The Bitterroot Valley is close to many fantastic places to bird. We host a wide range of habitat types, including cottonwood bottomlands, ponderosa pine forest, grasslands, sagebrush, as well as subalpine and alpine habitats.

eBird is a great resource to help you find places in the Bitterroot to bird. From the eBird website, go to Explore Data, then Explore a Region. If you enter “Ravalli” for Ravalli County, you will find information on the abundance and seasonality of individual species, recent checklists, and links to area birding Hotspots. Here are some checklists from some of our best eBird hotspots. Feel free to download, and remember, the checklists are only as good as the observations people submit. So please do your part and submit a checklist for any place you visit!!

Hotspots within the Bitterroot River Important Bird Area (IBA):

Bitterroot Bird Alliance adopted the Bitterroot River Important Bird Area in 2008. This IBA encompasses the 500-year floodplain around a 50 km stretch of the Bitterroot River from Woodside (just north of Hamilton) to just south of Lolo. The Bitterroot River IBA also includes the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, one of the first places a Bitterroot Birder will suggest you visit. The Bitterroot River and associated bottomland forest, as well as a series of man-made ponds, offer a wide variety of birding opportunities. The Refuge is an especially great place to view waterfowl of all kinds. The Refuge also hosts a number of educational events and has an outstanding Visitor’s Center. Please visit their website for additional information.

Checklist for Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge (PDF)
Checklist for Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge- Waterfowl Lane Drive (PDF)
Checklist for Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge- Kenai Trail (PDF)
Checklist for Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge- Wildlife Viewing Area (PDF)

Other hotspots within the IBA include:

Checklist for Bass Creek Fishing Access Site (PDF)
Checklist for Bell Crossing Fishing Access Site (PDF)
Checklist for Chief Looking Glass Fishing Access Site (PDF)
Checklist for Florence Bridge Fishing Access Site (PDF)
Checklist for Poker Joe Fishing Access Site (PDF)
Checklist for Stevensville River Park (PDF)
Checklist for Tucker Crossing East (PDF)
Checklist for Woodside Crossing Fishing Access Site and Teller Trail (PDF)

Hotspots outside of the IBA but within similar Bitterroot River habitat:

Checklist for Heironymous Park (PDF)
Checklist for River Park (PDF)
Checklist for Steve Powell Memorial Park (PDF)

Hotspots in the Bitterroot Mountains or west side of the valley:

Checklist for Bass Creek Trail (PDF)
Checklist for Blodgett Canyon Trailhead (PDF)
Checklist for Blodgett Overlook Trailhead (PDF)
Checklist for Cow Creek Rd. (burned 2005) (PDF)
Checklist for Florence-Carlton High School (PDF)
Checklist for Kootenai Creek Trail (PDF)
Checklist for Lake Como (PDF)
Checklist for Larry Creek Rd (PDF)
Checklist for Lost Horse Creek Campground (PDF)

Hotspots in the Sapphire Mountains or east side of the valley:

Checklist for Middle Burnt Fork Rd (PDF)
Checklist for Willoughby 40 Park (PDF)
Ambrose Creek Drainage (PDF)
Iron Cap Drive (PDF)
South Burnt Fork Road, Gold Creek Campground (PDF)
Soft Rock State Lands (PDF)