The Bitterroot Birding and Nature Festival is centered out of the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge.  The Refuge is located in the heart of the Bitterroot Valley just three miles north of the town of Stevensville and 25 miles south of Missoula.  Take a Tour Here.(This is a large power point file so a high speed connection is recommended.

We invite you to come be a part of the festivities and "Experience Natures Beauty Where Montana Began".  The town of Stevensville was founded in 1841 and was Montana's first incorporated town.  It is home to historic Saint Mary's Mission, surrounded by the Bitterroot Mountains to the west and the Sapphire's to the east.  The Valley is a destination of scenic beauty and intriguing history.  Numerous recreational and bird watching opportunities exist in the surrounding forest managed by the Bitterroot National Forest.

There are over 230 species of birds that can be found throughout the season utilizing the Bitterroot Valley and its surrounding mountain counterparts.  Some of the most notable species found here are Blue Grouse, Long-billed Curlew, Flamulated Owl, Black Swift, Calliope Hummingbird, Williamson's Sapsucker, Black-backed Woodpecker, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Violet-green Swallow, Pigmy Nuthatch, Rock Wren, Varied Thrush, Cassin's Vireo, MacGillivray's Warbler, and Cassin's Finch.  A notable bird watching characteristic of the Valley is large numbers of species that can be found breeding.  For example, there are eleven species of hawks see list, ten species of owls see list, three species of swifts see list, nine species of woodpeckers see list, ten species of flycatchers see list, six species of swallows see list, and eight species of thrushes see list that can be found breeding in the Bitteroot Valley and surrounding mountains.  See our bird checklist  for a complete list of birds.  Many of these species can be found at the sites along the Bitterroot Birding and Nature Trail, the pilot trail for the Montana Birding and Nature Trail.

For a highlight of the valley's scenic beauty take a view of Saint Mary's Peak from the US Forest Service Stevensville Ranger Station Real Time Camera

About The Festival

The Bitterroot Birding and Nature Festival is a celebration of bird watching and nature.  The Festival is host to numerous activities including workshops, tours, bird walks, field trips, booths, entertaining education programs and events.  The Festival is designed for tourist as well as local residents. The weekend prior to the Festival will feature the Western Heritage Days in Stevensville, Montana.  Many pre-festival events will be featured throughout the week following the Western Heritage Days celebration with the majority of the festival programming occurring during the weekend of June 22-24, 2007.   Be sure to come join our entire community in a celebration of bird watching and nature where Montana began. 

Visit the Events Page to see a list of Festival events & Activities!

Festival Logo

The festival logo art features an Osprey.  Osprey can be seen nesting on platforms and fishing throughout the valley along the riparian areas of the Bitterroot River.  The osprey are more concentrated throughout the Lee Metcalf NWR and are one of the more popular birds to watch on the Refuge.  The artwork was created by Peggy Woods of Victor, Montana. More of Peggy's artwork can be seen at www.peggywoods.com.

National NatureWatch Award Winner

The 2005 Bitterroot Birding and Nature Festival was awarded a national Nature Watch Award for demonstrating dedication and skills in developing partnerships to help fulfill the NatureWatch Program mission.

Register For The Festival Here

The Bitterroot Birding and Nature Festival is funded through sponsorships and donations.  Please support the Festival with your donation today.

   

This will be the first year the Festival

is going to host its own Art Show.  For more

details about the Art Show and Auction visit

the Art Show Page.