Wood Sandpiper – Photo Credit: Shantanu Kuveskar

The Montana Bird Records Committee (MBRC) recently accepted a new rare bird for Montana: the Wood Sandpiper. To quote the minutes of the meeting: “[h]ighlights in 2017 included the state’s 1st record for Wood Sandpiper (one of only a small number of inland North American records), the 3rd record for Mississippi Kite, and the 2nd for Eastern Towhee.

Currently, all reports of rare birds must be reviewed and accepted by the MBRC before they are added to Montana’s official bird list. Rare birds are identified as birds that have been seen in the state fewer than 20 times.