Birds in the Pryors

The Pryor Mountains are a very special place for members of the Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society.  When asked: “What do the Pryor Mountains mean to you”, birders quickly respond: “Some of the best birding in Montana!!!”

The Pryor Mountains are a unique island landscape of near desert grasslands and shrub lands on the south slopes, and deep conifer forests on the north slopes.  The limestone canyons are extraordinary.  The Pryor Mountains provide unique and diverse habitats for an exceptional variety of birds and a treasure of other wildlife species.  Sage Creek, Crooked Creek through the burn area, and the historic town of Hillsborough near Barry’s Landing are favorite spots for birding and walking, and just enjoying the rugged outdoors.  The overlook of the Big Horn Canyon itself offers exciting action with falcons in flight - sometimes even capturing the swallows and swifts that are nesting in the cliffs.

Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society hosts annual trips to the Pryor Mountains and welcomes new members.

Another uncommon bird found in the Pryor Mountains is the Blue Grosbeak.  Named for its two most obvious field marks - deep blue color and thick powerful bill, it has heavy brown wingbars that set it apart from similar species.  Found in summer throughout most of the southern two-thirds of the United States, the breeding range has been moving northward for more than 25 years and may explain why it is now being seen in the Pryor Mountains.

Of course trips to the Pryors are not without their challenges.  There can be “over a foot of mud or it can be dusty as all get out or the snow can be deeper than a tall birder” but that is part of the overall beauty and uniqueness of the Pryors.  You can see birds in all habitats – riparian corridors, rich greenery, sagebrush flats, gentle mountains, and near desert terrains.  The Pryors are exciting, they are quiet, they are special, they are varied, they are worth preserving.  We like everything about the Pryors.

Bear Canyon Important Bird Area (IBA)

Bear Canyon, located in the southern part of the Pryor Mountains, was one of the first "Important Bird Areas" (IBA) designated by Montana Audubon.

Click to see Montana Audubon’s site profile of the Bear Canyon IBA.

Bear Canyon was identified by Montana Outdoors Magazine as the third of "10 Great Spots to Watch Birds in Montana."

Bear Canyon supports more than a dozen species on the Montana Priority Bird Species List.  It has the highest known number of nesting Blue-gray Gnatcatchers in its foothill canyons that constitute the entire range of the species in Montana.

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