Montana · Year-round resident

Wild Turkeys in Montana

When wild turkeys are present in Montana, when they nest, which native Montana plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3a–6a yard.

Turkeys and grouse (Phasianidae)Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo

Status in Montana: Year-round resident
Nesting window: April–June
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3a–6a
Range note: River corridors and pine hills.

When to expect wild turkeys in Montana

Wild Turkeys live in Montana all year — river corridors and pine hills. Very cold winters on the plains, with chinook winds bringing sudden thaws. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them.

Continental — Rocky Mountain forest in the west, semi-arid Great Plains in the east.

Nesting in Montana

Across Montana, wild turkeys typically nest from April–June. Plan around that window: March for setup, June for clean-out.

Warm, dry summers and a short growing season.

Wild Turkeys don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as bur oak, paper birch for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.

Native Montana plants that attract wild turkeys

Of the regional native plants we track for Montana, these 8 provide food or cover wild turkeys use:

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Wild bergamot

Monarda fistulosa · Perennial

Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta · Perennial

Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.

Common sunflower

Helianthus annuus · Perennial

Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed.

Little bluestem

Schizachyrium scoparium · Perennial

Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.

Tall goldenrod

Solidago altissima · Perennial

Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.

Paper birch

Betula papyrifera · Tree

Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.

Rocky Mountain bee plant

Cleome serrulata · Perennial

Nectar-rich in summer, seed for finches in fall.

Feeding wild turkeys through the Montana year

Top foods: Cracked corn, Whole corn (where legal).
In Montana's winter: Very cold winters on the plains, with chinook winds bringing sudden thaws.

Full diet breakdown for wild turkeys · Best feeder for wild turkeys

Frequently asked

Are wild turkeys in Montana year-round?

Yes. Wild Turkeys are year-round residents in Montana. River corridors and pine hills.

When do wild turkeys nest in Montana?

Nesting in Montana typically runs April–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 4–17 eggs, incubated for 25–31 days.

What native plants attract wild turkeys in Montana?

Bur oak, Wild bergamot, Black-eyed Susan, Common sunflower, Little bluestem, Tall goldenrod, Paper birch, Rocky Mountain bee plant are native plants in Montana that provide food or cover for wild turkeys.

Other backyard birds in Montana

Black-capped Chickadee Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren House Finch Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Steller's Jay Black-billed Magpie Canada Jay Mountain Chickadee Chestnut-backed Chickadee Pygmy Nuthatch Black-chinned Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Cassin's Finch Spotted Towhee Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Varied Thrush Violet-green Swallow Black-headed Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting Bullock's Oriole Eurasian Collared-Dove American Crow Common Raven Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Pine Grosbeak Red Crossbill Gray Catbird Western Tanager Black-throated Sparrow Lark Sparrow Green-tailed Towhee Pinyon Jay Clark's Nutcracker Western Screech-Owl Hooded Merganser Band-tailed Pigeon Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Yellow-breasted Chat Orange-crowned Warbler Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo Least Flycatcher Western Kingbird Ash-throated Flycatcher Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Burrowing Owl Lewis's Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker American Three-toed Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark Common Redpoll Hoary Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Bohemian Waxwing Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Rock Pigeon

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.