Montana · Summer breeder

Yellow-breasted Chats in Montana

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

Chats (Icteriidae)Yellow-breasted ChatIcteria virens

Status in Montana: Summer breeder
Nesting window: June–July
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3a–6a

When to expect yellow-breasted chats in Montana

Yellow-breasted Chats are summer residents in Montana, arriving shortly before nesting begins in June and leaving after the young are independent.

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

Nesting in Montana

Across Montana, yellow-breasted chats typically nest from June–July. Plan around that window: May for setup, July for clean-out.

Warm, dry summers and a short growing season.

Yellow-breasted Chats don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as smooth sumac, bur oak, paper birch for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.

Native Montana plants that attract yellow-breasted chats

Of the regional native plants we track for Montana, these 8 provide food or cover yellow-breasted chats use:

Smooth sumac

Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

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

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.

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana · Shrub

Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.

Red-osier dogwood

Cornus sericea · Shrub

White fruit and red winter stems; good thicket cover.

Highbush cranberry

Viburnum trilobum · Shrub

Red fruit persists until late winter when other food is gone.

Common hackberry

Celtis occidentalis · Tree

Sweet dry fruit on the branch all winter.

Feeding yellow-breasted chats through the Montana year

Top foods: None — dense brambly thickets are the draw.
In Montana's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.

Full diet breakdown for yellow-breasted chats · Best feeder for yellow-breasted chats

Frequently asked

Are yellow-breasted chats in Montana year-round?

No. Yellow-breasted Chats are summer breeders in Montana and leave for the winter.

When do yellow-breasted chats nest in Montana?

Nesting in Montana typically runs June–July, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 2–6 eggs, incubated for 11–12 days.

What native plants attract yellow-breasted chats in Montana?

Smooth sumac, Bur oak, Tall goldenrod, Paper birch, Chokecherry, Red-osier dogwood, Highbush cranberry, Common hackberry are native plants in Montana that provide food or cover for yellow-breasted chats.

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 Wild Turkey 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 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.