Who's at my feeder?

Backyard birds by state

Backyard birds of Montana

The birds that visit feeders in Montana, when they come and what they eat – counted from 5.1 million bird sightings reported across Montana from 2019 to 2024.

  • 25year-round residents
  • 5winter visitors
  • 11summer visitors
Black-capped Chickadee – the most common of the backyard birds in Montana
Photo Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

All year

Year-round backyard birds in Montana

These birds are reported in every season. Most of them will use a seed or suet feeder in any month.

  1. Black-capped Chickadee, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Black-capped Chickadee

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

  2. Northern Flicker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Northern Flicker

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  3. American Robin, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    American Robin

    Everyday visitor · most common in April

    Eats: fruit, mealworms

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. European Starling, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    European Starling

    Everyday visitor · most common in March

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. House Finch, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    House Finch

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: black oil sunflower, nyjer

    Photo: MostlyDross / iNaturalist, CC BY

  6. House Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    House Sparrow

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: Esteban Poveda / iNaturalist, CC BY

  7. Eurasian Collared-Dove, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Eurasian Collared-Dove

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: Radu Teodoreanu / iNaturalist, CC BY

  8. Red-breasted Nuthatch, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Red-breasted Nuthatch

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

  9. Red-winged Blackbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Red-winged Blackbird

    Everyday visitor · most common in April

    Eats: sunflower, cracked corn

    Photo: Matt Felperin / iNaturalist, CC BY

  10. Mountain Chickadee, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Mountain Chickadee

    Everyday visitor · most common in February

    Eats: seeds, suet

    Photo: Ron Knight / iNaturalist, CC BY

  11. Song Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Song Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in March

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  12. Dark-eyed Junco, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Dark-eyed Junco

    Regular visitor · most common in March

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Becky Matsubara / iNaturalist, CC BY

Oct – Mar

Winter birds of Montana

They arrive from the north in autumn and leave again in spring. Millet and sunflower hearts on a tray or on the ground bring most of them in.

  1. Blue Jay, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Blue Jay

    Regular visitor · most common in November

    Eats: peanuts, sunflower, corn

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

  2. American Tree Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    American Tree Sparrow

    Occasional visitor · most common in November

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Mary Krieger / iNaturalist, CC BY

  3. Redpoll, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Redpoll

    Occasional visitor · most common in January

    Eats: nyjer

    Photo: egorbirder / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. Pine Grosbeak, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Pine Grosbeak

    Occasional visitor · most common in February

    Eats: black oil sunflower

    Photo: Richard Littauer / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. White-throated Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    White-throated Sparrow

    Occasional visitor · most common in October

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

May – Oct

Summer visitors

These birds spend spring and summer in Montana and winter further south.

  1. Yellow-rumped Warbler, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Yellow-rumped Warbler

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Willem Span / iNaturalist, CC BY

  2. Chipping Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Chipping Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in July

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  3. White-crowned Sparrow, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    White-crowned Sparrow

    Regular visitor · most common in September

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Mike Baird / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. Brown-headed Cowbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Brown-headed Cowbird

    Regular visitor · most common in June

    Eats: millet, cracked corn

    Photo: cello caruso-turiello / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. Gray Catbird, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Gray Catbird

    Regular visitor · most common in August

    Eats: fruit, jelly, mealworms

    Photo: kirk gardner / iNaturalist, CC BY

  6. Common Grackle, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Common Grackle

    Regular visitor · most common in May

    Eats: cracked corn, sunflower

    Photo: Shaun Coleman / iNaturalist, CC BY

  7. Spotted Towhee, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Spotted Towhee

    Occasional visitor · most common in June

    Eats: millet, sunflower hearts

    Photo: Nigel Voaden / iNaturalist, CC BY

  8. Lazuli Bunting, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Lazuli Bunting

    Occasional visitor · most common in July

    Eats: millet, seed mixes

    Photo: Pat Farris / iNaturalist, CC BY

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers in Montana

4 woodpecker species are reported regularly in Montana. Northern Flicker and Downy Woodpecker are the ones most often seen. All of them come for suet – a suet cage with a tail-prop panel also works for the larger species.

Which suet to use and when →

  1. Northern Flicker3.1%
  2. Downy Woodpecker1.3%
  3. Hairy Woodpecker0.7%
  4. Pileated Woodpecker0.4%
  1. Northern Flicker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Northern Flicker

    Everyday visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  2. Downy Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Downy Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  3. Hairy Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Hairy Woodpecker

    Regular visitor · most common in February

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. Pileated Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Pileated Woodpecker

    Occasional visitor · most common in December

    Eats: suet

    Photo: tsaiproject / iNaturalist, CC BY

Hummingbirds

When hummingbirds arrive and leave Montana

The rufous hummingbird is the main hummingbird in Montana. Sightings start in May, peak in July and fade out in September.

Put a nectar feeder out by mid-May so the first arrivals find it, and keep it up until two weeks after you see the last bird – late migrants from further north still pass through.

Nectar: one part white sugar to four parts water, no red dye. Hummingbird feeders compared →

Rufous Hummingbird sightings per month in Montana, darkest in the peak month.

Identification

Red birds in Montana

House Finch – males have a red head, breast and rump over brown streaks; common at seed feeders all year.
Cassin's Finch – a mountain finch of the West; the male has a bright red crown that stands out from the pinker body.
Pine Grosbeak – a large, plump finch of the North; males are rosy red with grey flanks.

Bird calendar

The year at the feeder in Montana

One row per bird, darkest in its strongest month.

BirdJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Black-capped Chickadee
Northern Flicker
American Robin
European Starling
House Finch
House Sparrow
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-winged Blackbird
Mountain Chickadee
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Rock Pigeon
Downy Woodpecker
American Goldfinch
Pine Siskin
Cedar Waxwing
Mourning Dove

Want the list for your own garden? Enter your ZIP code – the birds within 30 km, month by month.

Questions

Backyard birds in Montana: questions

What is the most common backyard bird in Montana?

The black-capped chickadee. It makes up about 3.7% of all bird sightings reported in Montana, and it stays all year.

What birds are in Montana in winter?

Besides year-round residents such as the black-capped chickadee, northern flicker, American robin, winter brings blue jay, American tree sparrow, redpoll.

What woodpeckers live in Montana?

4 species are reported regularly: northern flicker, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, pileated woodpecker.

When do hummingbirds leave Montana?

Rufous Hummingbird sightings fade out in September. They arrive in May. Keep your feeder up for about two weeks after the last visit.

More states

Backyard birds in other states