What is New in This Edition 



This edition of Montana Bird Disuibution follows the same basic format as the fifth edition. 

 However, a few changes have been made and are described below. 



New Birds in this Edition 



Seventeen bird species are new to the sixth edition of Montana Bird Distribution: Mississippi 

 Kite, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Little Gull, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Costa's Hummingbird, Gray 

 Flycatcher, Vermilion Fhcatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Western 

 Scrub-Jay, Hooded Warbler, Pyrrhulo.xia, Northern Cardinal, Great-tailed Crackle, Hooded Oriole, 

 and Lesser Goldfinch. Records for these species were reviewed and accepted by the Montana Bird 

 Records Committee. 



First-time breeding records for two species appear in this book: Arctic Tern (QLL 9C) and 

 Black-throated Gray Warbler (QLL 41C). Two new "winter" (w) records were also added: Le Conte's 

 Sparrow (QLL 25B) and Vesper Sparrow (QLL 25D). 



Taxonomic Changes and Subspecies 



The following taxonomic changes appear in this edition. The common name of the Oldsquaw is 

 now the Long-tailed Duck (Latin name oiClangiila hyemalis remains the same); the Sage Grouse is 

 now named Greater Sage-Grouse (Latin name of Centrocercus urophasianus remains the same); the 

 common name for Common Snipe was changed to Wilson's Snipe, and its Latin name of Gallinago 

 gallinago was changed to Gallinago dclicata; Red Phalarope now has the scientific name of Ph a /a rcpus 

 fulicarius; Solitary Vireo was split into three species: Plumbeous Vireo ( Vireo plwnbcus), Cassin's 

 Vireo (V7reo cassinii), and Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius)., the scientific name of Black-billed 

 Magpie was changed from Pica pica to Pica hudsonia (with the species on the Eurasian continent 

 retaining Pica pica); and the scientific name of Blue Grosbeak was changed from Guiraca caerulea to 

 Passerina caerulea. 



All species names and taxonomic revisions follow the American Ornithologists' Union's (AOLf) 

 Check-list of North .American Birds, Seventh Edition (AOU 1998) and subsequent supplements (AOU 

 2000,2002). 



Because fiature taxonomic changes are inevitable, the Montana Bird Records Committee has icHentified 

 five species where data collection for subspecies ( or forms ) distribution is requested. The five species and 

 their tAxelve associated subspecies are identifiecl in Appendix B. 



Maps Reflect Historic Information 



Breeding Season Maps 



For the first time, the breeding season maps in this book represent; (1) new information, (2) 

 previous edition information, and (3) historic information on one map. This was done so significant 

 changes that have occurred in the distribution of species over the history of collecting bird records can 

 be observed. The historic information (i.e., information prior to 1991) is represented in ftiU latilong 

 (LL) blocks, while the newer data is depicted in quarter latilong (QLL) blocks as follows: 



