We documented settling patterns for territorial males of four species of Neotropical bird species in three riparian study areas in western Montana in 1968, 1980 and 2008. The species were Hammond's Flycatcher (Empidonax hammondii), Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus), American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla), and MacGillivray's Warbler (Geothlypis tolmiei). Early arriving males selected areas with some different vegetation attributes than later-arriving males. The most important vegetation variables in early territories were riparian width, red-osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) canopy cover, and red-osier dogwood height. Habitat in territories had some vegetation attributes different than unoccupied areas. Unoccupied habitat had narrower riparian width, taller conifer canopy cover, and shorter dogwood canopy cover.