Birds in Montana in February: What to Photograph (60 Species)

60 birds were recorded seen in Montana in February in our iNaturalist sample; 5 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Top birds in February

Bald Eagle97 obs.

Mallard96 obs.

Dark-eyed Junco74 obs.

Canada Goose63 obs.

Trumpeter Swan54 obs.

Black-capped Chickadee54 obs.

Northern Flicker52 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk42 obs.

Black-billed Magpie42 obs.

Rough-legged Hawk38 obs.

Great Horned Owl35 obs.

Common Raven34 obs.

All birds seen in Montana in February

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	97	Jul (rising)
2	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	96	May (rising)
3	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	74	Jul (rising)
4	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	63	May (rising)
5	Trumpeter Swan	Cygnus buccinator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	54	Feb (peak)
6	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	54	Apr (rising)
7	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	52	Jul (rising)
8	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	42	Sep (rising)
9	Black-billed Magpie	Pica hudsonia	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	42	Jun (rising)
10	Rough-legged Hawk	Buteo lagopus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	38	Jan (past peak)
11	Great Horned Owl	Bubo virginianus	Typical Owls	35	May (rising)
12	Common Raven	Corvus corax	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	34	Jun (rising)
13	Townsend's Solitaire	Myadestes townsendi	Thrushes	34	Apr (rising)
14	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	33	Aug (rising)
15	Snowy Owl	Bubo scandiacus	Typical Owls	32	Feb (peak)
16	Sharp-shinned Hawk	Accipiter striatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	31	Jan (past peak)
17	Bohemian Waxwing	Bombycilla garrulus	Waxwings	31	Feb (peak)
18	Golden Eagle	Aquila chrysaetos	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	30	Jun (rising)
19	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	29	May (rising)
20	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	27	May (rising)
21	Eurasian Collared-Dove	Streptopelia decaocto	Pigeons and Doves	26	Apr (rising)
22	Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	26	Mar (rising)
23	Horned Lark	Eremophila alpestris	Larks	26	Jun (rising)
24	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	26	Jun (rising)
25	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	25	Jun (rising)
26	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	24	May (rising)
27	Ring-necked Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	24	Apr (rising)
28	Pine Grosbeak	Pinicola enucleator	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	24	Feb (peak)
29	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	23	Jul (rising)
30	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	23	Jun (rising)
31	Pine Siskin	Spinus pinus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	22	Jun (rising)
32	Cassin's Finch	Haemorhous cassinii	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	22	May (rising)
33	Hairy Woodpecker	Leuconotopicus villosus	Woodpeckers	22	Aug (rising)
34	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	21	Jul (rising)
35	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	Nuthatches	21	Aug (rising)
36	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	21	Jun (rising)
37	Northern Saw-whet Owl	Aegolius acadicus	Typical Owls	21	Feb (peak)
38	Northern Shrike	Lanius borealis	Shrikes	20	Oct (rising)
39	Merlin	Falco columbarius	Falcons and Caracaras	18	Dec (rising)
40	Northern Pintail	Anas acuta	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	18	Mar (rising)
41	Clark's Nutcracker	Nucifraga columbiana	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	18	Aug (rising)
42	Red Crossbill	Loxia curvirostra	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	17	Jun (rising)
43	Mountain Chickadee	Poecile gambeli	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	17	Jun (rising)
44	American Dipper	Cinclus mexicanus	Dippers	16	Jul (rising)
45	Prairie Falcon	Falco mexicanus	Falcons and Caracaras	15	Jan (past peak)
46	Canada Jay	Perisoreus canadensis	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	13	Sep (rising)
47	Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	13	May (rising)
48	Redpoll	Acanthis flammea	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	13	Nov (rising)
49	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	Falcons and Caracaras	12	Aug (rising)
50	Barrow's Goldeneye	Bucephala islandica	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	12	Jul (rising)

Birds Seen in Montana in February

Top birds in February

All birds seen in Montana in February