Harrison Bird Habitat

Harrison Lake, aka Willow Creek Reservoir, just east of Harrison in the Madison Valley, is now formally an Important Bird Area (IBA)—the 40th IBA in Montana. The Harrison area has a diversity of species, including transient waterbirds, breeding waterfowl, and migrating shorebirds, and IBAs help those birds by setting science-based priorities for habitat conservation and promoting positive action to safeguard vital bird habitats. John Parker of the local Sacajawea Audubon Society has organized and conducted surveys of the area for the last two decades, and according to his research, over 155 different species of birds have been documented in the area. To learn more, visit sacajaweaaudubon.org.