Dr. P. L Wright of the verification committee will compile a list of specimens, including 

 the vertebrate collections where they are stored. This list will be available and updated 

 as additions to the collections occur. 



The symbols "?" (questionable sightings) and "I" (uncertain latilong location) found in 

 the Third Edition are not used in this edition. The steering and verification committees 

 will not accept records in these categories so the designations are dropped from this 

 and future editions. 



Evaluation of Records 



A verification committee was established in June 1991. The committee established 

 rules for conducting business and evaluating records. Criteria for suitable 

 documentation were reviewed and a voting procedure established. The verification 

 committee is responsible for accepting records of rare birds (less than 20 sightings) 

 and sightings of birds outside their normal range. Contributors with observations in 

 these categories are asked to submit a rare bird report describing their sighting 

 (Appendix E). No rare or out-of-range records will be accepted without committee 

 approval. 



Species with Special Status 



Any special status for each species is indicated by the letters and symbols which 

 follow the common and scientific name. 



n= Rare birds (fewer than 20 verified sightings) are identified by the letter "n" 

 followed by the number of sightings. The most recent sighting is listed with location 

 and date. 



TES We have identified those species that are considered threatened, endangered, 

 or sensitive in Montana or throughout their range by the symbol TES. Species 

 assigned to this category are any one of the following: federally recognized 

 endangered, threatened, or candidate species for listing under the Endangered 

 Species Act; U.S. Forest Service sensitive species, as assigned by the Regional 

 Forester; or species of special concern, as recognized by the f\/lontana Natural Heritage 

 Program and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. A list of species in each 

 of these categories is found in Appendix A. It is important to note that all of these lists 

 are subject to change. For current information, contact one of the local offices of the 

 US Fish & Wildlife Service; Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks; US Forest 

 Service; or Montana Natural Heritage Program. 



SI Another group of species was identified as being poorly known in the state or 



as having unique breeding habits that warrant further study. There is a need for 

 additional information on the distribution, breeding habits, and status of these "species 

 needing additional information," or SI. 



Contributors submitting sightings of TES and SI species are requested to submit 

 detailed information. This information should include the date of observation, specific 

 location, number of individuals, and details on nesting, if observed. This is an 



