Rare Birds in Montana This Week

The lists above, read live from iNaturalist: first the birds within 25 miles of Billings, then the whole state. Each species is checked against five years of confirmed sightings, and the most unusual come first.

386 bird species in 48,170 confirmed iNaturalist sightings between 2021-10-09 and 2026-10-01. 66 of those species have 3 or fewer confirmed sightings in the state, so a new one of them is news.

Near Billings or your own ZIP, a species with 3 or fewer confirmed sightings within 25 miles in five years, or one that is seen there but almost never in these weeks of the year. On the statewide list, a species with 3 or fewer confirmed sightings anywhere in Montana.

The Montana Bird Records Committee. From its page: “The MBRC has three main functions: (1) to evaluate written reports and supporting documentation for the occurrence of rare birds and other unusual observations (e.g., out-of-season or outside normal range within the state) in Montana; (2) to maintain an official list of Montana birds; and (3) to maintain an official tally of the number of accepted records for each “rare” species (i.e., species documented 20 or fewer times in the state).”

Enter your ZIP on the rare bird alert for a list around your own spot, and check it each week in spring and fall migration, when most strays turn up. Each bird links to its iNaturalist species page with photographs and a range map.

Yes, for this week only, because confirmation takes days and a rare bird may be gone by then. The five year record the week is checked against counts research grade sightings only.