U.S. Bird Species in Peril

Forty birds in Montana, including the stately sage grouse, are among the "most imperiled" birds in the country, conservationists announced.

The National Audubon Society this week released "WatchList 2007" of 178 species of birds in the continental United States and 39 species in Hawaii that the group says are in the greatest danger of extinction and need "immediate conservation help."

The total amounts to one-fourth of the bird species in the country, the group said.

In Montana, the list includes better-known birds like the sage grouse and the Calliope hummingbird, the continent's smallest.

But there are less well-known species such as Baird's sparrow, a little brown bird whose trilling call can be heard on the upland prairies of northeastern Montana, and the black swift, which hides out behind waterfalls in the state's northwest corner.

Eight Montana birds are on the groups' "red list," those considered most at risk of extinction. Some of the biggest problems come from disappearing wetlands or human pressures on grassland and other habitats.

Audubon and the America Bird Conservancy compiled the list based on an assessment of the bird's population size, range size, threats, and population trend.

--The Associated Press

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Credit: Wendy Shattil/Bob Rozinski