Birding the Big Hole Battlefield

Directions: Big Hole National Battlefield is located ten miles west of Wisdom on MT Highway 43.

General information: This is a national historic site open year-round, with reduced hours in the winter. A bird checklist is available at the Visitor’s Center. The site has limited roads, but excellent trails and an observation deck at the Visitor’s Center. Highway 43 to the Battlefield is also rich in bird species, especially raptors and owls seen early in the morning and in winter months.

Habitats: This site has a combination of habitats - subalpine-montane riparian shrub land, dry-mesic spruce fir forest and aspen/willow stands that host a diverse bird community in a relatively small area.

Species of note: Spruce Grouse, Northern Goshawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Golden Eagle, Western Screech-Owl, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Long-eared Owl, Great Gray Owl, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker, Clark’s Nutcracker, Say’s Phoebe, Mountain Chickadee, Townsend’s Solitaire, Veery, Hermit Thrush, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Yellow Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Western Tanager, Brewer’s Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Snow Bunting, Black-headed Grosbeak, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Black Rosy-Finch, Red Crossbill, White-winged Crossbill, Common Redpoll, and Hoary Redpoll.

Best viewing season: May - September; November - March for winter species.

Download the Southwest Montana Birding Brochure

Contact:
Big Hole National Battlefield
PO Box 237
16425 Highway 43
West Wisdom, MT 59761
(406) 689-3151
National Park Service Big Hole National Battlefield