Last Chance Audubon Society
Promoting understanding, respect, and enjoyment of birds and the natural world
through education, habitat protection and environment advocacy.

About LCAS
Membership
Contact
Calendar
History

Birding
Field Trips
Christmas Bird Count
Birdathon
Birding in the Helena Area

Learning
Chapter Programs
Monthly Newsletters
Natural History Lecture Series

Conserving
Habitat Protection
Environmental Advocacy

Bird of the Month
The Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) is a common bird in forest areas around Helena and is a feeder visitor in many areas of town. This species is nomadic and an irregular visitor appearing in large numbers and then nearly disappearing. Crossbills breed any time they finds a sufficiently large cone crop, even in the depths of winter. The Red Crossbill is so dependent upon conifer seeds it even feeds them to its young.

The crossbill's odd bill shape helps it get into tightly closed cones. A bird's biting muscles are stronger than the muscles used to open the bill, so the Red Crossbill places the tips of its slightly open bill under a cone scale and bites down. The crossed tips of the bill push the scale up, exposing the seed inside.

Red Crossbills shows a great deal of variation in bill shape and voice, and it is believed that they are actually composed of several different species. Eight or more different flight call types have been described north of Mexico, and birds giving each type have slightly differently shaped bills and prefer to feed on different tree species with differently sized cones. (Dan Sullivan)

Upcoming Programs
MEMBERSHIP MEETING: Last Chance Audubon Society meets the Third Monday of the Month, September - May, at 7:00 pm at the Montana Wild Center. The Montana Wild Center is located on 2668 Broadwater Ave off of Euclid Avenue across from Kessler Elementary School on the west side of Helena.(map)

The program -- Rehabilitating our Montana Wildlife presented by: Lisa Rhodin. Monday - February 20, 2012.

Lisa Rhodin, a wildlife rehabilitator for more than 30 years, directs the complex maneuvers to make this happen. Last year 125 injured, orphaned or displaced animals came through the Montana Wildlife Center. Forty of these were birds ranging from a Western Wood Peewee to a Golden Eagle and Trumpeter Swans. Raptors comprised 72% of the birds. The mammals at the Center included both Black and Grizzly Bears, Mountain Lion, Porcupines, and various assorted other species. Each animal comes with its own tale to tell and while some are more challenging than others, they all keep Lisa on her toes.

Lisa's presentation will include a short video, stories and an introduction of a couple of the ambassador birds.

Recent News

The Last Chance Audubon Natural History Lecture Series for 2012 begins on February 20 with a series of lecture on Yellowstone National Park. There are four lectures on successive Tuesdays through March 20. Presentation by renowned experts will be about park birds, flora of the park, park geology and a grizzly bears. Lectures are held at St Paul's Methodist Church at the corner of Cruse Ave and Lawrence Ave beginning at 7:00 PM. The Fee for the lectures, used to support Helena Community conservation and education programs, is $5 per lecture or $15 for a ticket of all four lectures.