You spotted a bird in Montana – but what type is it? There are increasingly than 80 species of birds in Montana to enjoy and I’ve included them all in this well-constructed list.

With increasingly than 20 years of wits attracting yard birds to my yard in Wisconsin, Ive studied many of the birds in my area, many of which can moreover be found in Montana, so I have the information youre looking for. For the remaining species, I rely on my field guides and friends at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology to guide me.

This vendible includes the species of wild birds you might find in and virtually a Montana backyard. They could be red, blue, brown or some other color. They could be tiny, small, medium, large, or enormous – all size variations are here!

Some wild birds live in Montana year-round, others are here to breed, and others are just migrating through. The range maps are color-coded so you know if it’s a year-round bird, there to breed, migrating through, or there during a nonbreeding time.

range map verisimilitude coded key

I moreover included a trappy closeup photo to help you identify your new feathered friends withal with detail such as:

  • Size visitation description
  • Diet in the wild and at the feeder
  • Habitat
  • Nest & eggs description
  • Range map

My hope is that this vendible will help you hands identify the bird you saw or plan to see one day.

American Kestrel

American kestrel perched
American kestrel. Image by Pixamio from Pixabay
Appearance The American kestrel is a small raptor at well-nigh 10 1/2″ in length. They have blue/gray wings, cinnamon when with woebegone bars, cinnamon tail with a woebegone bar near the tip, and tan underneath with visionless spots. The sexuality is the same except she has reddish-brown underparts and a tail with visionless bars. And, her underparts have reddish streaks.
Diet Large insects, lizards, rodents, and small birds.
Feeder Food They don’t visit feeders.
Habitat Open areas expressly rural and suburban fields.
Nesting American kestrels nest in an old woodpecker slum or some other natural cavity. They have 1-2 broods/season and 4-5 eggs/brood. Eggs are white-yellow or light brown with spots. Incubation is for 29-30 days and fledglings leave the nest at 28-31 days.

Range Map

American kestrel range map.
American kestrel range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow
Barn Swallow. Photo by Lisa Minica.
Appearance 7″ long, steel undecorous slick on top, titian forehead and throat, and rust-orange underparts. Long forked tail with a white base. The female’s coloring is lighter and the tail shorter.
Diet Insects, preferably beetles, wasps, and flies. Drinks by skimming the surface of the water.
Feeder Food Not likely to visit a feeder.
Habitat Open fields and pastures.
Nesting Typically nests in or on a manmade structure such as a barn. Builds nests of mud. 2 broods/season, 4-5 eggs per brood, eggs are white with brown markings, incubation from 13-17 days.

Range Map

barn swallow range map
Barn swallow range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Belted Kingfisher

Belted kingfisher on a perch
Belted kingfisher. Image by Katherine Durtnell from Pixabay
Appearance Large 13″ long bird with a large head, long bill, and stocky body.  Blue/gray throughout with white ring virtually neck and white chest. Sexuality is same but with spare titian wreath on chest.
Diet Mostly fish with some crustaceans, insects, amphibians, reptiles, young birds, small mammals, and berries.
Feeder Food Unlikely to come to the feeder but often attracted to yards with streams or ponds.
Habitat Near streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and wifely marine waters – expressly unclouded water with little vegetation.
Nesting Dig burrows withal waters edge. 1-2 broods/season, 5-8 eggs/brood – large white slick eggs (1.5″ long), 22-24 days incubation.

Range Map

belted kingfisher range map
Belted kingfisher range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Blue Jay

Blue jay on snowy branch
Blue jay. Photo by Cathy Cardone.
Appearance Large bird 12″ long, medium undecorous & white body, undecorous crest (which he flattens at will), gray vitals and white face. White & undecorous wings with woebegone spots. Sexuality squint the same.
Diet Insects, fruit, seeds, nuts, other birds’ eggs and nestlings.
Feeder Food Whole peanuts, sunflower seeds, and croaky corn.
Habitat Forested areas with mixed trees types. Moreover worldwide in suburbs and urban areas.
Nesting Nest: unwieldy large nest made from twigs, bark, and mud resting on a tree workshop well-nigh 5-50′ up.
Broods: 1-2 broods/season,
Clutch: 2-7 eggs/brood,
Egg color: Stake undecorous to a light brown wiring color, and these eggs usually have brown or gray spots.
Egg size: 1 inch by just under 1 inch
Incubation: Both parents incubate the eggs for 17-18 days and the young fledge between 17-21 days.

Range Map

Blue jay range map
Blue jay range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Wouldn’t you love to have undecorous jays in your yard? Trammels out: 7 Proven Ways to Vamp Undecorous Jays to Your Yard.


Brewer’s Blackbird

Brewer's blackbird staring at the camera
Brewer’s blackbird. Photo by Chris Briggs on Unsplash
Appearance Brewer’s blackbird is a large bird well-nigh 9″ long. They’re all woebegone with purple and untried iridescence on the throne and body. The sexuality is unrewarding gray/brown instead.
Diet Insects, seeds, and berries.
Feeder Food Any type of seed offered on a platform feeder or scattered on the ground.
Habitat Inhabits a variety of habitats – unshut woodlands, mountain meadows, municipality sidewalks, and suburban backyards.
Nesting They nest in a tree 20-40 feet up. The nest is a unwieldy cup shape comprised of twigs, grasses, and other plant material. They have 1-2 broods/season and 4-6 eggs/brood. The eggs are light gray to greenish/white and often spotted. Incubation is for 12-14 days and fledglings leave the nest at 13-14 days.

Range Map

Brewer's blackbird range map.
Brewer’s blackbird range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Bullock’s Oriole

Male bullock's oriole perched on a branch
Male bullock’s oriole. Image by PublicDomainImages from Pixabay
Female bullock's oriole on an orange feeder
Female bullock’s oriole. Photo by Jeff Krogstad.
Appearance The Bullock’s oriole is a medium-sized bird well-nigh 8″ long. They’re orange with a woebegone crown, eye stripes, throat, back, and wings ( white wingbars). During the first spring, a juvenile male is increasingly yellow-orange with a woebegone mask and throat.
The sexuality is yellow with a visionless stripe through the middle her eyes, and grayish-black only on her wings. White wingbars vocalizing the black.
Diet Insects, spiders, fruits, and nectar.
Feeder Food Cut fruit, jelly, or nectar.
Habitat Open wooded areas expressly withal riverbanks.
Nesting Bullock’s orioles build a hanging pouch style nest well-nigh 10-20′ upper in a tree or shrub and is suspended from a forked branch. They have 4-5 eggs/brood that are incubated for 11-14 days. The eggs are stake blue/white with purplish-brown spots. Fledglings leave the nest at well-nigh 14 days.

Range Map

Bullock's oriole range map.
Bullock’s oriole range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Cassin’s Finch

Cassin’s finch. Image by Steve Crowhurst from Pixabay
Appearance The Cassin’s finch is a small bird well-nigh 6 1/4″ long. They’re brown with a red cap, brown stripe wideness their cheeks, and white underneath with light pink streaks on the chest.
The sexuality is similar except she doesn’t have red or pink. her chest and vitals are heavily streaked brown and she has a white streak whilom and over her eyes.
Diet Seeds, buds, and berries. Occasionally insects.
Feeder Food Black-oil sunflower seeds.
Habitat Open forested areas rich with conifers.
Nesting Nest: They build a nest upper up in a conifer – well-nigh 30 feet up.
Broods: 4-5 eggs/brood
Clutch: 3-6 eggs/brood
Egg color: Light bluish with black, brown, and purplish speckles
Egg size: 0.7 – 0.8 inches by 0.5 – 0.6 inches
Incubation: 12-14 days.

Range Map

Cassin's finch finch range map.
Cassin’s finch range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Chipping Sparrow

Chipping sparrow perched on a branch
Chipping sparrow. Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash
Appearance Small bird well-nigh 5″ long, gray/brown with a light gray chest and rusty crown. Vision have white eyebrows with a woebegone eye lining, a thin gray-black bill, and 2 wing bars. Male and sexuality squint the same.
Diet Insects and seeds.
Feeder Food Black-oil sunflower seed, mixed seeds. Mostly a ground feeder.
Habitat Open areas and edges of woodlands.
Nesting The nest is placed low in dumbo shrubs. They have 2 broods/year and 3-5 eggs/brood that are blue/green with brown markings. Incubation lasts 11-14 days.

Range Map

Chipping sparrow range map.
Chipping sparrow range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Common Grackle

Common Grackle
Common Grackle. aPhoto by Patrice Bouchard on Unsplash
Appearance 12.5″ long bird with iridescent undecorous with purple and bronze. Vision are yellow, long flared tail. Sexuality is similar with less vibrant coloring (more brown) and shorter tail.
Diet Insects, grains, seeds, fruit, scavenged garbage.
Feeder Food Sunflower seeds, black-oil sunflower seeds.
Habitat Fields with scattered trees, unshut woodlands, farmlands, and marshes. Worldwide in suburban yards.
Nesting Bulky cup-shaped nest of twigs placed 3-20′ upper in conifer tree. 3-5 eggs incubated for 12-15 days. Young fledge at well-nigh 12-15 days.

Range Map

Common grackle range map.
Common grackle range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Eastern Bluebird

Male eastern bluebird
Male eastern bluebird. Photo by
Mike Carmo.
Appearance 7 long, royal blue, orange throat & breast, white vitals & undertail. Sexuality is similar but increasingly muted colors
Diet Insects & spiders in spring/summer. Small fruit in Fall/Winter. 
Feeder Food Suet, sunflower seeds, zestless fruit, jelly. 
Habitat Wide-open spaces, fields, meadow.
Nesting Nest: Incision nesters. The male bluebird determines the nest site (an old woodpecker slum in a tree or manmade nestbox), but the sexuality is the one who builds the nest. She keeps the nest for multiple broods.
Brood: 2-7 broods/season
Clutch: 4-5 eggs/brood
Egg color: Stake undecorous eggs (sometimes white) with no blemishes or discoloration. 
Egg size: 0.9 inches by 0.8 inches
Incubation: 11-19 days

Range Map

US map showing the migration range of the eastern bluebird
Map depicting where Eastern bluebirds can be found throughout the year. Compliments of Cornell University.

Eurasian Collared-Dove

Eurasian collared dove perched on touchable block
Eurasian collared dove. Image by Markéta Machová from Pixabay
Appearance The Eurasian collared-dove is a large bird well-nigh 12 1/2″ long, gray/tan with a woebegone collar on the when of its neck. Vision are large and black, snout long and slightly curved down. They have a long, squared-off tail with a white tip weightier seen from underneath.
Diet Seeds, grain, berries, and insects.
Feeder Food Millet on the ground or platform eeder.
Habitat Live in towns, suburbs, and farms.
Nesting They build their flimsy platform nest of twigs and stick then place them in a tree or shrub well-nigh 1/2 way up. They have 3-6 broods/season with 1-2 eggs/brood. Eggs are white and slightly glossy. Incubation is for 14-19 days and fledglings leave the nest well-nigh 16-20 days without hatching.

Range Map

Eurasian collared dove range map.
Eurasian collared dove range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

European Starling

European starling singing on a branch
European starling.
Appearance Medium-sized bird well-nigh 7 1/2″ long with iridescent shades of purple and woebegone with white speckles throughout. They have a long pointed gray snout in fall and yellow in spring. The tail is short. The Sexuality looks the same.
Diet Insects, seeds, fruit.
Feeder Food Everything and anything you could offer at the feeder.
Habitat Urban and residential areas throughout the US and Canada including yard lawns, parks, and fields.
Nesting Nest: They are incision nesters
Brood: 2 broods/year.
Clutch: 4-6 eggs/brood
Egg color: Slick bluish or a stake green
Egg size: 1.1 – 1.3 inches by 0.8 – 0.9 inches
Incubation: 12-14 days.
European starling range map
European starling range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Golden-Crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned kinglet
Golden-crowned kinglet. Photo by Patrice Bouchard on Unsplash.
Appearance Golden-crowned kinglets are small birds well-nigh 4″ long, olive-green in verisimilitude with crowns striped with reddish/orange and white stripes whilom & unelevated eyes. Females are the same except for their crowns are yellow instead.
Diet Insects and spiders.
Feeder Food Suet.
Habitat In their year-round area, they often inhabit mountainous regions with well-healed coniferous trees. They nest in mixed forested areas and within small groups of trees with minimal or no undergrowth.
Nesting The golden-crowned kinglet builds a 3″x3″ cup-shaped, deep nest and places it at the intersection of several branches. They have 1-2 broods/season and 7-8 eggs/brood that are white/cream colored with specks of brown or lavender. Incubation lasts 15 days.

Range Map

Golden-crowned kinglet  range map
Golden-crowned kinglet range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Greater White-Fronted Goose

Greater White-fronted Goose walking withal the grass
Greater White-fronted Goose. Image by Dr. Georg Wietschorke from Pixabay
Appearance Large mostly brown waterbird well-nigh 25-32″ long. They have a heavy, stocky soul with an orange snout and legs, white between the snout and head, and buffy underparts.
Diet Diet includes plants such as grasses, berries, seeds, and grain.
Feeder Food N/A
Habitat Near wetlands, rivers, and ponds.
Nesting The greater white-faced goose is a ground nester. The sexuality constructs the nest on the shore of a lake or wetland area. She scrapes the ground and incorporates grass and sedge to form a large bowl-shaped nest.
Broods: 1/season
Clutch: 1-8 eggs/brood
Egg color: white – tan
Egg size: Well-nigh 3.2″ x 2.1″
Incubation: Incubation lasts well-nigh 22-27 days and fledglings leave the nest without a short 2 days.

Range Map

Greater white-fronted goose range map.
Greater white-fronted goose range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Harris’s Sparrow

Harris's sparrow on a bird feeder
Harris’s sparrow. Photo by Ginny Fuhrer.
Appearance The Harris’s sparrow is a medium-sized bird well-nigh 7 1/2″ long. It has woebegone and soot in its throne all the way to the when of its neck. The neck and vitals are white with brown spots, brown wings, and a pink snout and legs.
The sexuality is the same/
Diet Seeds, insects, berries.
Feeder Food Black-oil sunflower seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, croaky corn, and millet.
Habitat Shrubby areas dumbo with vegetation.
Nesting The cup-shaped nest is located on the ground. They have 1 brood/season with 4-5 white eggs with brown spots in each brood. Incubation is 13-14 days.

Range Map

Harris's sparrow range map
Harris’s sparrow range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Hermit Thrush

Hermit thrush perched on a branch
Hermit thrust. Photo by Dietra Semple on Unsplash
Appearance The Hermit thrush is well-nigh 7″ long. In the east, they’re rich brown with brown flanks (belly zone unelevated the wing). In the west, they’re gray/brown with gray flanks.

They have a cinnamon-colored tail, visionless round vision with a white eye-ring, and tan breasts with visionless spots.

Diet Insects and fruit.
Feeder Food Unlikely to visit a feeder.
Habitat Forested areas that are rich with coniferous and hardwood trees.
Nesting They build a cup-shaped nest made of grass and placed it on the ground. They have 1-2 broods/season, usually 4 eggs/brood and the eggs are light undecorous – sometimes with brown spots. Incubation is for 12-13 days and fledglings leave the nest well-nigh 12-13 days without hatching.

Range Map

Hermit thrush range map.
Hermit thrush range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Herring Gull

Herring gull
Herring gull. Photo by Ray Harrington on Unsplash
Appearance The herring gull is a large bird well-nigh 25″ long. They’re pal gray whilom with a white yead and underparts. The throne has brown specks except for the summertime when it’s pure white. They have yellow vision and bills, and pink legs.
Diet fish, marine life (shellfish, sea urchins, crabs…), insects, other bird eggs, and bird nestlings.
Feeder Food They don’t visit feeders.
Habitat Open water areas both coastal and inland.
Nesting Herring gulls nest on the ground. They have 1 brood/season and 3 eggs/brood. The eggs are light green/tan with spots. Incubation is for 27-30 days and fledglings leave the nest without a few days.

Range Map

Herring gull range map.
Herring gull range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

House Finch

House finch on a branch
House finch (male). Photo taken by Tammy Poppie.
Appearance Small bird well-nigh 5″ long, orange/red squatter chest and rump. Brown wings streaked with white. White vitals with brown streaks. The Sexuality and juvenile are brown with streaks of white.
Diet Seeds, fruit, tree buds.
Feeder Food Black oil sunflower seed is their favorite.
Habitat House finches are found in the western and eastern parts of the US. They prefer to live virtually human dwellings (buildings, yard trees, and shrubs, barns. Moreover are found in parks and other urban areas.
Nesting Nest: Small cup well-nigh 3-7″ wide, synthetic from stems, leaves and plant roots, and feathers. The nests are built in coniferous or deciduous trees or plane any place that holds a nest (ledges, vents, hanging plants).
Broods: 1-6 broods/season
Clutch: 2-6 eggs/brood (typical is 4-5)
Egg color: Eggs are stake undecorous and speckled with woebegone and purple dots.
Egg size: 0.6 – 0.8 inches by 0.5 inches
Incubation: 13-14 days and the young fledge between 12-19 days.

Range Map

House finch range map.
House finch range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Indigo Bunting

Indigo bunting male
Male indigo bunting. Photo by Lonnie Gilstrap.
Appearance Small bird 5 long. Breeding males are unexceptionable undecorous with short, gray, triangle-shaped beaks, and visionless undecorous wings with a skim of tan. Wintering male and first-spring male are patchy brown and blue. Females are a soft yellowish-brown and some light streaking on the underparts.
Diet Small seeds, insects, and fruits. 
Feeder Food Although not a regular at the feeder you may entice them with nyjer/thistle and white millet seeds.
Habitat Brushy fields, on weedy plants, scrub, and withal the edges of the woods. Moreover in clearings within deciduous woods, and edges of swamps.
Nesting Cup-shaped nest in shrubs or trees 3 high. Shrubs or trees 3 high. 1-3 broods/season, 3-4 eggs/brood, eggs are white with few brown spots.

Range Map

Indigo bunting range map
Indigo bunting range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

For increasingly detail well-nigh the Indigo Bunting such as its mating & nesting,how to vamp them to your yard, and more: trammels out Proven Ways to Vamp Indigo Buntings.


Lark Sparrow

Lark sparrow perched on a branch
Lark Sparrow.
Appearance The lark sparrow is a medium-sized bird well-nigh 7″ long. They’re primarily brown with striped patterns of chestnut, tan, white, and visionless brown on its head. Underneath is a buffy tan with a visionless brown spot in the middle of its chest.
Diet Weed and grass seeds as well as insects.
Feeder Food Millet and croaky corn scattered underneath the feeder.
Habitat Varied habitats comprised of grassy areas, trees, shrubs, prairies, hedgerows, and desert scrub.
Nesting Lark sparrows usually nest on the ground. They have 1 brood/season and 4-5 eggs/brood. Incubation is for 11-12 days and fledglings leave the nest without well-nigh 9-12 days.

Range Map

Lark sparrow range map.
Lark sparrow range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Lazuli Bunting

Lazuli Bunting
Lazuli Bunting. Photo taken at the Powell Butte Nature Park in Portland, taken by Patti Bright.
Appearance Small bird 5-6″ long, sunny undecorous on top, soft orange-cinnamon verisimilitude chest, white vitals and patch on the shoulder, tapering bill, and slightly unappetizing forehead.
Diet Insects, fruits, and grasses.
Feeder Food White proso millet, sunflower seeds, or nyjer thistle seeds.
Habitat Open woodlands, brushy hillsides, thickets, and backyards throughout the West.
Nesting Cup-shaped nest of bark, twigs, and leaves nestled in a shrub well-nigh 3′ up. They have 1-2 broods/season, 3-4 eggs/brood, and eggs are .7-.8″ long and stake undecorous to faint green/blue or white. 11-14 days incubation period.

Range Map

Lazuli bunting range map.
Lazuli bunting range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Mallard

Male and sexuality mallard floating on water together
A pair of mallards. Photo by Massimo Adami on Unsplash
Appearance Mallards are large ducks well-nigh 23″ long. The male has a metallic untried head, titian breast, and yellow bill. The sexuality is a mottled brown with an orange snout and heavily streaked visionless brown.
Diet Insect larvae, snails, seeds.
Feeder Food They’re not feeder visitors.
Habitat Around freshwater habitats.
Nesting Mallards nest on the ground near water. The nest is typically made from plant materials and lined with feathers and down. They have 1-2 broods/season and 10-12 eggs/brood. Incubation lasts for 28 days and fledglings leave their mom at well-nigh 7-8 weeks.

Range Map

Mallard range map.
Mallard range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Mountain Bluebird

Mountain Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird. Photo by Arnold Joe.
Appearance Small bird well-nigh 7″ long. Sky-blue color, darker undecorous wings and tail, lighter shades of unelevated underneath, white undertail with woebegone wing tips, and straight thin bill. Females are gray/brown with a big of soft undecorous on their wings and tail.
Diet Insects, fruit, and seeds.
Feeder Food Unlikely to visit a feeder.
Habitat Open woodlands, fields, prairies.
Nesting Nest: Incision nesters – will use an old woodpecker hold or manmade nesting box.
Brood: 1-2 broods/season
Clutch: 4-8 eggs/brood
Egg size: 1″ x .8″
Egg color: Stake undecorous to bluish-white (rarely pure white)
Incubation: 18-21 days

Range Map

Mountain bluebird range map.
Mountain bluebird range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Northern Mockingbird

Northern mockingbird standing on an electrical box
Northern mockingbird. Image by zoosnow from Pixabay
Appearance Northern mockingbirds are well-nigh 10″ long. They have gray whilom and white below. Wings are visionless gray with patches of white. They have long beaks and yellow eyes.
Diet Insects and berries.
Feeder Food Suet.
Habitat Northern mockingbirds prefer thickets and brushy areas with unshut areas nearby.
Nesting Nest: They nest in a thick shrub or tree between 1-10′ up. Northern mockingbird males select several nesting sites and uncork towers nests in each. The sexuality will pick her favorite and finish the nest. They won’t welsh these nests but move to flipside with each brood
Brood: 2-3 broods/season
Clutch: 2-6 eggs/brood
Egg color: Light undecorous to greenish-white sporting brown or red spots.
Egg size: 1.1 inches by 0.8 inches
Incubation: 12-14 days and fledglings leave the nest at 11-15 days.

Range Map

Northern mockingbird range map.
Northern mockingbird range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Northern Shoveler

Male and sexuality northern shovelers flying
Male and sexuality northern shovelers. Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash,
Appearance Northern shovelers are medium-sized waterbirds at well-nigh 17-20″ in length. They have shovel-shaped heads. The male has a visionless untried head, woebegone when and feathers, white neck, and brown chest. The sexuality has an orange snout & eggs with brown and white markings throughout her body.
Diet Mollusks, insects, crustaceans, sometimes small fish, aquatic plants, and seeds.
Feeder Food N/A
Habitat Northern shovelers can be found in shallow wetland areas with plenty of vegetation. They’ll moreover be found in salt marshes, lakes, flooded fields, and other overflow areas that collect water.
Nesting Northern shovelers are grounds nesters. The sexuality often
Broods: 1 broods/season
Clutch: 8-12 eggs/brood
Egg color: stake olive
Egg size: Well-nigh 2″ x 1.4″
Incubation: Incubation lasts 21-27 days. The young follow their mom out of the nest within a few hours of hatching. They’re worldly-wise to fly well-nigh 52-60 days without hatching.

Range Map

Northern shoveler range map
Northern shoveler range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Orange-Crowned Warbler

Orange crowned warbler perched on a branch
Orange-crowned warbler.
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash
Appearance The orange-crowned warbler is a small bird well-nigh 5″ long. They are olive-green and yellow throughout with an orange crown that is barely visible. There’s a subtle visionless line that runs through the eyes. They have yellow underneath that’s smudged with olive green.
Diet Insects, small berries, and nectar.
Feeder Food Suet and peanut butter spread.
Habitat The orange-crowned warbler is found in a variety of habitats within its range from low-growing shrubs and thickets to coastal canyons and yard gardens.
Nesting They build a cup-shaped nest of twigs and other plant material placed on or near the ground. They have 1 brood/season and 3-6 eggs/brood. The eggs are white/cream with spots. Incubation is for 11-13 days and fledglings leave the nest at 10-13 days.

Range Map

Orange-crowned warbler range map.
Orange-crowned warbler range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Pine Grosbeak

Male pine grosbeak
Male pine grosbeak. Photo by Janet Jarzynski.
Appearance Sturdy bird approx 8-10″ long, soft pinkish-red with gray & soot body, short soot beak, medium tail with woebegone tip, wings of black, white, and red. No crown. The Sexuality is gray with a yellow throne and tail.
Diet Mostly seeds and fruits from their habitat (pine trees). Sometimes supplements with insects.
Feeder Food Black-oil sunflower seeds and suet.
Habitat Open areas with coniferous trees and deciduous trees in winter.
Nesting About 20′ up in evergreen trees rests their rather large nest synthetic with roots and twigs then lined grass, pine needles, and feathers. 1 brood/season, 3-4 eggs/brood, incubation lasts 13-14 days and they fledge between 13-20 days. Eggs are light undecorous and dotted.

Range Map

Pine Grosbeak range map.
Pine Grosbeak range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Pine Siskin

Pine siskin.
Pine siskin. Photo by Bryan Hanson on Unsplash
Appearance Small brown bird well-nigh 5″ long with streaks on back, breast, and belly. Some yellow in wing bars at end of the tail. The Sexuality is the same.
Diet Seeds, insects.
Feeder Food Black-oil sunflower seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, suet & fruit.
Habitat Open areas, wooded edges.
Nesting Cup-shaped nest for 2 broods/year. 3-4 eggs/brood that are green/blue with brown spots. Incubation is 12-13 days.

Range Map

Pine siskin range map.
Pine siskin range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Pinyon Jay

Pinyon Jay
Pinyon Jay. Photo by Tom Duncan.
Appearance 10-11″ long bird, dusty undecorous soul and lighter undecorous vitals and throat, short tail, and no crown. The sexuality looks similar.
Diet Primarily Pinyon-pine seeds, acorns, fruit, and grains. Moreover consumes insects, lizards, snakes, nestling birds, and small mammals.
Feeder Food Whole peanuts, sunflower seeds, suet, croaky corn.
Habitat Forested areas comprised of Pinyon-juniper, sagebrush, scrub oak, and other pine trees.
Nesting Large unwieldy nests of sticks and twigs in the trees well-nigh 3-115′ up. 1 brood/season, 2-5 eggs/brood, eggs are 1.3-1.5″ long, stake undecorous with visionless brown specks, incubation last 17 days and young fledge between 21-22 days.

Range Map

Pinyon jay range map
Pinyon jay range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Red Crossbill

Male red crossbill sitting on a branch
Male red crossbill. Photo by árka Krávková on Unsplash
AppearanceSmall bird well-nigh 6.2″ long, visionless red-orange with brown sings and tail. Snout is long, pointed, and “crossed”. A brighter verisimilitude of red on the throne and rump. No crown. Sexuality and young are stake yellow and gray.
DietSeeds and tree buds. Crossbill is designed to pry unshut pinecones to get at the seed inside.
Feeder FoodBlack oil sunflower seed and sometimes thistle.
HabitatFound throughout the US and Canada, this bird prefers mature coniferous forests.
NestingNests are built well-nigh 70′ upper on tree branches near dumbo branches. They’re relatively large (about 9″ in diameter) made from twigs and lined with grasses, weeds, pine needles, feathers, or hair. 1 brood/season, 2-6 eggs/brood, incubation 14-18 days, and the young fledge at well-nigh 16-20 days. Eggs are bluish-white with brown specs.

Range Map

Red crossbill range map.
Red crossbill range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Red-Breasted Nuthatch



Red-breasted nuthatch on a suet cage
Red-breasted nuthatch. Photo by Robert Heyer.



Appearance 4.5 long, gray/blue backs, white throne with woebegone stripes running over either eye, orange-cinnamon-colored breast, and a pointy pick-like beak. Females squint the same except their underside is a increasingly faded color. Usually spotted climbing upside-down a deciduous tree foraging for insects underneath the bark.
Diet Insects, spiders, and other bugs.
Feeder Food Suet, sunflower seeds, shelled peanuts, fruit.
Habitat Forested areas primarily comprised of coniferous trees (i.e. pines). Woodsy areas of deciduous trees in the east. Southern birds prefer mountainous regions until winter comes in which specimen they throne to lower land.
Nesting Cavity nesters prefer to excavate their own holes. 1 brood/season, 6 eggs/brood, eggs are white & speckled with red-brown.



Range Map

Map of the red-breasted nuthatch range
Red-breasted nuthatch range. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

For increasingly details well-nigh the Red-Breasted Nuthatch such as its mating & nesting details, how to vamp them to your yard, and more: trammels out 7 Ways to Vamp Red Breasted Nuthatches to Your Yard.


Ring-Billed Gull



Ring-billed gul standing abreast water
Ring-billed gull. Image by Lee Dusing from Pixabay



Appearance Ring-billed gulls are well-nigh 17 1/2″ long. They’re light gray whilom and white below. The snout is yellow with a woebegone ring. Their legs and vision are yellow.
Diet Scavenges withal water edges for garbage refuse, fish, insects, earthworms, and grains.
Feeder Food They don’t visit feeders.
Habitat In and virtually water.
Nesting Ring-billed gulls are ground nesters. They have 1 brood/season and 2-4 eggs/brood. Incubation lasts 20-31 days and fledglings leave the nest without 4-5 days.



Range Map

Ring-billed gull range map.
Ring-billed gull range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.


Rock Pigeon

Rock Pigeon
Rock Pigeon. Photo by Kieran Somerville on Unsplash

Appearance Large bird 12-14″ long, stubby with blue/gray wings with woebegone pointy tips, short red legs, black, round wide tail, and iridescent neck. 
Diet Grains, seeds, and fruit. Commonly seen scavenging trash cans for food.
Feeder Food Millet, croaky corn, black-oil sunflower seed, safflower, peanut hearts.
Habitat Common virtually cities and towns as well as farmlands
Nesting A large nest of sticks and grass wherever there’s a ledge (e.g. highway overpass, barns, bridges, tall buildings). 1-6 broods/year, 1-3 eggs/brood, eggs are white, incubation well-nigh 18 days and the young fledge at well-nigh 25-32 days.

Range Map

Rock pigeon jay range map.
Rock pigeon jay range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.


Stellars Jay



Stellar's Jay
Stellar’s Jay. Photo by Barbara Ferraro.



Appearance Large bird 11.5″ long, visionless undecorous soul and crest, woebegone throne and crest with spots of blue. Females are similar.
Diet Nuts, seeds, fruits, insects, other birds’ eggs and nestlings, small animals.
Feeder Food Whole peanuts, sunflower seeds, and suet.
Habitat Typically found in forested areas of mix tree types – coniferous and deciduous.
Nesting Large open-cup nest of twigs, yelp and mud located upper in a conifer tree. 1 brood/season, 4-5 eggs/brood, eggs are blue/green with visionless brown/purple/olive spots, 16-18 days incubation and the young fledges at well-nigh 16-18 days.



Range Map

stellars jay range map
Stellar’s jay range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.


Swainson’s Thrush



Swainson's thrush perched on a branch
Swainson’s thrush. Image by Hans Toom from Pixabay



Appearance Swainson’s thrush is well-nigh 7″ long. Their upper parts are brown and their underparts are white with spots. Their visionless vision have a buffy eye ring as well as flanks.
Diet Insects and fruit.
Feeder Food Unlikely to visit a feeder.
Habitat Forests.
Nesting Nest: Swanson’s thrush builds a deep, meaty cup-style nest and is placed in a small tree well-nigh 2-7′ up.
Broods: They have 1 brood/season
Clutch: 1-5 eggs/brood
Egg color: Eggs are undecorous or greenish-blue with reddish-brown speckles
Egg size: 0.8 – 1 inches by 0.6 – 0.7 inches
Incubation: 10-14 days and fledglings leave the nest at well-nigh 14 days.



Range Map

Swainson's thrush range map.
Swainson’s thrush range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.


Townsend’s Warbler



A Townsend's warbler perched on a branch.
Townsend’s warbler. Image by Francisco Corado from Pixabay



Appearance The Townsend’s warbler is a small bird well-nigh 5″ long with unexceptionable yellow on its squatter and chest and visionless yellow on its back. Woebegone on the crown, throat, and whirligig virtually and under each eye. They moreover have woebegone wings and streaks of woebegone on the white vitals and chest.
Females are the same except for increasingly subtle markings.
Diet Insects and their larvae. Occasionally spiders and seeds.
Feeder Food Mealworms and suet.
Habitat Wooded areas with tall, mature coniferous, and deciduous trees.
Nesting They build a cup-shaped and place it in conifers well-nigh 3′ up. They have 1 brood/season, 3-7 eggs/brood, and incubate for 11-14 days. the eggs are with brown specks.



Range Map

Townsend's warbler range map.
Townsend’s warbler range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.


Tree Swallow



Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow. Photo by Lisa Minica.



Appearance 5-6″ long, visionless metallic undecorous – blue/green with white belly, notched tail and pointed wing tips. Females have same coloring but a bit duller.
Diet Insects and small fruits.
Feeder Food Unlikely to visit a feeder.
Habitat Open areas such as fields, large lawns, and marshes.
Nesting Cavity nester, will use a manmade nest box or natural woodpecker tree hold. 1 brood/season, 4-6 white eggs, 13-16 days of incubation.



Range Map

Tree swallow range map.
Tree swallow range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.


Turkey Vulture



Tyurkey vulture perched on a workshop with wings outspread
Turkey vulture. Image by Hans Toom from Pixabay



Appearance The turkey vulture is a large bird well-nigh 27″ long, black/brown, a red throne of yellowish skin and pink legs
Diet Animal carcasses.
Feeder Food They don’t visit feeders.
Habitat Wooded areas with unshut areas for foraging.
Nesting They nest on the ground in a rocky crevice, cliff, or hollowed-out log. They have 1 brood/season, 1-3 eggs/brood that are creamy-white with gray/blue or untried spots, and incubate for 38-41 days. Fledglings leave the nest 75-80 days without hatching.



Range Map

Turkey vulture range map.
Turkey vulture range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.


Western Bluebird


Western bluebird perched on branch
Western Bluebird

Appearance Small bird 7″ long, deep undecorous underparts, orange-chestnut when and breast. Sexuality gray/blue, light undecorous wings and tail, and stake titian breast.
Diet Insects, fruits & berries.
Feeder Food Mealworms
Habitat Open woodlands expressly those with pines and oaks, orchards, and farmland with some trees.
Nesting Nest: Incision nesters – old woodpecker hold or manmade nesting box.
Brood: 2 broods/season
Clutch: 4-5 eggs/brood
Egg color: Stake undecorous without blemishes, although sometimes are white
Egg size: Length: 0.8-2.4″ x Width: .8″
Incubation: 12-18 days and young fledge at well-nigh 20 days.

Range Map

Mountain bluebird range map.
Mountain bluebird range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.



White-Breasted Nuthatch



White-Breasted Nuthatch
White-Breasted Nuthatch. Photo by Shawn Conlon.



Appearance 5-6″ long, gray/blue back, white throne with a woebegone cap, titian under the tail, and a long thin pick-like beak. Females squint similar except their cap and neck are gray. Usually spotted climbing upside-down a deciduous tree foraging for insects underneath the bark.
Diet Insects & seeds.
Feeder Food Suet, sunflower seed, shelled peanuts.
Habitat Near mature deciduous and mixed forests; wooded suburban areas such as orchards, parks, and backyards.
Nesting Cavity nester, 1 brood/season, 5-9 eggs/brood, eggs are white with brown markings, incubation is 11-12 days and young fledge at well-nigh 13-14 days.



Range Map

White breasted nuthatch range map
White breasted nuthatch range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.


Wilson’s Warbler



Wilson's warbler perched on a branch
Wilson’s warbler. Photo by Patrice Bouchard on Unsplash



Appearance Wilson’s warbler is a very small bird well-nigh 4-5″ long. They’re unexceptionable yellow with subdued tones of olive-yellow outside of the face, a woebegone cap (looks a bit like a toupe), and woebegone wings with white stripes. Their bills are short and pointy, vision visionless black.
The sexuality is the same except the cap is light charcoal.
Diet insects, expressly larval insects, spiders, and the sugary liquid from scale insects (tiny insects that feed on plants).
Feeder Food Unlikely to visit a feeder.
Habitat Forested edges, shrubby thickets, and often young conifer trees.
Nesting This bird places their 3-4″ nest on the ground. Sometimes nests are in shrubs in which specimen they are a bit bigger. They have 1-2 broods/season, 2-7 eggs/brood that are white/ivory with reddish/brown specks. Incubation is for 10-13 days and juveniles leave the nest at well-nigh 9-11 days.



Range Map

Wilson’s warbler range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.


Yellow Warbler



Yellow warbler perched on a branch
Yellow warbler. Photo by Patrice Bouchard on Unsplash



Appearance Small bird well-nigh 5″ long primarily yellow with orange streaks on the chest and belly, and black-streaked wings. Snout is long, pointy, and gray. The Sexuality is a muted olive-green version of the male without the orange chest.
Diet Insects.
Feeder Food Unlikely to visit a feeder.
Habitat Shrubby areas and gardens, willows, wet thickets, and roadsides.
Nesting Cup-shaped nest to raise 1 brood/year. They have 4-5 eggs/brood that is white with brown markings. Incubation lasts 11-12 days.



Range Map

Yellow warbler range map.
Yellow warbler range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.


Yellow-Rumped Warbler



Yellow-rumped warbler perched on a branch
Male yellow-rumped warbler. Photo by Anne Spiers.



Appearance The male is slate gray with a woebegone mask and beak. Yellow patches on the sides of its lower belly, head, and rump. White and gray striped throughout chest and belly.
The sexuality is similar but duller in verisimilitude and browner than she is slate gray.
Diet Insects, berries.
Feeder Food Peanuts, mealworms, nectar, fruit, suet with peanut butter.
Habitat Just well-nigh anywhere as they are very adaptable. Found in woods, bogs, forest and wooded edges, coniferous and deciduous trees, and wide-open areas.
Nesting The sexuality builds a cup-shaped nest in a tree, has 2 broods per year, 4-5 eggs per brood, and eggs are white with brown spots and incubated between 12-13 days.



Range Map

Yellow-rumped warbler range map.
Yellow-rumped warbler range map. Compliments of The Cornell Lab.

Montanans are lucky – they get to wits so many variegated species of birds that live there or are just passing through. Keep this vendible handy. When you see an wondrous wild bird I guarantee youll want to know the species and details well-nigh it. Trust me! 

Happy Birding!


Sources

All Well-nigh BirdsThe Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2021
eBirdThe Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2021
Noah, Strycker, and Alderfer Jonathan. National Geographic Yard Guide to the Birds of North America. 2nd ed., National Geographic, 2019.