Russell Country, Montana - Wetlands, marshlands, mountains, and wide-open prairies. All are distinct habitats, and here in Montana the special combination they create provides an ideal area for numerous bird species to live or to visit on their migratory flights to seasonal nesting grounds around the world. Come and explore the undiscovered birding opportunities waiting in Russell Country, from the prairies of the Hi-Line to the valleys of the Highwood Mountains.
Begin your expedition 12 miles north of Great Falls at Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Covering 19 square miles, this refuge includes 5,000 acres of shallow wetlands and was created as a refuge and breeding ground for birds in 1929 by President Herbert Hoover. This glacier-created wetland draws up to 5,000 tundra swans, 2,500 Canada geese, 150,000 ducks, 40,000 snow geese, and as many as 50,000 shorebirds during spring and fall migrations. In addition, there are nearly 240 different bird species recorded on the refuge, with almost 90 of them nesting here.
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Birds spotted on the refuge include bald and golden eagles and prairie and peregrine falcons. Benton Lake welcomes bird watchers year-round to observe and photograph the numerous birds that call Montana home. The refuge also serves as a popular breeding destination that produces 20,000 ducks and more than 10,000 Franklin’s gull nests yearly.
Next, head south to Great Falls and visit Giant Springs State Park, which is enhanced by the tall trees lining the banks of the Missouri River. This serene atmosphere lures numerous birds to nest here, including the American kestrel, great horned owl, downy woodpecker, American white pelican, mourning dove, and Canada goose. Although American white pelicans populations are declining in many areas, large flocks still frequent Russell Country.
Russell Country is also home to one of the 10 best birding spots in the nation: Freezout Lake, Montana’s primary snow-goose staging area. Its open water and nearby grain fields entice more than 300,000 snow geese and 10,000 tundra swans to assemble here and rest during migration, before they resume the journey to their northern nesting grounds. Seize the opportunity to view the trumpeter swan, a less-numerous species, as it moves through this area in early spring. Freezout Lake is open year-round and offers bird-watching opportunities in each season, along with the scenic backdrop of the east slope of the Rocky Mountains towering in the background.
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Next, hit the road and head to Havre, the largest community on the Montana Hi-Line. Drive 10 miles south of town to Beaver Creek County Park to see its impressive bird diversity. Among the species found here are sharp-tailed grouse, yellow warbler, brown thrasher, sharp-skinned hawk, prairie falcon, and golden eagle.
In central Montana, travel east to Lewistown, the geographic center of Montana. This charming community not only serves as an oasis of growth in the Montana plains, but also invites birders with two well-populated birding areas: Big Spring State Fish Hatchery and Crystal Lake in the Big Snowy Mountains. Because of Lewistown’s proximity to five island mountain ranges connected by rolling grasslands, both prairie and mountain birds are at home here, allowing for an immense diversity of species. Nesting birds include the belted kingfisher, song sparrow, wood duck, red-naped sapsucker, and mountain chickadee.
If you’re looking for bluebirds, you’re in luck. Three bluebird species live in Russell Country: eastern bluebird, western bluebird, and mountain bluebird. Bluebird populations blossom along fences lining mountain highways and in meadows and scenic parks. This beautiful bird prefers open habitats like those offered in Russell Country. Approximately 4,000 to 5,000 bluebirds make their homes each year within the region’s border. During nesting season, bird watchers can visit and explore the numerous heavily populated bluebird trails weaving their way around Russell Country.
Resources for those interested in birding in Montana’s Russell Country are available by calling 1.800.527.5348 or by visiting www.russell.visitmt.com
For more information on the various birding sites in Russell Country, please use the information listed below:
Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge: 406.727.7400
Bluebirds in Russell Country: 406.453.5143 or visit www.mountainbluebirdtrails.com
Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area: 406.467.2646 or 406.454.5840
Bureau of Land Management, Lewistown: 406.538.1900
Lewis and Clark National Forest, White Sulphur Springs Ranger District: 406.547.6012
Bureau of Land Management Havre Field Station: 406.265.5891
US Fish and Wildlife Service: www.fws.gov
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks: www.fwp.mt.gov