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

60 birds were recorded seen in Montana in October in our iNaturalist sample; 6 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 October

Black-billed Magpie121 obs.

Northern Flicker91 obs.

Bald Eagle80 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk69 obs.

Ruffed Grouse59 obs.

Mallard56 obs.

Steller's Jay54 obs.

White-crowned Sparrow54 obs.

Great Horned Owl45 obs.

Canada Goose42 obs.

House Sparrow40 obs.

Dark-eyed Junco38 obs.

All birds seen in Montana in October

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Black-billed Magpie	Pica hudsonia	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	121	Jun (past peak)
2	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	91	Jul (past peak)
3	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	80	Jul (past peak)
4	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	69	Sep (past peak)
5	Ruffed Grouse	Bonasa umbellus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	59	Oct (peak)
6	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	56	May (past peak)
7	Steller's Jay	Cyanocitta stelleri	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	54	Jun (past peak)
8	White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	New World Sparrows	54	Jul (past peak)
9	Great Horned Owl	Bubo virginianus	Typical Owls	45	May (past peak)
10	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	42	May (past peak)
11	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	40	May (past peak)
12	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	38	Jul (past peak)
13	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	37	May (past peak)
14	American Dipper	Cinclus mexicanus	Dippers	35	Jul (past peak)
15	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	34	Jun (past peak)
16	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	34	Jun (past peak)
17	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	34	Apr (past peak)
18	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	32	Aug (past peak)
19	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	31	Aug (past peak)
20	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	31	Jul (past peak)
21	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	31	Oct (peak)
22	Townsend's Solitaire	Myadestes townsendi	Thrushes	30	Apr (past peak)
23	Dusky Grouse	Dendragapus obscurus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	29	Aug (past peak)
24	Northern Shrike	Lanius borealis	Shrikes	29	Oct (peak)
25	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	28	Oct (peak)
26	Clark's Nutcracker	Nucifraga columbiana	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	28	Aug (past peak)
27	Ring-necked Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	27	Apr (past peak)
28	Common Loon	Gavia immer	Loons	27	Jul (past peak)
29	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	27	Jul (past peak)
30	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	27	Jul (past peak)
31	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	27	Jun (past peak)
32	American Coot	Fulica americana	Rails, Gallinules, and Coots	26	Jul (past peak)
33	Golden Eagle	Aquila chrysaetos	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	26	Jun (past peak)
34	Common Raven	Corvus corax	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	26	Jun (past peak)
35	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	26	Jun (past peak)
36	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	Nuthatches	26	Aug (past peak)
37	Northern Harrier	Circus hudsonius	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	26	May (past peak)
38	Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps	Grebes	25	Oct (peak)
39	Mountain Chickadee	Poecile gambeli	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	25	Jun (past peak)
40	Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	Plovers and Lapwings	24	Jun (past peak)
41	American Tree Sparrow	Spizelloides arborea	New World Sparrows	24	Oct (peak)
42	Hairy Woodpecker	Leuconotopicus villosus	Woodpeckers	24	Aug (past peak)
43	Canada Jay	Perisoreus canadensis	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	23	Sep (past peak)
44	American Pipit	Anthus rubescens	Wagtails and Pipits	23	Aug (past peak)
45	Wilson's Snipe	Gallinago delicata	Sandpipers and Allies	23	Jul (past peak)
46	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	22	May (past peak)
47	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Waxwings	21	Aug (past peak)
48	Western Meadowlark	Sturnella neglecta	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	21	Jun (past peak)
49	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	20	May (past peak)
50	Rough-legged Hawk	Buteo lagopus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	19	Jan (past peak)

Birds Seen in Montana in October

Top birds in October

All birds seen in Montana in October