern Saw-whet Owl
  Northern Saw-whet Owl
  The Northern Saw-whet Owl is a small owl native to North America.-Description:The scientific description of one of the sub-species of this owl is attributed to the Rev. John Henry Keen who was a missionary in Canada in 1896. Adults are long with a wingspan. They can weigh from with an average...
  
  , Aegolius acadicus

Nightjars

Order: Caprimulgiformes

Caprimulgiformes

The Caprimulgiformes is an order of birds that includes a number of birds with global distribution . They are generally insectivorous and nocturnal...

Family: Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills that usually nest on the ground. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is cryptically coloured to resemble bark or leaves. There are 86 species world wide, 9 North American species, and 3 Montana species.

• Common Nighthawk
  Common Nighthawk
  The Common Nighthawk is a medium-sized crepuscular or nocturnal bird, whose presence and identity are best revealed by its vocalization. Typically dark , displaying cryptic colouration and intricate patterns, this bird becomes invisible by day. Once aerial, with its buoyant but erratic flight,...
  
  , Chordeiles minor
• Common Poorwill
  Common Poorwill
  The Common Poorwill is a nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae, the nightjars. It is found from British Columbia and southeastern Alberta, through the western United States to northern Mexico...
  
  , Phalaenoptilus nuttallii
• Whip-poor-will
  Whip-poor-will
  The Eastern Whip-poor-will, Caprimulgus vociferus, is a medium-sized nightjar from North and Central America. The whip-poor-will is commonly heard within its range, but less often seen because of its superior camouflage...
  
  , Caprimulgus vociferus

Swifts

Order: Apodiformes

Apodiformes

Traditionally, the bird order Apodiformes contained three living families: the swifts , the tree swifts , and the hummingbirds . In the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this order is raised to a superorder Apodimorphae in which hummingbirds are separated as a new order, Trochiliformes...

Family: Apodidae

The swifts are small aerial birds, spending the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have very long, swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or a boomerang. There are 98 species world wide, 9 North American species, and 4 Montana species.

• Black Swift
  Black Swift
  The American Black Swift or more simply Black Swift is found from northern British Columbia in Canada through the United States and Mexico to Costa Rica. It is also found on islands in the West Indies....
  
  , Cypseloides niger
• Chimney Swift
  Chimney Swift
  The Chimney Swift is a small bird .-Physical description:In flight, this bird looks like a flying cigar with long slender curved wings. The plumage is a sooty grey-brown; the throat, breast, underwings and rump are paler. They have short tails.-Reproduction:The breeding season of Chimney Swifts is...
  
  , Chaetura pelagica
• Vaux's Swift
  Vaux's Swift
  Vaux's Swift is a small swift native to North America and northern South America. It was named for the American scientist William Sansom Vaux.-Description:...
  
  , Chaetura vauxi
• White-throated Swift
  White-throated Swift
  The White-throated Swift is a swift of the family Apodidae native to western North America, south to cordilleran western Honduras...
  
  , Aeronautes saxatalis

Hummingbirds

Order: Apodiformes

Apodiformes

Traditionally, the bird order Apodiformes contained three living families: the swifts , the tree swifts , and the hummingbirds . In the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this order is raised to a superorder Apodimorphae in which hummingbirds are separated as a new order, Trochiliformes...

Family: Trochilidae

Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings. They are the only birds that can fly backwards. There are 337 species world wide, 23 North American species, and 7 Montana species.

• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  The Ruby-throated Hummingbird , is a small hummingbird. It is the only species of hummingbird that regularly nests east of the Mississippi River in North America.- Description :...
  
  , Archilochus colubris
• Black-chinned Hummingbird
  Black-chinned Hummingbird
  The Black-chinned Hummingbird is a small hummingbird.Adults are metallic green above and white below with green flanks. Their bill is long, straight and very slender. The adult male has a black face and chin, a glossy purple throat band and a dark forked tail...
  
  , Archilochus alexandri
• Anna's Hummingbird
  Anna's Hummingbird
  Anna's Hummingbird is a medium-sized hummingbird native to the west coast of North America. This bird was named after Anna Masséna, Duchess of Rivoli.-Description:...
  
  , Calypte anna
• Costa's Hummingbird
  Costa's Hummingbird
  The Costa's Hummingbird is a species of hummingbird.The Costa's Hummingbird is very small, a mature adult growing to only 3 to 3½ inches in length. The male Costa's has a mainly green back and flanks, a small black tail and wings, and patches of white below their gorgeted throat and tail...
  
  , Calypte costae
• Calliope Hummingbird
  Calliope Hummingbird
  The Calliope Hummingbird is a very small hummingbird and the smallest bird found in Canada and the United States. It is the only member of the Stellula genus....
  
  , Stellula calliope
• Broad-tailed Hummingbird
  Broad-tailed Hummingbird
  The Broad-tailed hummingbird, Selasphorus platycercus, is a medium-sized hummingbird, nearly in length.Male and female both have iridescent green backs and crowns and a white breast. The male has a gorget that shines with a brilliant red iridescence...
  
  , Selasphorus platycercus
• Rufous Hummingbird
  Rufous Hummingbird
  The Rufous Hummingbird is a small hummingbird, about 8 cm long with a long, straight and very slender bill. The female is slightly larger than the male.-Description:...
  
  , Selasphorus rufus

Kingfishers

Order: Coraciiformes

Coraciiformes

The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...

Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. There are 94 species world wide, 3 North American species, and 1 Montana species.

• Belted Kingfisher
  Belted Kingfisher
  The Belted Kingfisher is a large, conspicuous water kingfisher, the only member of that group commonly found in the northern United States and Canada. It is depicted on the 1986 series Canadian $5 note. All kingfishers were formerly placed in one family, Alcedinidae, but recent research suggests...
  
  , Ceryle alcyon

Woodpeckers, Sapsuckers, and Flickers

Order: Piciformes

Piciformes

Nine families of largely arboreal birds make up the order Piciformes, the best-known of them being the Picidae, which includes the woodpeckers and close relatives...

Family: Picidae

Picidae

The woodpeckers, piculets and wrynecks are a family, Picidae, of near-passerine birds. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia and New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions...

Woodpeckers are small to medium sized birds with chisel like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward, and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.There are 218 species world wide, 26 North American species, and 13 Montana species.

• Lewis's Woodpecker
  Lewis's Woodpecker
  The Lewis's Woodpecker, Melanerpes lewis, is a large North American species of woodpecker which was named for Meriwether Lewis, one of the explorers who surveyed the areas bought by the United States of America during the Louisiana Purchase.-Description:...
  
  , Melanerpes lewis
• Red-headed Woodpecker
  Red-headed Woodpecker
  The Red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus, is a small or medium-sized woodpecker from temperate North America. Their breeding habitat is open country across southern Canada and the eastern-central United States.-Taxonomy:...
  
  , Melanerpes erythrocephalus
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
  Red-bellied Woodpecker
  The Red-bellied Woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus, is a medium-sized woodpecker of the Picidae family. It breeds in southern Canada and the northeastern United States, ranging as far south as Florida and as far west as Texas...
  
  , Melanerpes carolinus
• Williamson's Sapsucker
  Williamson's Sapsucker
  Williamson's Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus thyroideus, is a medium-sized woodpecker belonging to the genus Sphyrapicus .-Habitat and range:...
  
  , Sphyrapicus thyroideus
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
  Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
  The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a medium-sized woodpecker found in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.-Taxonomy:...
  
  , Sphyrapicus varius
• Red-naped Sapsucker
  Red-naped Sapsucker
  The Red-naped Sapsucker is a medium-sized woodpecker.-Habitat:Their breeding habitat is mixed forests in the Rocky Mountains and Great Basin areas of North America. They nest in a cavity in a dead tree. Other species which nest in tree cavities reuse nests formerly used by these...
  
  , Sphyrapicus nuchalis
• Downy Woodpecker
  Downy Woodpecker
  The Downy Woodpecker is a species of woodpecker, the smallest in North America.- Description :Adult Downy Woodpeckers are mainly black on the upperparts and wings, with a white back, throat and belly and white spotting on the wings. There is a white bar above the eye and one below. They have a...
  
  , Picoides pubescens
• Hairy Woodpecker
  Hairy Woodpecker
  The Hairy Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker, averaging approximately 250 mm in length with a 380 mm wingspan...
  
  , Picoides villosus
• White-headed Woodpecker
  White-headed Woodpecker
  The White-headed Woodpecker is a non-migratory woodpecker that resides in pine forests of the mountains of western North America. It has a black body and white head. It has white primary feathers that form a crescent in flight...
  
  , Picoides albolarvatus
• American Three-toed Woodpecker
  American Three-toed Woodpecker
  The American Three-toed woodpecker, Picoides dorsalis is a medium-sized woodpecker .This woodpecker has a length of 21 cm and a wingspan of 38 cm and closely resembles the Black-backed Woodpecker, which is also three-toed. Until recently, it was considered to be the same species as the Eurasian...
  
  , Picoides dorsalis
• Black-backed Woodpecker
  Black-backed Woodpecker
  The Black-backed Woodpecker also known as the Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker inhabiting the forests of North America. It is a medium sized woodpecker ....
  
  , Picoides arcticus
• Northern Flicker
  Northern Flicker
  The Northern Flicker is a medium-sized member of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. There are over 100 common names for the Northern Flicker...
  
  , Colaptes auratus
• Pileated Woodpecker
  Pileated Woodpecker
  The Pileated Woodpecker is a very large North American woodpecker, almost crow-sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in America.Adults are long, and weigh...
  
  , Dryocopus pileatus

Tyrant Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Tyrannidae

Tyrant flycatchers are Passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers, but are more robust with stronger bills. They do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of the songbirds. Most, but not all, are rather plain. As the name implies, most are insectivorous. There are 429 species world wide, all found only in the Americas, 45 North American species, and 20 Montana species.

• Olive-sided Flycatcher
  Olive-sided Flycatcher
  The Olive-sided Flycatcher, Contopus cooperi, is a passerine bird. It is a medium-sized tyrant flycatcher.- Description :Adults are dark olive on the face, upperparts and flanks. They have light underparts, a large dark bill and a short tail....
  
  , Contopus cooperi
• Western Wood-Pewee
  Western Wood Pewee
  The Western Wood-Pewee, Contopus sordidulus, is a small tyrant flycatcher. Adults are gray-olive on the upperparts with light underparts, washed with olive on the breast. They have two wing bars and a dark bill with yellow at the base of the lower mandible. This bird is very similar in appearance...
  
  , Contopus sordidulus
• Eastern Wood-Pewee
  Eastern Wood Pewee
  The Eastern Wood-pewee is a small tyrant flycatcher from North America. This bird and the Western Wood-pewee were formerly considered to be a single species...
  
  , Contopus virens
• Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
  Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
  The Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is a small insect-eating bird of the tyrant flycatcher family.Adults have brownish-olive upperparts, darker on the wings and tail, with yellowish underparts; they have a white eye ring, white wing bars, a small bill and a short tail...
  
  , Empidonax flaviventris
• Alder Flycatcher
  Alder Flycatcher
  The Alder Flycatcher, Empidonax alnorum, is a small insect-eating bird of the tyrant flycatcher family.Adults have olive-brown upperparts, browner on the wings and tail, with whitish underparts; they have a white eye ring, white wing bars, a small bill and a short tail. The breast is washed with...
  
  , Empidonax alnorum
• Willow Flycatcher
  Willow Flycatcher
  The Willow Flycatcher is a small insect-eating bird of the tyrant flycatcher family.Adults have brown-olive upperparts, darker on the wings and tail, with whitish underparts; they have an indistinct white eye ring, white wing bars and a small bill. The breast is washed with olive-grey. The upper...
  
  , Empidonax traillii
• Least Flycatcher
  Least Flycatcher
  The Least Flycatcher , , is a small insect-eating bird...
  
  , Empidonax minimus
• Hammond's Flycatcher
  Hammond's Flycatcher
  Hammond's Flycatcher, Empidonax hammondii is a small insect-eating bird. It is a small Empidonax flycatcher, with typical size ranging from 12.5-14.5 cm....
  
  , Empidonax hammondii
• Gray Flycatcher
  Gray Flycatcher
  The American Gray Flycatcher, or just Gray Flycatcher, is a small, insectivorous passerine in the tyrant flycatcher family. It is common in the arid regions of western North America, especially the Great Basin...
  
  , Empidonax wrightii
• Dusky Flycatcher
  Dusky Flycatcher
  The American Dusky Flycatcher, or simply Dusky Flycatcher, is a small, insectivorous passerine of the tyrant flycatcher family....
  
  , Empidonax oberholseri
• Cordilleran Flycatcher
  Cordilleran Flycatcher
  The Cordilleran Flycatcher, Empidonax occidentalis, is a small insect-eating bird. It is a small Empidonax flycatcher, with typical length ranging from 13 to 17 cm....
  
  , Empidonax occidentalis
• Eastern Phoebe
  Eastern Phoebe
  The Eastern Phoebe is a small passerine bird. This tyrant flycatcher breeds in eastern North America, although its normal range does not include the southeastern coastal USA....
  
  , Sayornis phoebe
• Say's Phoebe
  Say's Phoebe
  The Say's Phoebe is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family.Adults have brownish-gray upperparts with an orange-brown belly and light gray on the throat and breast. Juveniles have cinnamon wing bars; adults have no wing bars....
  
  , Sayornis saya
• Vermilion Flycatcher
  Vermilion Flycatcher
  The Vermilion Flycatcher is a small passerine bird in the Tyrannidae, or tyrant flycatcher family. Most flycatchers are rather drab, but the Vermilion Flycatcher is a striking exception...
  
  , Pyrocephalus rubinus
• Ash-throated Flycatcher
  Ash-throated Flycatcher
  The Ash-throated Flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens, is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. It breeds in desert scrub, riparian forest, brushy pastures and open woodland from the western United States to central Mexico. It is a short-distance migrant, retreating from most of the U.S....
  
  , Myiarchus cinerascens
• Great Crested Flycatcher
  Great Crested Flycatcher
  The Great Crested Flycatcher is a large insect-eating bird of the tyrant flycatcher family. It is the most widespread member of the genus, Myiarchus, in North America and is found over most of the eastern and mid-western portions of the continent...
  
  , Myiarchus crinitus
• Cassin's Kingbird
  Cassin's Kingbird
  The Cassin's Kingbird, Tyrannus vociferans, is a large Tyrant flycatcher.Adults have a gray head with slightly darker cheeks; a dark unforked tail with a buffy fringe and gray-olive underparts.They have a pale throat and deep yellow lower breast....
  
  , Tyrannus vociferans
• Western Kingbird
  Western Kingbird
  The Western Kingbird is a large tyrant flycatcher.Adults are grey-olive on the upperparts with a grey head and a dark line through the eyes; the underparts are light becoming light orange-yellow on the lower breast and belly. They have a long black tail with white outer feathers...
  
  , Tyrannus verticalis
• Eastern Kingbird
  Eastern Kingbird
  The Eastern Kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannus, is a large Tyrant flycatcher.Adults are grey-black on the upperparts with light underparts; they have a long black tail with a white end and long pointed wings. They have a red patch on their crown, seldom seen...
  
  , Tyrannus tyrannus
• Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
  Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
  The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is a long-tailed insectivorous bird of the genus, whose members are collectively referred to as kingbirds. The kingbirds are a group of large insectivorous birds in the tyrant flycatcher family...
  
  , Tyrannus forficatus

Shrikes

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey. There are 31 species world wide 3 North American species, and 2 Montana species.

• Loggerhead Shrike
  Loggerhead Shrike
  The Loggerhead Shrike is a passerine bird. It is the only member of the shrike family endemic to North America; the related Northern Shrike occurs north of its range but also in the Palearctic....
  
  , Lanius ludovicianus
• Northern Shrike, Lanius excubitor

Vireos

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Vireonidae

The vireos are a group of small to medium sized passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are typically greenish in colour and resemble wood warblers apart from their heavier bills. There are 52 species world wide, 16 North American species, and 8 Montana species.

• White-eyed Vireo
  White-eyed Vireo
  The White-eyed Vireo, Vireo griseus, is a small songbird. It breeds in the southeastern USA from New Jersey west to northern Missouri and south to Texas and Florida, and also in eastern Mexico, northern Central America, Cuba and the Bahamas....
  
  , Vireo griseus
• Yellow-throated Vireo
  Yellow-throated Vireo
  The Yellow-throated Vireo, Vireo flavifrons, is a small American songbird.Adults are mainly olive on the head and upperparts with a yellow throat and white belly; they have dark eyes with yellow "spectacles". The tail and wings are dark with white wing bars...
  
  , Vireo flavifrons
• Plumbeous Vireo
  Plumbeous Vireo
  The Plumbeous Vireo is a small North American songbird, ranging from far southeastern Montana and western South Dakota south to the Pacific coast of Mexico, including the extreme southern regions of Baja California Sur...
  
  , Vireo plumbeus
• Cassin's Vireo
  Cassin's Vireo
  Cassin's Vireo is a small North American songbird, ranging from southern British Columbia in Canada through the western coastal states of the United States. This bird migrates, spending the winter from southern Arizona to southern Mexico.The vireo is 11–14 cm in length, with a gray head, back,...
  
  , Vireo cassinii
• Blue-headed Vireo
  Blue-headed Vireo
  The Blue-headed Vireo is a Neotropical migrating song bird found in North and Central America. There are currently two recognized sub-species that belong to the Blue-headed Vireo. It has a range that extends across Canada and the eastern coast of the United-States, Mexico and some of Central America...
  
  , Vireo solitarius
• Warbling Vireo
  Warbling Vireo
  The Warbling Vireo, Vireo gilvus, is a small North American songbird.Its breeding habitat is open deciduous and mixed woods from Alaska to Mexico and the Florida Panhandle. It often nests along streams. It migrates to Mexico and Central America....
  
  , Vireo gilvus
• Philadelphia Vireo
  Philadelphia Vireo
  The Philadelphia Vireo, Vireo philadelphicus, is a small songbird.Adults are mainly olive-brown on the upperparts with yellow underparts; they have dark eyes and a grey crown. There is a dark line through the eyes and a white stripe just over them. They have thick blue-grey legs and a stout...
  
  , Vireo philadelphicus
• Red-eyed Vireo
  Red-eyed Vireo
  The Red-eyed Vireo, Vireo olivaceus, is a small American songbird, 13–14 cm in length. It is somewhat warbler-like but not closely related to the New World warblers...
  
  , Vireo olivaceus

Jays, Crows, Magpies, and Ravens

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae

Corvidae

Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs and nutcrackers. The common English names used are corvids or the crow family , and there are over 120 species...

The Corvidae family includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers, and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size for the bird order Passeriformes. Some of the larger species show levels of learned behavior of a high degree. There are 120 species world wide, 21 North American speicies, and 9 Montana species.

• Grey Jay, Perisoreus canadensis
• Steller's Jay
  Steller's Jay
  The Steller's Jay is a jay native to western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the continent, but with a black head and upper body. It is also known as the Long-crested Jay, Mountain Jay, and Pine Jay...
  
  , Cyanocitta stelleri
• Blue Jay
  Blue Jay
  The Blue Jay is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to North America. It is resident through most of eastern and central United States and southern Canada, although western populations may be migratory. It breeds in both deciduous and coniferous forests, and is common near and in...
  
  , Cyanocitta cristata
• Western Scrub-Jay, Aphelocoma californica
• Pinyon Jay
  Pinyon Jay
  The Pinyon Jay is a jay between the North American Blue Jay and the Eurasian Jay in size. It is the only member of the genus Gymnorhinus, . Its overall proportions are very Nutcracker-like and indeed this can be seen as convergent evolution as both birds fill similar ecological niches...
  
  , Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus
• Clark's Nutcracker
  Clark's Nutcracker
  Clark's Nutcracker , sometimes referred to as Clark's Crow or Woodpecker Crow, is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae. It is slightly smaller than its Eurasian relative the Spotted Nutcracker . It is ashy-grey all over except for the black-and-white wings and central tail feathers...
  
  , Nucifraga columbiana
• Black-billed Magpie
  Black-billed Magpie
  The Black-billed Magpie is a bird in the crow family that inhabits the western half of North America. It is notable for its domed nests, and for being one of only four North American songbirds whose tail makes up half or more of the total body length The Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia) is a...
  
  , Pica hudsonia
• American Crow
  American Crow
  The American Crow is a large passerine bird species of the family Corvidae. It is a common bird found throughout much of North America...
  
  , Corvus brachyrhynchos
• Common Raven
  Common Raven
  The Common Raven , also known as the Northern Raven, is a large, all-black passerine bird. Found across the northern hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids...
  
  , Corvus corax

Larks

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds. There are 91 species world wide, 2 North American species, and 1 Montana species.

• Horned Lark, Eremophila alpestris

Swallows and martins

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Hirundinidae

The Hirundinidae family is a group of passerines characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding. Their adaptations include a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and short bills with a wide gape. The feet are designed for perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base. There are 75 species world wide, 14 North American species, and 7 Montana species.

• Purple Martin
  Purple Martin
  The Purple Martin is the largest North American swallow. These aerial acrobats have speed and agility in flight, and when approaching their housing, will dive from the sky at great speeds with their wings tucked.-Description and taxonomy:...
  
  , Progne subis
• Tree Swallow
  Tree Swallow
  The Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor, is a migratory passerine bird that breeds in North America and winters in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe....
  
  , Tachycineta bicolor
• Violet-green Swallow
  Violet-green Swallow
  The Violet-green Swallow, Tachycineta thalassina, is a small North American swallow.Their breeding habitat is semi-open areas in western North America from Alaska to Mexico...
  
  , Tachycineta thalassina
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow
  Northern Rough-winged Swallow
  The Northern Rough-winged Swallow is a small swallow.Adults are 13–15 cm in length, brown on top with light underparts and a forked tail. They are similar in appearance to the Bank Swallow but have a dusky throat and breast...
  
  , Stelgidopteryx serripennis
• Bank Swallow, Riparia riparia
• Cliff Swallow
  Cliff Swallow
  The Cliff Swallow is a member of the passerine bird family Hirundinidae — the swallows and martins.It breeds in North America, and is migratory, wintering in western South America from Venezuela southwards to northeast Argentina...
  
  , Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
• Barn Swallow
  Barn Swallow
  The Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas...
  
  , Hirundo rustica

Chickadees and titmice

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae

The Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects. There are 59 species world wide, 12 North American species and 4 Montana species.

• Black-capped Chickadee
  Black-capped Chickadee
  The Black-capped Chickadee is a small, North American songbird, a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is the state bird of both Maine and Massachusetts in the United States, and the provincial bird of New Brunswick in Canada...
  
  , Poecile atricapilla
• Mountain Chickadee
  Mountain Chickadee
  The Mountain Chickadee is a small songbird, a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. Often, it is still placed in the genus Parus with most other tits, but mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data and morphology suggest that separating Poecile more adequately expresses these birds' relationships...
  
  , Poecile gambeli
• Chestnut-backed Chickadee
  Chestnut-backed Chickadee
  The Chestnut-backed Chickadee is a small passerine bird in the tit family, Paridae....
  
  , Poecile rufescens
• Boreal Chickadee
  Boreal Chickadee
  The Boreal Chickadee is a small passerine bird in the tit family Paridae.-Description:...
  
  , Poecile hudsonica

Nuthatches

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sittidae

Sittidae

Sittidae is a family of small passerine birds which contains the single genus Sitta containing about 24 species of nuthatches, which are found across Eurasia and North America....

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails and powerful bills and feet. There are 24 species world wide, 4 North American species, and 3 Montana species.

• Red-breasted Nuthatch
  Red-breasted Nuthatch
  The Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis, is a small songbird. The adult has blue-grey upperparts with cinnamon underparts, a white throat and face with a black stripe through the eyes, a straight grey bill and a black crown. Its call, which has been likened to a tin trumpet, is high-pitched...
  
  , Sitta canadensis
• White-breasted Nuthatch
  White-breasted Nuthatch
  The White-breasted Nuthatch is a small songbird of the nuthatch family which breeds in old-growth woodland across much of temperate North America. It is a stocky bird, with a large head, short tail, powerful bill and strong feet. The upperparts are pale blue-gray, and the face and underparts are...
  
  , Sitta carolinensis
• Pygmy Nuthatch
  Pygmy Nuthatch
  The Pygmy Nuthatch is a tiny songbird, about 10 cm long and about 10 grams in weight. It ranges from southern British Columbia south through various discontinuous parts of the western U.S. , to central Mexico...
  
  , Sitta pygmaea

Treecreepers

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees. There are 6 species world wide, 1 North American species , and 1 Montana species.

• Brown Creeper
  Brown Creeper
  -Description:Adults are brown on the upperparts with light spotting, resembling a piece of tree bark, with white underparts. They have a long thin bill with a slight downward curve and a long tail. The male creeper has a slightly larger bill than the female...
  
  , Certhia americana

Wrens

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Troglodytidae

Wrens are small and inconspicuous birds, except for their loud songs. They have short wings and a thin down-turned bill. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous. There are 79 species world wide, 9 North American species, and 7 Montana species.

• Rock Wren
  Rock Wren
  The Rock Wren is a small songbird of the wren family. It is the only species in the genus Salpinctes.The 12 cm long adults have grey-brown upperparts with small black and white spots and pale grey underparts with a light brown rump...
  
  , Salpinctes obsoletus
• Canyon Wren
  Canyon Wren
  The Canyon Wren is a small North American wren, and is about 14.5 cm long. It ranges from far southern British Columbia and Montana south through much of Mexico to western Chiapas and east to Oklahoma and Texas...
  
  , Catherpes mexicanus
• Bewick's Wren
  Bewick's Wren
  The Bewick's Wren is a wren native to North America. At about 14 cm long, it is grey-brown above, white below, with a long white eyebrow. While similar in appearance to the Carolina Wren, it has a long tail that is tipped in white. The song is loud and melodious, much like the song of other...
  
  , Thryomanes bewickii
• House Wren
  House Wren
  The House Wren, Troglodytes aedon, is a very small songbird of the wren family, Troglodytidae. It occurs from Canada to southernmost South America, and is thus the most widely distributed bird in the Americas. It occurs in most suburban areas in its range and it is the single most common wren...
  
  , Troglodytes aedon
• Winter Wren
  Winter Wren
  The Winter Wren is a very small North American bird and a member of the mainly New World wren family Troglodytidae. It was once lumped with Troglodytes pacificus of western North America and Troglodytes troglodytes of Eurasia under the name Winter Wren.It breeds in coniferous forests from British...
  
  , Troglodytes troglodytes
• Sedge Wren
  Sedge Wren
  The Sedge Wren, Cistothorus platensis, is a small songbird of the Wren family. It was formerly known as the Short-billed Marsh Wren, and in South America is known as the Grass Wren. There are about 20 different subspecies which are found across most of the Americas...
  
  , Cistothorus platensis
• Marsh Wren
  Marsh Wren
  The Marsh Wren is a small North American songbird of the wren family. It is sometimes called Long-billed Marsh Wren to distinguish it from the Sedge Wren, also known as Short-billed Marsh Wren....
  
  , Cistothorus palustris

Dippers

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cinclidae

Dippers are small, stout, birds that feed in cold, fast moving streams. There are 5 species world wide, 1 North American species and 1 Montana species.

• American Dipper
  American Dipper
  The American Dipper , also known as a Water Ouzel, is a stocky dark grey bird with a head sometimes tinged with brown, and white feathers on the eyelids cause the eyes to flash white as the bird blinks. It is 16.5 cm long and weighs on average 46 g...
  
  , Cinclus mexicanus

Kinglets

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Regulidae

The kinglets are a small family of birds which resemble the titmice. They are very small insectivorous birds in the genus Regulus. The adults have coloured crowns, giving rise to their names. There are 5 species world wide, 2 North American species, and 2 Montana species.

• Golden-crowned Kinglet
  Golden-crowned Kinglet
  The Golden-crowned Kinglet, Regulus satrapa, is a very small songbird.Adults are olive-gray on the upperparts with white underparts, with thin bills and short tails. They have white wing bars, a black stripe through the eyes and a yellow crown surrounded by black...
  
  , Regulus satrapa
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula

Old World warblers and Gnatcatchers

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae

Sylviidae

Sylviidae is a family of passerine birds that was part of an assemblage known as the Old World warblers. The family was formerly a wastebin taxon with over 400 species of bird in over 70 genera. The family was poorly defined with many characteristics shared with other families...

The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. The Sylviidae mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs. There are about 300 species world wide, 12 North American Species and 1 Montana species.

• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
  The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea, is a very small songbird.Adult males are blue-grey on the upperparts with white underparts and have a long slender bill, long black tail and an angry black unibrow. Females are less blue without the unibrow...
  
  , Polioptila caerulea

Thrushes

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae

The Thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly but not exclusively in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs. There are 335 species world wide, 28 North American species, and 11 Montana species.

• Eastern Bluebird
  Eastern Bluebird
  The Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis, is a small thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands and orchards, and most recently can be spotted in suburban areas. It is the state bird of Missouri and New York....
  
  , Sialia sialis
• Western Bluebird
  Western Bluebird
  The Western Bluebird is a small thrush, approximately to in length.Adult males are bright blue on top and on the throat with an orange breast and sides, a brownish patch on back, and a gray belly and undertail coverts. Adult females have a duller blue body, wings, and tail than the male, a gray...
  
  , Sialia mexicana
• Mountain Bluebird
  Mountain Bluebird
  The Mountain Bluebird is a medium-sized bird weighing about 2-5 ounces, with a length from 15–20 cm . They have light underbellies and black eyes. Adult males have thin bills are bright turquoise-blue and somewhat lighter beneath. Adult females have duller blue wings and tail, grey breast,...
  
  , Sialia currucoides
• Townsend's Solitaire
  Townsend's Solitaire
  Townsend's Solitaire is a medium-sized thrush, the only solitaire native to America north of Mexico.-Range and habitat:...
  
  , Myadestes townsendi
• Veery
  Veery
  The Veery, Catharus fuscescens, is a small thrush species. It is occasionally called Willow Thrush or Wilson's Thrush. It is a member of a close-knit group of migrant Catharus species, which also includes the cryptotaxa Grey-cheeked Thrush and Bicknell's Thrush The Veery, Catharus fuscescens, is a...
  
  , Catharus fuscescens
• Gray-cheeked Thrush
  Gray-cheeked Thrush
  The Grey-cheeked Thrush, Catharus minimus, is a medium-sized thrush. This species is 15–17 cm in length, and has the white-dark-white underwing pattern characteristic of Catharus thrushes. It is a member of a close-knit group of migrant species together with the Veery and Bicknell's Thrush ;...
  
  , Catharus minimus
• Swainson's Thrush
  Swainson's Thrush
  Swainson's Thrush , also called Olive-backed Thrush, is a medium-sized thrush. This species is 16–18 cm in length, and has the white-dark-white underwing pattern characteristic of Catharus thrushes...
  
  , Catharus ustulatus
• Hermit Thrush
  Hermit Thrush
  The Hermit Thrush is a medium-sized North American thrush. It is not very closely related to the other North American migrant species of Catharus, but rather to the Mexican Russet Nightingale-thrush.-Description:...
  
  , Catharus guttatus
• Wood Thrush
  Wood Thrush
  The Wood Thrush, Hylocichla mustelina, is a North American passerine bird. It is closely related to other thrushes such as the American Robin and is widely distributed across North America, wintering in Central America and southern Mexico...
  
  , Hylocichla mustelina
• American Robin
  American Robin
  The American Robin or North American Robin is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European Robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the flycatcher family...
  
  , Turdus migratorius
• Varied Thrush
  Varied Thrush
  The Varied Thrush is a member of the thrush family Turdidae.It breeds in western North America from Alaska to northern California. It is migratory, with northern breeders moving south within or somewhat beyond the breeding range...
  
  , Ixoreus naevius

Mockingbirds and Thrashers

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Mimidae

The Mimids are a family of passerine birds that includes thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers, and the New World catbirds. These birds are notable for their vocalization, especially their remarkable ability to mimic a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors. The species tend towards dull grays and browns in their appearance. There are 35 species world wide, 13 North American species, and 5 Montana species.

• Gray Catbird
  Gray Catbird
  The Gray Catbird , also spelled Grey Catbird, is a medium-sized northern American perching bird of the mimid family. It is the only member of the "catbird" genus Dumetella...
  
  , Dumetella carolinensis
• Northern Mockingbird
  Northern Mockingbird
  The Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos, is the only mockingbird commonly found in North America. This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Turdus polyglottos....
  
  , Mimus polyglottos
• Sage Thrasher
  Sage Thrasher
  The Sage Thrasher is a medium-sized passerine bird from the family Mimidae, which also includes mockingbirds, tremblers and New World catbirds. It is the only member of the genus Oreoscoptes. This seems less close to the Caribbean thrashers, but rather to the mockingbirds instead .O...
  
  , Oreoscoptes montanus
• Brown Thrasher
  Brown Thrasher
  The Brown Thrasher , sometimes erroneously called the Brown Thrush, is a bird in the Mimidae family, a group that also includes the New World catbirds and mockingbirds.-Description:...
  
  , Toxostoma rufum
• Curve-billed Thrasher
  Curve-billed Thrasher
  The Curve-billed Thrasher is a perching bird of the thrasher group native to the southwestern United States and much of Mexico....
  
  , Toxostoma curvirostre

Starlings

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are medium-sized passerines with strong feet. Their flight is strong and direct, and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country, and they eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen. There are 125 species world wide, 3 North American species, and 1 Montana species.

• European Starling
  European Starling
  The Common Starling , also known as the European Starling or just Starling, is a passerine bird in the family Sturnidae.This species of starling is native to most of temperate Europe and western Asia...
  
  , Sturnus vulgaris (I)

Accentors

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Prunellidae

The Accentors are small, fairly drab birds with thin sharp bills superficially similar, but unrelated to, sparrows. They are endemic to the Palearctic

Palearctic

The Palearctic or Palaearctic is one of the eight ecozones dividing the Earth's surface.Physically, the Palearctic is the largest ecozone...

 and only appear in North America as a vagrant. There are 13 species world wide, 1 North American species, and 1 Montana species.

• Siberian Accentor
  Siberian Accentor
  The Siberian Accentor, Prunella montanella, is a small passerine bird which breeds in northern Siberia on both sides of the Urals. It is migratory, wintering in southeast Asia. It is a rare vagrant in western Europe....
  
  , Prunella montanella

Wagtails and pipits

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Motacillidae

Motacillidae

The Motacillidae are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. There are around 65 species in 6 genera and they include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the wagtails are predominately found in Europe, Africa and...

The Motacillidae are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. They are slender, ground feeding insectivores of open country. There are 54 species world wide, 11 North American species, and 2 Montana species.

• American Pipit
  Buff-bellied Pipit
  The Buff-bellied Pipit , or American Pipit as it is known in North America, is a small songbird found on both sides of the northern Pacific. It was first described by Marmaduke Tunstall in his 1771 Ornithologia Britannica...
  
  , Anthus rubescens
• Sprague's Pipit
  Sprague's Pipit
  Sprague's Pipit is a small passerine bird that breeds in the short and mixed-grass prairies of North America and overwinters in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Easiest to identify by the distinctive descending call that is delivered in the breeding season from a considerable...
  
  , Anthus spragueii

Waxwings

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Bombycillidae

The waxwings are a group of passerine birds characterised by soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers. In the Bohemian and Cedar Waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax, and give the group its name. These are arboreal birds of northern forests. They live on insects in summer and berries in winter. There are three species world wide, 2 North American species, and 2 Montana species.

• Bohemian Waxwing
  Bohemian Waxwing
  The Bohemian Waxwing is a member of the waxwing family of passerines. A sleek bird, 18–21 cm long with a pointed crest, it travels in large, nomadic groups with a strong, direct flight. It breeds in coniferous forests throughout the most northern parts of Europe, Asia and western North America...
  
  , Bombycilla garrulus
• Cedar Waxwing
  Cedar Waxwing
  The Cedar Waxwing is a member of the family Bombycillidae or waxwing family of passerine birds. It breeds in open wooded areas in North America, principally southern Canada and the northern United States.-Description:...
  
  , Bombycilla cedrorum

Wood-warblers

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Parulidae

The Wood Warblers are a group of small often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most are arboreal, but some like the Ovenbird

Ovenbird

The Ovenbird is a small songbird of the New World warbler family . This migratory bird breeds in eastern North America and moves south in winter.-Taxonomy:...

 and the two waterthrushes, are more terrestrial. Most members of this family are insectivores. There are 119 species world wide, 57 North American species, and 37 Montana species.

• Blue-winged Warbler
  Blue-winged Warbler
  The Blue-winged Warbler, Vermivora cyanoptera, is a fairly common New World warbler, 11.5 cm long and weighing 8.5 g. It breeds in eastern North America in southern Ontario and the eastern USA. Its range is extending northwards, where it is replacing the very closely related...
  
  , Vermivora pinus
• Golden-winged Warbler
  Golden-winged Warbler
  The Golden-winged Warbler, Vermivora chrysoptera, is a New World warbler, 11.6 cm long and weighing 8.5 g. It breeds in eastern North America, southeastern Canada and the eastern USA...
  
  , Vermivora chrysoptera
• Tennessee Warbler
  Tennessee Warbler
  The Tennessee Warbler, Oreothlypis peregrina, is a New World warbler. It breeds in northern North America across Canada and the northern USA. It is migratory, wintering in southern Central America and northern Colombia and Venezuela, with a few stragglers going as far south as Ecuador. It is a...
  
  , Vermivora peregrina
• Orange-crowned Warbler
  Orange-crowned Warbler
  The Orange-crowned Warbler is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.These birds are distinguished by their lack of wing bars, streaking on the underparts, strong face marking or bright colouring, resembling a fall Tennessee Warbler. The orange patch on the crown is usually not visible...
  
  , Vermivora celata
• Nashville Warbler
  Nashville Warbler
  The Nashville Warbler, Vermivora ruficapilla, is a small songbird in the New World warbler family.They have olive-brown upperparts, a white belly and a yellow throat and breast; they have a white eye ring, no wing bars and a thin pointed bill. Adult males have a grey head with a rusty crown patch ;...
  
  , Vermivora ruficapilla
• Northern Parula
  Northern Parula
  The Northern Parula, Parula americana, is a small New World warbler. It breeds in eastern North America from southern Canada to Florida....
  
  , Parula americana
• Yellow Warbler
  Yellow Warbler
  Dendroica petechia is a New World warbler species or superspecies; the subspecies group around D. aestiva is increasingly treated as good species Dendroica aestiva again. The name for the entire cryptic species complex is Mangrove Warbler, and another group of subspecies is known as Golden Warbler...
  
  , Dendroica petechia
• Chestnut-sided Warbler
  Chestnut-sided Warbler
  The Chestnut-sided Warbler is a New World warbler. They breed in eastern North America and in southern Canada westwards to the Canadian Prairies...
  
  , Dendroica pensylvanica
• Magnolia Warbler
  Magnolia Warbler
  Setophaga magnolia, commonly known as the Magnolia warbler, is a member of the Parulidae family of wood warblers. [4] This warbler was first discovered in magnolia trees in the 19th century by famed ornithologist Alexander Wilson while in Mississippi. [7]-Description:The magnolia warbler can be...
  
  , Dendroica magnolia
• Cape May Warbler
  Cape May Warbler
  The Cape May Warbler, Dendroica tigrina, is a small New World warbler. It breeds in northern North America. Its breeding habitat spans across all but the westernmost parts of southern Canada, and into the Great Lakes region and New England. It is migratory, wintering in the West Indies...
  
  , Dendroica tigrina
• Black-throated Blue Warbler
  Black-throated Blue Warbler
  The Black-throated Blue Warbler, Setophaga caerulescens, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.Adult males have white underparts with black throat, face and flanks; the upperparts are deep blue; immature males are similar with upperparts more greenish...
  
  , Dendroica caerulescens
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
  Yellow-rumped Warbler
  Four closely related North American bird forms—the eastern Myrtle Warbler , its western counterpart, Audubon's Warbler , the northwest Mexican Black-fronted Warbler , and the Guatemalan Goldman's Warbler —are periodically lumped as the Yellow-rumped Warbler .-Classification:Since...
  
  , Dendroica coronata
• Black-throated Gray Warbler
  Black-throated Gray Warbler
  The Black-throated Gray Warbler is a songbird of the New World warbler family. It is 13 cm long and has black, grey, and white plumage. It breeds in western North America from British Columbia to New Mexico, and winters in Mexico and the southwestern United States...
  
  , Dendroica nigrescens
• Black-throated Green Warbler
  Black-throated Green Warbler
  The Black-throated Green Warbler, Setophaga virens, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.It is 12 cm long and weighs 9 g, and has an olive-green crown, a yellow face with olive markings, a thin pointed bill, white wing bars, an olive-green back and pale underparts with...
  
  , Dendroica virens
• Townsend's Warbler
  Townsend's Warbler
  The Townsend's Warbler, Dendroica townsendi, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.These birds have a yellow face with a black stripe across their cheeks, a thin pointed bill, white wing bars, olive upperparts with black streaks on their backs and flanks, and a white belly...
  
  , Dendroica townsendi
• Blackburnian Warbler
  Blackburnian Warbler
  The Blackburnian Warbler, Dendroica fusca , is a small New World warbler. They breed in eastern North America, from southern Canada, westwards to the southern Canadian Prairies, the Great Lakes region and New England, to North Carolina....
  
  , Dendroica fusca
• Yellow-throated Warbler
  Yellow-throated Warbler
  The Yellow-throated Warbler, Dendroica dominica, is a small migratory songbird species breeding in temperate North America. It belongs to the New World warbler family .-Description:...
  
  , Dendroica dominica
• Pine Warbler
  Pine Warbler
  The Pine Warbler, Dendroica pinus, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.These birds have white bellies, white wing bars, dark legs and thin, relatively long pointed bills; they have yellowish lines over their eyes. Adult males have olive upperparts and bright yellow throats and...
  
  , Dendroica pinus
• Prairie Warbler
  Prairie Warbler
  The Prairie Warbler, Dendroica discolor, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.These birds have yellow underparts with dark streaks on the flanks, and olive upperparts with rusty streaks on the back; they have a yellow line above the eye, a dark line through it, and a yellow spot...
  
  , Dendroica discolor
• Palm Warbler
  Palm Warbler
  The Palm Warbler, Dendroica palmarum, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.The species comprises two distinct subspecies that may merit specific status....
  
  , Dendroica palmarum
• Bay-breasted Warbler
  Bay-breasted Warbler
  The Bay-breasted Warbler, Dendroica castanea , is a New World warbler. They breed in northern North America, specifically in Canada, into the Great Lakes region, and into northern New England....
  
  , Dendroica castanea
• Blackpoll Warbler
  Blackpoll Warbler
  The Blackpoll Warbler, Dendroica striata , is a New World warbler. Breeding males are mostly black and white. They have a prominent black cap, white cheeks and white wing bars. The Blackpoll breeds in northern North America, from Alaska, through most of Canada, and into the Great Lakes region and...
  
  , Dendroica striata
• Black-and-white Warbler
  Black-and-white Warbler
  The Black-and-white Warbler is a small New World warbler. It breeds in northern and eastern North America from southern Canada to Florida....
  
  , Mniotilta varia
• American Redstart
  American Redstart
  The American Redstart is a New World warbler. It is the only member of its genus and is unrelated to the Old World redstarts. It derives its name from the male's red tail, start being an old word for tail.-Description:...
  
  , Setophaga ruticilla
• Prothonotary Warbler
  Prothonotary Warbler
  The Prothonotary Warbler is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. It is the only member of the genus Protonotaria....
  
  , Protonotaria citrea
• Ovenbird
  Ovenbird
  The Ovenbird is a small songbird of the New World warbler family . This migratory bird breeds in eastern North America and moves south in winter.-Taxonomy:...
  
  , Seiurus aurocapilla
• Northern Waterthrush
  Northern Waterthrush
  The Northern Waterthrush is one of the larger New World warblers. It breeds in the northern part of North America in Canada, and in the northern United States, . This bird is migratory, wintering in Central America, the West Indies, and Florida; also Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador...
  
  , Seiurus noveboracensis
• Kentucky Warbler
  Kentucky Warbler
  The Kentucky Warbler, Oporornis formosus, is a small species of New World warbler. The Kentucky Warbler, like all members of the genus Oporornis, is a sluggish and heavy warbler with a short tail, preferring to spend most of its time on or near the ground, except when singing.Adult Kentucky...
  
  , Oporornis formosus
• Connecticut Warbler
  Connecticut Warbler
  The Connecticut Warbler Oporornis agilis is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.These 15 cm long birds have light yellow underparts and olive upperparts; they have a light eye ring, pink legs, a long tail, pale wing bars and a thin pointed bill...
  
  , Oporornis agilis
• Mourning Warbler
  Mourning Warbler
  The Mourning Warbler, Oporornis philadelphia, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.These 13 cm long birds have yellow underparts, olive-green upperparts and pink legs. Adult males have a grey hood and a black patch on the throat and breast...
  
  , Oporornis philadelphia
• MacGillivray's Warbler
  MacGillivray's Warbler
  The MacGillivray's Warbler, Oporornis tolmiei, is a small species of New World warbler. Like all members of the genus Oporornis, these birds are sluggish and heavy warblers with short tails, preferring to spend most of their time on, or near the ground, except when singing.The MacGillivray's...
  
  , Oporornis tolmiei
• Common Yellowthroat
  Common Yellowthroat
  The Common Yellowthroat is a New World warbler. They are abundant breeders in North America, ranging from southern Canada to central Mexico....
  
  , Geothlypis trichas
• Hooded Warbler
  Hooded Warbler
  The Hooded Warbler, Wilsonia citrina, is a New World warbler. It breeds in eastern North America and across the eastern USA and into southernmost Canada, . It is migratory, wintering in Central America and the West Indies...
  
  , Wilsonia citrina
• Wilson's Warbler
  Wilson's Warbler
  The Wilson's Warbler, Wilsonia pusilla, is a small New World warbler. It is primarily greenish above and yellow below, with rounded wings and a long, slim tail. The male has a black crown patch which is greatly reduced or missing entirely in the female...
  
  , Wilsonia pusilla
• Canada Warbler
  Canada Warbler
  The Canada Warbler is a small 13 cm long songbird of the New World warbler family.These birds have yellow underparts, blue-grey upperparts and pink legs; they also have yellow eye-rings and thin, pointed bills. Adult males have black foreheads and black necklaces...
  
  , Wilsonia canadensis
• Painted Redstart
  Painted Redstart
  The Painted Redstart, Myioborus pictus, is a species of New World warbler. It is also known as the Painted Whitestart.-Taxonomy:When he first described the species in 1829, naturalist William John Swainson assigned it to the genus Setophaga — the same genus as that of the American Redstart — where...
  
  , Myioborus pictus
• Yellow-breasted Chat
  Yellow-breasted Chat
  The Yellow-breasted Chat is a large songbird, formerly considered the most atypical member of the New World warbler family, though the long-standing suspicion is that it does not actually belong there. Its placement is not definitely resolved. It is the only member of the genus Icteria...
  
  , Icteria virens

Tanagers

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Thraupidae

The tanagers are a large group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World, mainly in the tropics. Many species are brightly coloured. They are seedeaters, but their preference tends towards fruit and nectar. Most have short, rounded wings. There are 256 species world wide, 6 North American species, and 3 Montana species.

• Summer Tanager
  Summer Tanager
  The Summer Tanager, Piranga rubra, is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family , it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family...
  
  , Piranga rubra
• Scarlet Tanager
  Scarlet Tanager
  The Scarlet Tanager is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family , it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family . The species's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.-Description:Adults have pale...
  
  , Piranga olivacea
• Western Tanager
  Western Tanager
  The Western Tanager, Piranga ludoviciana, is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family , it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family...
  
  , Piranga ludoviciana

American sparrows, Towhees, Juncos, and Longspurs

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Emberizidae

Emberizidae

The Emberizidae are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with a distinctively shaped bill.In Europe, most species are called buntings. In North America, most of the species in this family are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the sparrows, the...

The Emberizidae are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with a distinctively shaped bill. In Europe, most species are named as buntings. In North America, most of the species in this family are known as Sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns. There are 275 species world wide, 60 North American species, and 31 Montana species.

• Green-tailed Towhee
  Green-tailed Towhee
  The Green-tailed Towhee, Pipilo chlorurus, is the smallest towhee, but is still one of the larger members of the "American sparrow" family Emberizidae....
  
  , Pipilo chlorurus
• Spotted Towhee
  Spotted Towhee
  The Spotted Towhee is a large New World sparrow. The taxonomy of the towhees has been debated in recent decades, and formerly this bird and the Eastern Towhee were considered a single species, the Rufous-sided Towhee...
  
  , Pipilo maculatus
• Eastern Towhee
  Eastern Towhee
  The Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, is a large New World sparrow. The taxonomy of the towhees has been under debate in recent decades, and formerly this bird and the Spotted Towhee were considered a single species, the Rufous-sided Towhee....
  
  , Pipilo erythrophthalmus
• American Tree Sparrow
  American Tree Sparrow
  The American Tree Sparrow , formerly known as the Winter Sparrow, is a medium-sized sparrow.Adults have a rusty cap and grey underparts with a small dark spot on the breast. They have a rusty back with lighter stripes, brown wings with white bars and a slim tail. Their face is grey with a rusty...
  
  , Spizella arborea
• Chipping Sparrow
  Chipping Sparrow
  The Chipping Sparrow is a species of American sparrow in the family Emberizidae. It is widespread, fairly tame, and common across most of its North American range.-Description:...
  
  , Spizella passerina
• Clay-colored Sparrow
  Clay-colored Sparrow
  The Clay-colored Sparrow is a small sparrow of North America.-Overview:Adults have light brown upperparts and pale underparts, with darker streaks on the back. They have a pale crown stripe on a dark brown crown, a white line over the eyes, a dark line through the eyes, a light brown cheek patch...
  
  , Spizella pallida
• Brewer's Sparrow
  Brewer's Sparrow
  Brewer's Sparrow is a small, slim species of American sparrow in the family Emberizidae. This bird was named after the ornithologist Thomas Mayo Brewer.-Description and systematics:...
  
  , Spizella breweri
• Field Sparrow
  Field Sparrow
  The Field Sparrow is a small sparrow.Adults have brown upperparts, a light brown breast, a white belly, wing bars and a forked tail. They have a grey face, a rusty crown, a white eye ring and a pink bill....
  
  , Spizella pusilla
• Vesper Sparrow
  Vesper Sparrow
  The Vesper Sparrow is a medium-sized American sparrow. It is the only member of the genus Pooecetes.Adults have light brown upperparts and light underparts, both with darker streaking. They have a white eye ring and a long dark brown tail which shows white outer feathers in flight.Their breeding...
  
  , Pooecetes gramineus
• Lark Sparrow
  Lark Sparrow
  The Lark Sparrow is a fairly large American sparrow. It is the only member of the genus Chondestes.This passerine bird breeds in southern Canada, much of the United States, and northern Mexico. It is much less common in the east, where its range is contracting...
  
  , Chondestes grammacus
• Black-throated Sparrow
  Black-throated Sparrow
  The Black-throated Sparrow is a small sparrow primarily found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is sometimes referred to as the Desert Sparrow, due to its preferred habitat of arid desert hillsides and scrub...
  
  , Amphispiza bilineata
• Sage Sparrow
  Sage Sparrow
  The Sage Sparrow is a medium-sized sparrow of the western United States and northwestern Mexico.Sage Sparrows are indeed often tied to sagebrush habitats, although they can also be found in brushy stands of saltbush, chamise, and other low shrubs of the arid Interior West.The most widespread...
  
  , Amphispiza belli
• Lark Bunting
  Lark Bunting
  The Lark Bunting is a medium-sized sparrow. It is monotypic, the only member of the genus Calamospiza .-Overview:...
  
  , Calamospiza melanocorys
• Savannah Sparrow
  Savannah Sparrow
  The Savannah Sparrow is a small American sparrow. It is the only widely accepted member of the genus Passerculus...
  
  , Passerculus sandwichensis
• Grasshopper Sparrow
  Grasshopper Sparrow
  The Grasshopper Sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum, is a small sparrow. The Ammodramus genus of 11 species inhabit grasslands and marshes....
  
  , Ammodramus savannarum
• Baird's Sparrow
  Baird's Sparrow
  The Baird's Sparrow, Ammodramus bairdii, is a small North American sparrow.-Overview:These birds have a large bill, a large flat head, and a short forked tail. They have brown upper parts and white underparts, with streaking on the back, breast, and flanks...
  
  , Ammodramus bairdii
• Le Conte's Sparrow
  Le Conte's Sparrow
  The Le Conte’s Sparrow, Ammodramus leconteii, is one of the smallest sparrow species in North America.It is a very secretive bird that prefers to spend most of its time on the ground under the cover of tall grasses. They are typically very difficult to flush, often only flushing at a distance of...
  
  , Ammodramus leconteii
• Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Ammodramus nelsoni
• Fox Sparrow
  Fox Sparrow
  The Fox Sparrow is a large American sparrow. It is the only member of the genus Passerella, although some authors split the genus into four species .-Taxonomy:...
  
  , Passerella iliaca
• Song Sparrow
  Song Sparrow
  The Song Sparrow is a medium-sized American sparrow.Adults have brown upperparts with dark streaks on the back and are white underneath with dark streaking and a dark brown spot in the middle of the breast. They have a brown cap and a long brown rounded tail. Their face is grey with a streak...
  
  , Melospiza melodia
• Lincoln's Sparrow
  Lincoln's Sparrow
  The Lincoln's Sparrow, Melospiza lincolnii, is a medium-sized sparrow.Adults have dark-streaked olive-brown upperparts with a light brown breast with fine streaks, a white belly, and a white throat. They have a brown cap with a grey stripe in the middle, olive-brown wings, and a narrow tail. Their...
  
  , Melospiza lincolnii
• White-throated Sparrow
  White-throated Sparrow
  The White-throated Sparrow is a passerine bird of the American sparrow family Emberizidae.-Description:The White-throated Sparrow is a passerine bird of the American sparrow family Emberizidae...
  
  , Zonotrichia albicollis
• Harris's Sparrow
  Harris's Sparrow
  The Harris's Sparrow, Zonotrichia querula, is a large sparrow.Their breeding habitat is the north part of central Canada . In fact, this bird is Canada's only endemic breeder...
  
  , Zonotrichia querula
• White-crowned Sparrow
  White-crowned Sparrow
  The White-crowned Sparrow is a medium-sized sparrow native to North America.- Description :Adults are long and have black and white stripes on their head, a grey face, brown streaked upper parts and a long tail. The wings are brown with bars and the underparts are grey. Their bill is pink or yellow...
  
  , Zonotrichia leucophrys
• Golden-crowned Sparrow
  Golden-crowned Sparrow
  The Golden-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia atricapilla, is a medium-sized sparrow. It is slightly larger than the closely related White-crowned Sparrow.-Description:...
  
  , Zonotrichia atricapilla
• Dark-eyed Junco
  Dark-eyed Junco
  The Dark-eyed Junco is the best-known species of the juncos, a genus of small grayish American sparrows. This bird is common across much of temperate North America and in summer ranges far into the Arctic...
  
  , Junco hyemalis
• McCown's Longspur
  McCown's Longspur
  The McCown's Longspur is a small ground-feeding bird from the family Calcariidae, which also contains the longspurs and snow buntings.-Description:...
  
  , Calcarius mccownii
• Lapland Longspur, Calcarius lapponicus
• Smith's Longspur
  Smith's Longspur
  The Smith's Longspur, Calcarius pictus, is a small ground-feeding bird from the family Calcariidae, which also contains the longspurs.-Overview:These birds have short cone-shaped bills, streaked backs, and dark tails with white outer retrices...
  
  , Calcarius pictus
• Chestnut-collared Longspur
  Chestnut-collared Longspur
  The Chestnut-collared Longspur, Calcarius ornatus, is a small ground-feeding bird from the family Calcariidae which also contains the longspurs.-Overview:...
  
  , Calcarius ornatus
• Snow Bunting
  Snow Bunting
  The Snow Bunting , sometimes colloquially called a snowflake, is a passerine bird in the longspur family Calcariidae. It is an arctic specialist, with a circumpolar Arctic breeding range throughout the northern hemisphere...
  
  , Plectrophenax nivalis

Cardinals, Saltators, and Grosbeaks

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae

The Cardinals are a family of passerine birds that are robust, seed-eating birds, with strong bills. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinct plumages. There are 43 species world wide, 13 North American species and 9 Montana species.

• Northern Cardinal
  Northern Cardinal
  The Northern Cardinal or Redbird or Common Cardinal is a North American bird in the genus Cardinalis. It can be found in southern Canada, through the eastern United States from Maine to Texas and south through Mexico...
  
  , Cardinalis cardinalis
• Pyrrhuloxia
  Pyrrhuloxia
  The Pyrrhuloxia or Desert Cardinal is a medium-sized North American song bird found in the American southwest and northern Mexico...
  
  , Cardinalis sinuatus
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  The Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus, is a large seed-eating songbird in the cardinal family . It breeds in cool-temperate North America, migrating to tropical America in winter.-Description:...
  
  , Pheucticus ludovicianus
• Black-headed Grosbeak
  Black-headed Grosbeak
  The Black-headed Grosbeak, Pheucticus melanocephalus, is a medium-size seed-eating bird in the same family as the Northern Cardinal, the Cardinalidae. It is sometimes considered conspecific with the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, P...
  
  , Pheucticus melanocephalus
• Blue Grosbeak
  Blue Grosbeak
  Blue Grosbeak , is a medium-sized seed-eating bird in the same family as the Northern Cardinal, "tropical" or New World buntings, and "cardinal-grosbeaks" or New World grosbeaks....
  
  , Passerina caerulea
• Lazuli Bunting
  Lazuli Bunting
  The Lazuli Bunting, Passerina amoena, is a North American songbird named for the gemstone lapis lazuli.The male is easily recognized by its bright blue head and back , its conspicuous white wingbars, and its light rusty breast and white belly...
  
  , Passerina amoena
• Indigo Bunting
  Indigo Bunting
  The Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea, is a small seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is migratory, ranging from southern Canada to northern Florida during the breeding season, and from southern Florida to northern South America during the winter. It often migrates by night, using the...
  
  , Passerina cyanea
• Painted Bunting
  Painted Bunting
  The Painted Bunting is a species of bird in the Cardinal family, Cardinalidae, that is native to North America.-Taxonomy:...
  
  , Passerina ciris
• Dickcissel
  Dickcissel
  The Dickcissel is a small American seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is the only member of the genus Spiza, though some sources list another supposedly extinct species...
  
  , Spiza americana

Icterids

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Icteridae

The Icterids are a group of small to medium, often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World and include the grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. Most species have black as a predominant plumage colour, often enlivened by yellow, orange or red. There are 98 species world wide, 25 North American species, and 14 Montana species.

• Bobolink
  Bobolink
  The Bobolink is a small New World blackbird and the only member of genus Dolichonyx.-Description:Adults are 16–18 cm long with short finch-like bills. They weigh about . Adult males are mostly black, although they do display creamy napes, and white scapulars, lower backs and rumps...
  
  , Dolichonyx oryzivorus
• Red-winged Blackbird
  Red-winged Blackbird
  The Red-winged Blackbird is a passerine bird of the family Icteridae found in most of North and much of Central America. It breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and Guatemala, with isolated populations in western El Salvador, northwestern Honduras, and...
  
  , Agelaius phoeniceus
• Eastern Meadowlark
  Eastern Meadowlark
  The Eastern Meadowlark, Sturnella magna, is a medium-sized icterid bird, very similar in appearance to the Western Meadowlark. It occurs from eastern North America to South America, where it is also most widespread in the east.-Description:...
  
  , Sturnella magna
• Western Meadowlark
  Western Meadowlark
  Not to be confused with Eastern MeadowlarkThe Western Meadowlark is a medium-sized icterid bird, about 8.5 in long. It nests on the ground in open country in western and central North America. It feeds mostly on insects, but also seeds and berries...
  
  , Sturnella neglecta
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
  Yellow-headed Blackbird
  The Yellow-headed Blackbird is a medium-sized blackbird, and the only member of the genus Xanthocephalus....
  
  , Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
• Rusty Blackbird
  Rusty Blackbird
  The Rusty Blackbird, Euphagus carolinus, is a medium-sized blackbird, closely related to grackles .-Appearance:...
  
  , Euphagus carolinus
• Brewer's Blackbird
  Brewer's Blackbird
  The Brewer's Blackbird is a medium-sized New World blackbird, named after the ornithologist Thomas Mayo Brewer....
  
  , Euphagus cyanocephalus
• Common Grackle
  Common Grackle
  The Common Grackle, Quiscalus quiscula, is a large icterid.-Description:The long adult has a long dark bill, pale yellowish eyes and a long tail; its feathers appear black with purple, green or blue iridescence on the head, and primarily bronze shine in the body plumage...
  
  , Quiscalus quiscula
• Great-tailed Grackle
  Great-tailed Grackle
  The Great-tailed Grackle is a medium-sized, gregarious passerine bird native to North and South America. A member of the Icteridae family, it is of the ten extant species of grackle and is closely related to the Red-bellied Grackle and the Velvet-fronted Grackle...
  
  , Quiscalus mexicanus
• Brown-headed Cowbird
  Brown-headed Cowbird
  The Brown-headed Cowbird is a small brood parasitic icterid of temperate to subtropical North America. They are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range; northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico in winter, returning to their summer habitat around March or...
  
  , Molothrus ater
• Orchard Oriole
  Orchard Oriole
  The Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius, is the smallest North American species of icterid blackbird. The subspecies of the Caribbean coast of Mexico, I. s. fuertesi, is sometimes considered a separate species, the Ochre Oriole....
  
  , Icterus spurius
• Hooded Oriole
  Hooded Oriole
  The Hooded Oriole, Icterus cucullatus, is a medium-sized New World oriole.Adults have a pointed bill and white wing bars. The adult male has an orange head with black on the face and throat; they are black on the back, wings and tail, orange on the underparts...
  
  , Icterus cucullatus
• Bullock's Oriole
  Bullock's Oriole
  The Bullock's Oriole, , is a small New World blackbird. At one time, this species and the Baltimore Oriole were considered to be a single species, the Northern Oriole...
  
  , Icterus bullockii
• Baltimore Oriole
  Baltimore Oriole
  The Baltimore Oriole is a small icterid blackbird that averages 18 cm long and weighs 34 g. This bird received its name from the fact that the male's colors resemble those on the coat-of-arms of Lord Baltimore...
  
  , Icterus galbula

Fringilline Finches, Cardueline Finches, and Allies

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae

Finches are seed-eating passerine birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have 12 tail feathers and 9 primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well. There are 137 species world wide, 23 North American species, and 15 Montana species.

• Brambling
  Brambling
  The Brambling, Fringilla montifringilla, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.- Etymology :The common English name is probably derived from the German "brâma", meaning bramble or a thorny bush. It has also been called the Cock o' the North and the Mountain Finch.- Description...
  
  , Fringilla montifringilla
• Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Leucosticte tephrocotis
• Black Rosy-Finch, Leucosticte atrata
• Pine Grosbeak
  Pine Grosbeak
  left|thumb|Adult femaleThe Pine Grosbeak is a large member of the true finch family, Fringillidae. It is found in coniferous woods across Alaska, the western mountains of the United States, Canada, and in subarctic Fennoscandia and Siberia...
  
  , Pinicola enucleator
• Purple Finch
  Purple Finch
  The Purple Finch, Carpodacus purpureus, is a bird in the finch family Fringillidae.-Taxonomy:The Purple Finch is one of 24 birds in the genus Carpodacus and is included in the finch...
  
  , Carpodacus purpureus
• Cassin's Finch
  Cassin's Finch
  Cassin's Finch is a bird in the finch family Fringillidae. This species and the other "American rosefinches" are usually placed in the rosefinch genus Carpodacus, but they likely belong in a distinct genus Burrica....
  
  , Carpodacus cassinii
• House Finch
  House Finch
  The House Finch is a bird in the finch family Fringillidae, which is found in North America. This species and the other "American rosefinches" are usually placed in the rosefinch genus Carpodacus...
  
  , Carpodacus mexicanus
• Red Crossbill, Loxia curvirostra
• White-winged Crossbill, Loxia leucoptera
• Common Redpoll
  Common Redpoll
  The Common Redpoll is a species in the finch family. It breeds somewhat further south than the Arctic Redpoll, also in habitats with thickets or shrubs. Nominate C. f. flammea breeds across the northern parts of North America and Eurasia. There is also an Icelandic subspecies, Icelandic Redpoll...
  
  , Carduelis flammea
• Hoary Redpoll, Carduelis hornemanni
• Pine Siskin
  Pine Siskin
  The Pine Siskin is a North American bird in the finch family. It is a migratory bird with an extremely sporadic winter range.-Description:...
  
  , Carduelis pinus
• Lesser Goldfinch
  Lesser Goldfinch
  The Lesser Goldfinch or Dark-backed Goldfinch is a very small songbird of the Americas. Together with its relatives the American Goldfinch and Lawrence's Goldfinch, it forms the American goldfinches clade in the genus Carduelis sensu stricto.The American goldfinches can be distinguished by the...
  
  , Carduelis psaltria
• American Goldfinch
  American Goldfinch
  The American Goldfinch , also known as the Eastern Goldfinch and Wild Canary, is a small North American bird in the finch family...
  
  , Carduelis tristis
• Evening Grosbeak
  Evening Grosbeak
  The Evening Grosbeak is a large finch. In the past, it was treated in a genus of its own as Hesperiphona vespertina, but is now usually placed in the same genus as the Hawfinch of Eurasia....
  
  , Coccothraustes vespertinus

Old World sparrows

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Passeridae

Old World sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small plump brownish or greyish birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed-eaters, and they also consume small insects. There are 35 species world wide, 2 North American species, and 1 Montana species.

• House Sparrow
  House Sparrow
  The House Sparrow is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the House Sparrow occurs naturally in most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia...
  
  , Passer domesticus (I)

See also

• List of birds
• Lists of birds by region
• List of North American birds
• Amphibians and Reptiles of Montana
• Clams and Mussels of Montana
• Crustaceans of Montana
  Crustaceans of Montana
  There are at least 30 species of crustaceans found in Montana. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks has identified a number of crustacean species as Species of Concern.-Crustaceans:...
  
  
• Mammals of Montana
  Mammals of Montana
  There are at least 19 Large Mammal and 96 Small Mammal species known to occur in Montana.. Among Montana's mammals, three are listed as endangered or threatened species and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks lists a number of species as Species of Concern.Species are listed by...
  
  

External links

• Montana Audubon