Day 1 - Arrivals and introductions
***As of May 7, 2025, a REAL ID is needed to board a domestic flight - a US passport or Global Entry will also suffice.

Arrivals to Missoula Montana Airport (MSO), in time for some afternoon birding for a few Ponderosa Pine specialists like Pygmy Nuthatch and Lewis’s Woodpecker. 

Kickoff dinner in the artsy and funky university town of Missoula.

Night in Missoula

Day 2 - Birding the Boreal zone
Starting our trip off with a full morning out in the high elevation spruce habitats of the Bitterroot Range, seeking mountain forest species like American Three-toed Woodpecker, Pine Grosbeak, Canada Jay, and MacGillivray’s Warbler. This area also holds a few species typically restricted to the West Coast; Pacific Wren, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, and Townsend’s Warbler. Peak elevation on this day will be around 6500’.

The evening birding will be through the massive pothole wetland complex of the Ninepipe NWR. Clark’s Grebe (left), Trumpeter Swan, Cinnamon Teal, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and dozens more species for us to see.

Night in Missoula

Day 3 - Old Burns and forest specialties
We will spend our morning seeking out classic Rocky Mountain species, from Western Tanager and Cassin’s Vireo to Mountain Bluebird and Red-naped Sapsucker. Visiting a recently burned forest, we will search for Black-backed Woodpecker, with another shot at American Three-toed Woodpecker. These two species specialize in searching for bark beetle grubs in recently damaged trees.
After lunch and a short siesta, we will continue seeking out more Rocky Mountain specialties, like Williamson’s Sapsucker, Calliope Hummingbird, and Evening Grosbeak.

Night in Missoula

Day 4 - Drive to Dillon and a Great Gray evening
Leaving Missoula, we will bird our way down the Bitterroot Valley, looking for Townsend’s Solitaire, Cassin’s Finch, Dusky Grouse, and more.

At Lookout Pass, we will seek out Hermit Thrush, Pine Grosbeak, and Fox Sparrow (Slate-colored race) before dropping down into the scenic landscapes of the Big Hole Valley. Peak elevation at the pass will be around 7500’ feet.

After checking into our hotel in Dillon, we will have an early dinner and head out for an evening search for the true “gray ghost”, the Great Gray Owl. We won’t be staying out after dark, as the owls are usually most active in the few hours before sunset.

Night in Dillon

Day 5 - Sagebrush steppe and Flammulated Owls
Morning finds us in a sea of sagebrush, with Brewer’s Sparrows, Sage Thrashers, and Mountain Bluebirds around us. Our main targets here are Gray Flycatcher and Sagebrush Sparrow, both are Great Basin species that just eke into SW Montana. After lunch, we head north to the capital of Montana, Helena (pronounced HEL-uh-nuh).

This night features another night out, so after dinner, we will head up in elevation to Douglas Fir forests in search of Flammulated Owl.

Night in Helena

Day 6 - Riparian canyons of Helena and drive to Harlowton
Allowing a bit of a later departure, we will have an easy morning of birding for any forest species we may be missing, including Yellow-breasted Chat, Bullock’s Oriole, Spotted Towhee, Western Flycatcher, etc.  

Moving from the mountains to the prairies, we head to the small town of Harlowton. Here is where we will pick up many of our prairie species. After an afternoon break, we head out for an evening in the grasslands. Upland Sandpiper, Long-billed Curlew, Short-eared Owl, Lark Bunting, and Baird’s Sparrow to name a few, will be our targets.

Night in Harlowton at the Country Side Inn

Day 7 - Prairie emersion
This morning we will experience the magic of the prairies on full display! Target birds include Thick-billed and Chestnut-collared Longspur, Sprague’s Pipit, Baird’s Sparrow, and Western Meadowlark all in full song. Ferruginous Hawk and Golden Eagle are a few more open country birds we will be looking for to supplement our morning checklist.

Moving on to Great Falls, after lunch and a short rest, we will visit a Black-tailed Prairie Dog colony, and see some good birds that call the area home, including Rock Wren in the cliffs, and Burrowing Owls living in the P-dog town.

Night in Great Falls

Day 8 - Final morning and departures
We will spend the morning at a major prairie wetland complex, Benton Lake NWR. This is a fabulous place to get our fill of dozens and dozens of species, from Upland Sandpiper and Grasshopper Sparrow, to Franklin’s Gulls, Eared Grebes, and White-faced Ibis. Not to mention breeding American Avocets and Wilson’s Phalaropes!

Plan flights that depart at 12pm noon or later. We will finish morning birding and be to the airport by 11:00am