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

60 birds were recorded seen in Montana in September in our iNaturalist sample; 4 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 September

Black-billed Magpie183 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk133 obs.

Mallard125 obs.

Bald Eagle123 obs.

Dusky Grouse104 obs.

American Robin100 obs.

Common Merganser96 obs.

Wild Turkey95 obs.

White-crowned Sparrow93 obs.

Northern Flicker91 obs.

Mountain Bluebird84 obs.

Canada Goose76 obs.

All birds seen in Montana in September

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Black-billed Magpie	Pica hudsonia	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	183	Jun (past peak)
2	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	133	Sep (peak)
3	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	125	May (past peak)
4	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	123	Jul (past peak)
5	Dusky Grouse	Dendragapus obscurus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	104	Aug (past peak)
6	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	100	Jun (past peak)
7	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	96	Jul (past peak)
8	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	95	May (past peak)
9	White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	New World Sparrows	93	Jul (past peak)
10	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	91	Jul (past peak)
11	Mountain Bluebird	Sialia currucoides	Thrushes	84	Jun (past peak)
12	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	76	May (past peak)
13	American Dipper	Cinclus mexicanus	Dippers	74	Jul (past peak)
14	Canada Jay	Perisoreus canadensis	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	73	Sep (peak)
15	Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	Ospreys	73	Aug (past peak)
16	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	67	Jul (past peak)
17	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Waxwings	67	Aug (past peak)
18	Steller's Jay	Cyanocitta stelleri	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	67	Jun (past peak)
19	Brewer's Blackbird	Euphagus cyanocephalus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	66	Jun (past peak)
20	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	66	May (past peak)
21	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	64	Apr (past peak)
22	Common Raven	Corvus corax	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	62	Jun (past peak)
23	Great Horned Owl	Bubo virginianus	Typical Owls	62	May (past peak)
24	Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon	Kingfishers	59	Sep (peak)
25	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	58	Jun (past peak)
26	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	57	Aug (past peak)
27	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	55	Jul (past peak)
28	Spruce Grouse	Canachites canadensis	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	52	Aug (past peak)
29	Swainson's Hawk	Buteo swainsoni	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	51	Jun (past peak)
30	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	51	Jul (past peak)
31	Pine Siskin	Spinus pinus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	51	Jun (past peak)
32	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	Nuthatches	50	Aug (past peak)
33	Clark's Nutcracker	Nucifraga columbiana	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	49	Aug (past peak)
34	Western Meadowlark	Sturnella neglecta	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	49	Jun (past peak)
35	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	49	Jun (past peak)
36	Savannah Sparrow	Passerculus sandwichensis	New World Sparrows	47	Jun (past peak)
37	Northern Harrier	Circus hudsonius	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	47	May (past peak)
38	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	Falcons and Caracaras	44	Aug (past peak)
39	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	43	Jun (past peak)
40	Chipping Sparrow	Spizella passerina	New World Sparrows	42	May (past peak)
41	Sandhill Crane	Antigone canadensis	Cranes	42	May (past peak)
42	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	41	Aug (past peak)
43	Ruffed Grouse	Bonasa umbellus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	40	Oct (rising)
44	Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	40	Mar (past peak)
45	Wilson's Warbler	Cardellina pusilla	New World Warblers	40	Sep (peak)
46	Ring-necked Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	39	Apr (past peak)
47	Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	Plovers and Lapwings	39	Jun (past peak)
48	American Pipit	Anthus rubescens	Wagtails and Pipits	39	Aug (past peak)
49	American Coot	Fulica americana	Rails, Gallinules, and Coots	38	Jul (past peak)
50	American White Pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos	Pelicans	38	Jun (past peak)

Birds Seen in Montana in September

Top birds in September

All birds seen in Montana in September