The Montana Bird Control Guide
Birds on your building: a western Montana guide to what works
31 guides on the birds that move into Montana buildings, what the law protects, what actually keeps them out, and what the work involves.
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How to use this guide
Start wherever you are
A bird problem is really three questions: which bird is it, what is it doing on the building, and what does the law allow you to do about it. Get those right and the fix is usually simple and permanent. Get them wrong and you can spend years cleaning up after birds that never leave. This guide is written for the Missoula and Bitterroot valleys, and it is organized by the question you are trying to answer.
- UnderstandWhich bird is it, and why is it here?Species, where they get in, the law and the nesting calendar, and health.
- DecideWhat actually works, and what will it involve?Exclusion against scare tactics, what drives cost, and who should do it.
- BookWho can do the work?Our bird control services, and the towns we work in.
Part 1: Understand
Know your birds
Which species you have, how it uses a building, what is protected, and what it leaves behind.
The birds, species by species
Which bird you have decides everything else: what it wants, what stops it, and what the law allows.
- Pigeons on Montana Buildings, Signs, Bridges and Barns
Why feral pigeons stay on Montana storefronts, signs, grain facilities and barns, their legal status, and the exclusion and ledge methods that hold up.
- European Starlings Nesting in Vents, Soffits and Gaps in Montana
European starlings nest in vents, soffits and wall gaps and flock to Montana feedlots in winter. Legal status, the mess, and how exclusion is timed.
- House Sparrows Nesting in Signs, Awnings, Eaves and Barns
How to tell house sparrows from protected native sparrows, their legal status in Montana, where they nest on buildings, and the gap size that excludes them.
- Swallows nesting on a Montana building
Why swallows pick your eave, why knocking the mud nests down never works, and the exclusion that does — timed around a nest you are not allowed to disturb.
- Northern Flickers and Woodpeckers Damaging Montana Homes
Why flickers drum on and drill into cedar siding, log homes and stucco in western Montana, what the law allows, and which deterrents research supports.
- Magpies, Crows and Ravens Around Montana Homes and Ranches
Black-billed magpies, crows and ravens on Montana property: what attracts them, their legal status as FWP and federal sources state it, and what you can do.
- Canada Geese on Lawns, Ponds and Golf Courses in Western Montana
Why Canada geese settle on mowed grass by water, what federal guidance says about hazing, feeding and nests, and the landscaping changes that help.
- Wild Turkeys in Town: What Montana FWP Says Residents Can Do
Wild turkeys in Missoula and Bitterroot yards: what Montana FWP says about feeding, hazing, relocation and aggressive birds, and who to call.
- Osprey and Eagle Nests on Your Property: The Rules in Montana
Osprey, bald eagle and golden eagle nests on Montana property and power poles: federal protections, buffers for tree work and building, and who to call.
Where birds get into buildings
Vents, attics, soffits, solar arrays, barns, and the design details that invite them.
- Birds Nesting in Dryer, Bathroom and Kitchen Vents
How to tell a bird is nesting in a dryer or bathroom vent, why it is a fire and moisture problem, and what to do about an active nest in western Montana.
- Birds in the Attic, Soffit or Wall: What to Do
Birds in an attic, soffit, eave or wall void in western Montana: finding the entry point, identifying the species, active nest rules, sealing and cleanup.
- Pigeons Nesting Under Solar Panels in Montana
Why pigeons nest under rooftop solar panels, what the mess does, how mesh skirts work, and why to call your installer first. A western Montana guide.
- Birds in Barns, Arenas and Hay Storage in Western Montana
Pigeons, starlings and sparrows in a Montana barn or arena: what they do to feed and equipment, which birds are protected, and how to exclude them.
- Bird droppings at a commercial entrance
Roosting birds over a doorway are a slip hazard and a corrosion problem. Why cleaning alone never ends it, and what exclusion on a commercial frontage involves.
- Bird-Proofing a Building at the Design Stage
How to design or remodel a Montana building so birds do not move in: ledges, beam ends, signs, canopies, vents, lighting, and building it in vs retrofit.
- Why a Bird Keeps Hitting Your Window, and What to Do About It
A robin attacking its reflection and a bird striking glass in flight are different problems. What USFWS and Audubon recommend, and who helps a stunned bird.
The law and the calendar
What is protected, when nests are active, and what happens when birds are doing real damage.
- Which birds can you legally remove in Montana?
Most birds nesting on a Montana building are federally protected while the nest is active. Three common species are not, and telling them apart decides the job.
- A Month-by-Month Nesting Calendar for Birds on Montana Buildings
When swallows, starlings, house sparrows, pigeons, flickers and robins arrive, nest and leave in Montana, and how to schedule exclusion and tree work.
- Migratory bird depredation permits in Montana, explained
When protected birds cause real damage in Montana: what the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says about depredation permits and orders, and who to call first.
Health, feeders, and gardens
What droppings and old nests can carry, and living with birds in the yard without inviting trouble.
- Bird Droppings and Health: What CDC and NIOSH Say
What CDC and NIOSH say about histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis and psittacosis from bird and bat droppings, the real risk in Montana, and safer cleanup.
- Bird Mites in the House After a Nest Is Gone
Bird mites can wander indoors after a nest is abandoned or removed. What they are, how long they survive without birds, bites, and control.
- Bird Feeders in Western Montana: Bears, Pests, Disease
Montana FWP guidance on bird feeders and bears, plus which feeders draw pigeons, starlings, sparrows and rodents, and how to keep feeders clean.
- Protecting Fruit Trees and Berries From Birds in Montana
How to keep birds off cherries, apples and berries in the Bitterroot: which birds, the right netting mesh, frames, timing, and what scare tactics can do.
Part 2: Decide
Weigh the options
What keeps birds out for good, what only moves them for a week, what moves the price, and when to bring someone in.
What works, and what does not
Exclusion against scare tactics, and what a proper job looks like.
- Best Humane Ways to Deter Birds (and the Ones That Don't Work)
The bird deterrents that actually work, from netting and mesh to spikes and shock track, the ones that don't, and what the law allows in Montana.
- Do bird scare devices work? What the research says
Plastic owls, reflective tape, eye balloons, ultrasonic boxes, lasers and gels: what USDA and extension research found, and when each one is worth trying.
- What to expect from a professional bird exclusion project
From the first call to the follow-up visit: how a bird exclusion job runs in western Montana, what you will be asked, and how to judge whether it worked.
Cost, and who should do it
What moves the price, when to do it yourself, and how to choose a company.
- What drives the cost of bird control in western Montana?
Species, access, height, area, materials, cleanup and timing decide what a bird exclusion job costs in Missoula and the Bitterroot. Here is how each one works.
- DIY bird control or a professional: where is the line?
What a Montana property owner can safely do about nuisance birds, what should be hired out, and the DIY mistakes that trap birds or make the problem worse.
- Best Bird Control Services in Western Montana (2026)
The few western Montana companies that do bird control compared: netting, spikes, exclusion, pigeons and woodpeckers, and which areas each serves.
For businesses and managed properties
Food businesses, HOAs, and multi-unit buildings have their own constraints.
- Bird Control for Montana Restaurants and Food Businesses
What the FDA Food Code and Montana's retail food rules say about pests, and how patios, dumpsters and loading docks can be bird-proofed while you stay open.
- Bird Control for HOAs, Apartments and Property Managers
Bird problems on multi-unit buildings in western Montana: who is responsible, feeding rules, timing around nesting, records, and budgeting for exclusion.
Part 3: Book
Humane bird control for homes, businesses, and barns
When you are ready for someone to look at the building, these are the services we offer across Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley. Estimates are free.
- Bird MitigationHumane bird deterrent, exclusion, and cleanup services that protect homes and businesses across Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley.See the service
- Bird Netting & ExclusionBird netting, mesh, and ledge modification across Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley — permanent exclusion installed outside the nesting season.See the service
- Bird Spikes & Ledge DeterrentsBird spikes, angled ledge covers, and barrier systems installed on parapets, signs, beams, and ledges across Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley.See the service
- Bird Nest RemovalLawful removal of old and inactive bird nests from vents, eaves, gutters, and signs in Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley, with the entry point closed after.See the service
- Bird Dropping & Nest CleanupBird dropping and nest cleanup for homes and businesses across Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley, cleared with dust suppression rather than dry-swept.See the service
- Commercial Bird ControlHumane bird exclusion, deterrents, and cleanup for storefronts, restaurants, warehouses, and managed buildings across Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley.See the service
- Barn & Outbuilding Bird ControlHumane bird exclusion for barns, riding arenas, shops, and hay storage across the Bitterroot Valley and Missoula: netting, gap closure, and cleanup.See the service
Bird control by town
Yes. HJ Property Care & Tree Service uses exclusion and deterrents only: netting, mesh, ledge covers, and barriers that keep birds off a building without harming them. We do not trap or poison birds, and the guide does not explain how to.
It depends on the species and whether the nest is active. Most native birds and their active nests are protected by federal law. Start with which birds you can remove in Montana before touching anything.
Yes. It is written for the Missoula and Bitterroot valleys: the birds found here, the buildings they use, and the guidance of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Each article lists the sources it relies on.
With the bird. Identify the species first, because what stops a pigeon does nothing to a sparrow, and what the law allows differs too. If you are not sure what you have, bird mitigation starts with an on-site assessment.
Because the same birds on two different buildings can be very different jobs. The cost guide explains what moves the price so you can compare proposals fairly. For a number, we survey the building and give you a written estimate at no charge.
Birds on your building?
Free estimates within 48 hours. Humane exclusion and cleanup from a locally owned, licensed & insured crew.