‘Should I Stay or Should I Go Now': Which Montana Raptors Will Stay and Which Ones Will Migrate

I've been waiting all spring and summer to see hummingbirds in my yard. Montana has multiple species of hummingbirds that make their way through Montana so I planted some Salvia to entice them into my yard. I saw my first one at nearly the end of August. But since hummingbirds usually migrate south in September and October I was likely seeing the bird on its way south.

There are larger birds that will stay in Montana throughout the winter, and I had always assumed that most of the raptors of Montana were here year-round.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks detail which raptors tend to stay in Montana and which ones will migrate. As you look at the trees, telephone poles, fence posts, and skies, these are some of the species that will stay in Montana throughout the year:

Montana Raptors That Stay Year Round

Even though there are Golden Eagles that stay in Montana, Golden Eagles can travel very long distances. MFWP says "This bird has shown the longest distance recorded from summer to winter range of any eagle marked by RaptorView Research" and the pathway "Across Montana along the Rocky Mountain from Glacier to Yellowstone" is called an "eagle highway."

As it turns out, there are raptor species that will migrate. Here are the ones you'll likely see leaving as the weather turns colder.

Montana Raptors That Will Migrate

READ MORE: The Gulls of Montana

Of course, all kinds of other birds will be leaving soon. If you consider yourself an amateur "birder," check out "Missoula Birding Hotspots" from the Five Valleys Audubon to plan some birdwatching as they make their way south for the winter.