eBird began with a simple idea—that every birdwatcher has unique knowledge and experience. Their goal is to gather this information in the form of checklists of birds, archive it, and freely share it to power new data-driven approaches to science, conservation and education. At the same time, they develop tools that make birding more rewarding. From being able to manage lists, photos and audio recordings, to seeing real-time maps of species distribution, to alerts that let you know when species have been seen, eBird strives to provide the most current and useful information to the birding community.

Merlin is designed to be a birding coach for bird watchers at every level. Merlin asks you the same questions that an expert birder would ask to help solve a mystery bird sighting. Notice that date and location are Merlin’s first and most important questions. It takes years of experience in the field to know what species are expected at a given location and date. Merlin shares this knowledge with you based on more than 800 million sightings submitted to eBird from birders around the world.

The Cornell Lab's online guide to birds and birdwatching.

In-depth analysis of tail variation in adult Red-tailed (Harlan's) Hawks.

This guide is designed to provide tools to allow landowners to better share this special place with the
birds. The Bitterroot Audubon Chapter, Five Valleys Audubon Society and Montana Audubon
invite you to use these suggestions to help you meet the goals you have for your land while providing
quality habitat for birds. Share your ideas with your neighbors, and let us know how we can help.

Through the coordinated efforts of both amateurs and professionals, we have accumulated a wealth of knowledge about the seasonal distribution and abundance of birds of Western Montana. Doug Bonham and Brian Cooper made the first attempt to pull this information together into a single booklet - a task they completed for credit an undergraduate senior project under the guidance of Dr. Philip Wright.

Among the most variably plumaged raptors in the world, the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) presents myriad identification challenges for birders. In the U.S. and Canada, there are as many as eight recognized subspecies (Preston and Beane 2009), each with its own degree of plumage variation. There is also overlap among the subspecies. Caution should be used when attempting to identify Red-tailed Hawks to subspecies based on plumage. A combination of traits, rather than a single field mark, often helps observers arrive at a conclusive identification.

In this paper, we review what is currently known about the status and distribution of Cackling Goose, Branta hutchinsii, and its subspecies: B. h. hutchinsii, taverneri, minima, and leucopareia. We also discuss field identification of Cackling Goose subspecies, incorporating information from our own recent field studies, and because Lesser Canada Goose (B. canadensis parvipes) closely resembles B. h. hutchinsii and taverneri, its range and identification are also reviewed.

Oregon’s Willamette Valley and the lower Columbia River region of both Oregon and Washington host seven subspecies of cackling and Canada Geese as well as other species of geese.