About This Book 



This book summarizes information on where birds are found in Montana. It lists every 

 species observed in the state, and presents maps for each bird that show breeding, migration and 

 wintering areas. 



Birders in Montana have recorded 394 species in the state, of which 99 species are 

 considered rare (fewer than 20 documented sightings for the state). There are 248 species that 

 are confirmed breeders in the state. The total number of overwintering species is 151. An 

 additional 1 8 species are of hypothetical occurrence (see Appendix F), including several species 

 that are expanding their ranges and may make their way into future editions of this book. 



This edition of Montana Bird Distribution follows the same basic format used in the Fourth 

 Edition, with two exceptions. First, where adequate information was available, maps have been 

 provided for monitored subspecies (see Appendix B). These maps illustrate how little is 

 currently known about subspecies distribution. Second, the number of sightings reported during 

 the last five years (1991 - 1995) appears for each bird species. This information is included to 

 encourage birdwatchers to report their observations of all species. 



New Bird Information in this Edition 



Seven bird species are new to the Fifth Edition of Montana Bird Distribution : Arctic Tern, 

 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Bewick's Wren, Golden-winged War- 

 bler, Prothonotary Warbler, and Painted Redstart. The records for these species have been 

 reviewed and accepted by the Montana Bird Records Committee, 



Three new breeding records appear in this book: the Barn Owl was found nesting in quarter 

 latilong (QLL) 25D, the Northern Hawk-Owl in QLL 2B, and the Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow 

 in QLL 12B. Three new overwintering records were also added: Sandhill Crane (QLL 28D), 

 Brown-headed Cowbird (QLL 2D), and Brambling (QLL 2D). 



Taxonomic Changes and Subspecies 



Several taxonomic changes appear in this edition. Most notably, several species were split, 

 elevating subspecies to the species level. The Rosy Finch officially became three species, two 

 occurring in Montana: Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch and Black Rosy-Finch. The Rufous-sided 

 Towhee became two species, one occurring in Montana: Spotted Towhee. And the Sharp-tailed 

 Sparrow became two species, one occurring in Montana: Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow. 



One species, the Northern Oriole, also became three species, two occurring in Montana: 

 the Bullock's Oriole and the Baltimore Oriole. Because this change only recently happened, and 

 there is no quick way to separate historic records of these two species, this book contains three 



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