Birds of Interest This site qualifies as an IBA because of the presence of breeding Vesper and Grasshopper Sparrow and because of the presence of the following bird species with >1% of their range in Massachusetts: Eastern Phoebe, Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, Blue-winged Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, and Baltimore Oriole. Also, the following Partners in Flight High Conservation Priority Species are present: American Woodcock, Black-billed Cuckoo, Whip-poor-will, Chimney Swift, Hairy Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Least Flycatcher, Great-crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Veery, Brown Thrasher, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Towhee, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Grasshopper Sparrow.

Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area contains the state’s largest inland occurrence of a pitch pine-scrub oak natural community, a fire-adapted community that supports a diversity of rare plants and wildlife and other species of conservation concern. This habitat type occurs on large glacial outwash sandplains of dry, poor soils.

The property can be accessed from Hillside Road, Turnpike Road, Turners Falls Road, Plains Road, Lake Pleasant Road, and Old Northfield Road. Multiple pull-offs exist off of Old Northfield Road and Plains Road.

The AllTrails website has descriptions and maps of hikes at Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area.