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

60 birds were recorded seen in Montana in January 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 January

Bald Eagle99 obs.

Rough-legged Hawk81 obs.

Black-billed Magpie68 obs.

Mallard63 obs.

Common Goldeneye53 obs.

Northern Flicker48 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk47 obs.

Canada Goose47 obs.

Black-capped Chickadee45 obs.

Sharp-shinned Hawk42 obs.

Dark-eyed Junco40 obs.

Wild Turkey36 obs.

All birds seen in Montana in January

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	99	Jul (rising)
2	Rough-legged Hawk	Buteo lagopus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	81	Jan (peak)
3	Black-billed Magpie	Pica hudsonia	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	68	Jun (rising)
4	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	63	May (rising)
5	Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	53	Mar (rising)
6	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	48	Jul (rising)
7	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	47	Sep (rising)
8	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	47	May (rising)
9	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	45	Apr (rising)
10	Sharp-shinned Hawk	Accipiter striatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	42	Jan (peak)
11	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	40	Jul (rising)
12	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	36	May (rising)
13	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	33	Aug (rising)
14	Common Raven	Corvus corax	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	29	Jun (rising)
15	Townsend's Solitaire	Myadestes townsendi	Thrushes	29	Apr (rising)
16	Prairie Falcon	Falco mexicanus	Falcons and Caracaras	27	Jan (peak)
17	Horned Lark	Eremophila alpestris	Larks	26	Jun (rising)
18	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	26	Jun (rising)
19	Ring-necked Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	25	Apr (rising)
20	Bohemian Waxwing	Bombycilla garrulus	Waxwings	25	Feb (rising)
21	Golden Eagle	Aquila chrysaetos	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	24	Jun (rising)
22	American Dipper	Cinclus mexicanus	Dippers	24	Jul (rising)
23	Merlin	Falco columbarius	Falcons and Caracaras	23	Dec (rising)
24	Great Horned Owl	Bubo virginianus	Typical Owls	23	May (rising)
25	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	23	May (rising)
26	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	Nuthatches	22	Aug (rising)
27	Northern Pygmy-Owl	Glaucidium gnoma	Typical Owls	22	Jan (peak)
28	Mountain Chickadee	Poecile gambeli	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	22	Jun (rising)
29	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	21	Jul (rising)
30	Northern Pintail	Anas acuta	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	21	Mar (rising)
31	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	20	May (rising)
32	Red Crossbill	Loxia curvirostra	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	19	Jun (rising)
33	Northern Shrike	Lanius borealis	Shrikes	19	Oct (rising)
34	Trumpeter Swan	Cygnus buccinator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	18	Feb (rising)
35	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Waxwings	17	Aug (rising)
36	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	17	Jun (rising)
37	Northern Saw-whet Owl	Aegolius acadicus	Typical Owls	17	Feb (rising)
38	Eurasian Collared-Dove	Streptopelia decaocto	Pigeons and Doves	16	Apr (rising)
39	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	16	Jul (rising)
40	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	16	Jun (rising)
41	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	16	Jun (rising)
42	Hairy Woodpecker	Leuconotopicus villosus	Woodpeckers	16	Aug (rising)
43	Pine Grosbeak	Pinicola enucleator	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	15	Feb (rising)
44	Ruffed Grouse	Bonasa umbellus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	13	Oct (rising)
45	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	13	Jul (rising)
46	American Coot	Fulica americana	Rails, Gallinules, and Coots	12	Jul (rising)
47	Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon	Kingfishers	12	Sep (rising)
48	Ring-necked Duck	Aythya collaris	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	12	Jun (rising)
49	Long-eared Owl	Asio otus	Typical Owls	12	Jan (peak)
50	American Tree Sparrow	Spizelloides arborea	New World Sparrows	12	Oct (rising)

Birds Seen in Montana in January

Top birds in January

All birds seen in Montana in January