Yellowstone River Birding & Conservation Project

Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society’s (YVAS) ‘Yellowstone River Birding and Conservation Project’ (YRBCP) was established in 2010 to promote and encourage the study and conservation of birds and bird habitat within the Yellowstone River. Recording data using protocols consistent with those of the Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society, the Montana Natural Heritage Program (MNHP), eBird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) and others, YVAS encourages its members, educational institutions, government agencies, special interest groups, private landowners, and the general public to gather such data in support of this effort.

Within the Yellowstone River Corridor, the MNHP (2010) has recorded 243 species of birds, 43 bird species of special concern, and 14 bird species potentially of special concern.  The MNHP has also recorded 59 species of fish and 87 species of mammals in the Yellowstone River Corridor.  The Yellowstone River Corridor obviously harbors a very diverse and important biota, possibly one of the most diverse biota in North America.  For purposes herein, the Yellowstone River Corridor includes areas within 1/4 mile each side of the Yellowstone River center line and all of the 100 year floodplain, from Yellowstone River headwaters in Yellowstone National Park to its confluence with the Missouri River.  At 671 miles, the Yellowstone River is the longest free-flowing river in the lower 48 states.

YVAS is committed to enhancing the environmental data base of the Yellowstone River Corridor and to protecting this area consistent with the YVAS mission.  All data gathered within the Yellowstone River Corridor is submitted to the MNHP which is made available to all interested people, groups, or agencies.  

For more information on Montana Natural Heritage Program, visit:  http://mtnhp.org/.