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World famous for its loud, persistent singing and mimic abilities, the Mockingbird is highly conspicuous. The white flashes in the wings and tail of this grayish bird identify it in flight. It is primarily a southern species that has, by taking advantage of the environmental changes brought about by the ever-increasing human population, expanded its range northward in recent years. In many parts of the country it is a familiar bird of residential neighborhoods. Hear the call of the Northern mockingbird Photo by ©Keith Kohl, ODFW
Shadow-colored skulkers in dense riparian growth, catbirds are among the often heard, less frequently seen denizens of northeast Oregon. They are all dark gray except for a black cap and russet undertail coverts. The sound has variable melodious warblings with occasional imitations of other birds and off-key noises. A distinct mewing call is often heard. The Gray catbird is a fairly common breeder in dense riparian zones of the northeast Blue Mountain ecoregion and is common in the Wallowa and Union counties and in east Umatilla County along the Umatilla River, Pine Creek and Meacham Creek. They breed locally in
The European starling is considered an invasive species in Oregon. It was introduced from Europe. They most closely resemble blackbirds, with which they often flock in fall and winter. While both have iridescent plumage, starlings can be told from blackbirds by their two-toned wing pattern - dark upperwing, pale underwing - and during the breeding season by the bright yellow bill. Starlings adapt readily and quickly to human habitation and are highly efficient and successful breeders. However, the abundance of the bird, the rapidity with which it has spread across North America, and its propensity to cause damage to crops
One of Oregon's most efficient fruit-eaters and a perennial irritant to cherry, blueberry, and grape growers, the Cedar waxwing is a sleek, social resident of mixed forests and urban areas throughout the state. Smooth, tan-brown plumage, a black mask with a mall head crest, red waxy wingtips, and a yellow tipped tail give Cedar waxwings a distinctive appearance. The breeding range of the Cedar waxwing covers most of Oregon, except for the extensive conifer forests and expansive treeless areas with greater breeding populations reported in lowlands. Hear the call of the Cedar waxwing Photo by Kathy Munsel, ODFW
The Bohemian waxwing is a nomadic species, invading locations with fruit-bearing trees or shrubs. Referred to as a "roving bands," their name reflects this view of their unpredictable and seemingly carefree lifestyle. Very sociable birds, they exhibit pronounced flocking habits in the winter, and frequently give themselves away with their constant gentle seeping or trilling voice. Their sleek profile and elegant, almost exotic coloration also distinguish these birds. Hear the song of the Bohemian waxwing Photo by Kathy Munsel, ODFW
These small, buff ground-dwellers are often seen in migration as they pass overhead in lisping flocks or as they walk deliberately along a muddy shore, tilled field, or short-grass upland with their tails slowly bobbing. Breeding birds are grayish above and lightly streaked below; winter birds are more heavily streaked below and brownish above. All plumages have cream-buff undersides (brightness varies) and a dark tail with white outer feathers. The American pipit is locally common in lowlands in winter, especially in western Oregon and on the coast. Hundreds of pipits can be found some years in preferred habitat in the
This group includes the European starling which is considered an invasive species in Oregon.
The wild turkey is the largest game bird in North American with mature males weighing upwards of 20 pounds and standing 40 inches tall. These large terrestrial birds are generally dark brown to black in appearance but iridescent color in feathers ranging from gold and copper to green and black gives a metallic appearance, particularly in full sunlight. Males and about 10 percent of females sport a unique beard of keratinous filament that protrudes from the junction of the breast and neck. Beards grow continuously but rarely exceed 10 inches in length. Females are smaller and duller in appearance. Densities
This northern grouse reaches Oregon only in the forests of the Wallowa Mountains in the northeastern part of the state. It is dusky and slightly smaller than the ruffed grouse. Sexes are different in coloration; males have a black breast with white spotting on the sides, white spots at the base of a black tail, and a red comb above the eye. Females are heavily barred with dark brown and white and have a dark tail. Hear the call of the spruce grouse Photo by Dave Budeau, ODFW
The Barred owl expanded its range from the eastern United States. It was first reported in Oregon in the early 1970s and has since spread to forested areas throughout most of the state. Sometimes confused with the closely related Northern spotted owl, the Barred owl is large with grayish-brown and white feathers and stripes on its chest and throat. It is easily distinguished from the Northern spotted owl by the pronounced horizontal barring across the throat and upper breast, and vertical brown streaks on the lower breast and abdomen. The Barred owl is now a permanent resident in forests of
One of the most startling sounds in the black of night is the loud, harsh call of the Barn owl as it flies over field or marsh in search of small rodents. They are white to tan beneath with fine spotting ranging from almost none to fairly extensive. The face has a well-defined facial disc that acts as a parabolic dish collecting the faint sounds of its prey, allowing it to hunt successfully in total darkness. Male and female Barn owls are similar in appearance though the female is somewhat larger. The Barn owl is a fairly common permanent resident
Oregon's owls are mostly nocturnal, hunting for insects, fish, frogs, birds, mice and other small mammals in the night. Their hoots, screeches and calls can be heard after dark or early in the morning. Owls don't build nests, but instead use tree cavities, nests created by other species, naturally occurring structures or human-made nest platforms. The Western burrowing owl nests underground in abandoned dens dug by squirrels, prairie dogs and badgers. Learn more about Oregon's owls.
Flesh-footed shearwaters are always exciting birds to find, as they are one of the rarest of the seabirds to occur annually in Oregon. Single birds are sometimes found in flocks of other shearwaters. They are very similar to sooty shearwaters but they are larger with pink or pale whitish feet and dark-tipped pale bills. In addition, their plumage is a deep chocolate-brown, lacking the grayness of the upperpart coloration of sooty shearwaters; and the underwing does not show the sooty's white coverts. It is a rare late fall transient offshore at the western edge and slopes of the continental shelf
This salt-loving bird is possibly the most abundant grebe in the world. These grebes nest in the large, tule-fringed marshes of southeastern Oregon. They also use almost any open water for feeding after the breeding season. The eared grebe has been reported breeding in nearly every eastern Oregon county, but principal breeding areas are in Klamath, Lake, and Harney counties. It is local elsewhere east of the Cascades. Hear the call of the eared grebe Photo by Dave Budeau, ODFW
This largest of the commonly encountered loons is perfectly built for underwater prey pursuit. Ungainly on land, this may be the price it pays for being a great diver. Large and blocky-headed, with a straight, robust bill, the common loon is separated from the yellow-billed by its straight bill and winter face pattern, and from smaller loons by its more angular head and often-retracted robust neck. Black head, white "necklace," incomplete black-and-white neckband, and white-checkered black back define breeding adults. Dark gray upperparts of winter adults shade to white underparts. Take-off is impossible by land and labored on water, but
Clark's grebe is very similar in plumage, habitat, and behavior to the western grebe. It breeds in inland lakes with emergent vegetation such as cattails and tules. It requires open water for foraging on the surface or diving below in pursuit of fish. It winters both along the seacoast and on major rivers. Like the western grebe, Clark's grebe is a specialist in fish, which make up over 80 percent of its diet. It will also eat other aquatic organisms like crayfish, amphibians, and aquatic insects. Its breeding range in Oregon overlaps that of western grebe, but Clark's is not
Few seabirds have been labeled "stunning;" but with their graceful flight, boldly patterned upperparts, and brilliant white underparts, these birds truly are one of the most beautiful in Oregon waters. They have a black cap, wings angled forward, long body and tail, and a unique dark 'M' pattern against light gray back and wings. Often seen in small groups mixed among other more abundant shearwaters, they sometimes form pure flocks all flying in gracefully synchronized flight. While regular in Oregon in late fall, they are still uncommon enough to excite observers when encountered at sea. Photo by Tony Morris, Flickr
A big, well-mannered bird of friendly, even playful disposition, with an abundant curiosity as to human presence and activities within the realm of open ocean over which he presides. Long-winged, to seven feet, and dark sooty-brown; adults have a white rump and feathering, which juveniles lack, around the base of a large bill. Every sighting of these gentle giants gliding up to the boat evokes delight. The black-footed albatross is a regular visitant spring through fall offshore, but is irregular in winter. They glean squid, fish and fish eggs from the ocean surface and also eat galley scraps. Hear the
These diving birds are built for living on the water, floating low on the surface with legs farther to the rear to help propel them underwater. Loons have webbed feet, grebes have lobed toes.
Male and female Williamson's sapsuckers look so different that until 1873, ornithologists thought they represented two distinct species. The mostly black male has a bright yellow belly and red chin. The female is pale brown with barred back and wings and dull yellow belly. It is a summer resident of forests in the Blue Mountains, on the east slope of the Cascades and east to Warner Mountains in the south. It breeds in mid - to high-elevation mature or old-growth conifer forests with fairly open canopy cover, and large dead trees suitable for nest cavities. Hear the call of the