Calling All Bird Lovers: Be Part Of The Montana Nighthawk Project

Want to Help Montana’s Birds? Here’s Your Chance...

Are you a bird lover with a heart for conservation? Looking for a way to get involved and actually make a difference here in Montana? Well, here’s your chance—and it’s a pretty cool one.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and Montana Audubon are on the lookout for volunteers to help survey common nighthawks this summer. These unique birds are part of the “nightjar” family, which also includes the common poorwill. Both species are listed as “of concern” in Montana, and we’re lacking solid data to properly track and protect them.

That’s where regular folks (like you and me) can step up. Nighthawks are most active during dawn and dusk and tend to hang around grasslands, open spaces, and shrublands across the state. Since they only visit Montana in the summer, there’s a short window to observe and collect valuable info on them.

The cool part? You don’t need to be a biologist or own fancy gear! You just need to be willing to watch, listen, and learn. There’s a quick, under-one-hour online training that gets you prepped. After that, you can choose a survey route and head out to help.

Western Montana has seen strong volunteer turnout so far, but north-central, south-central, and eastern Montana still need bird-loving boots on the ground.

Interested in joining the effort? Head to montanabirdsurveys.weebly.com to get trained and sign up. This is a great way to connect with Montana’s wildlife while giving back in a real, hands-on way. 

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