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Features: In breeding plumage, green-winged drakes have a cinnamon-colored head with a green eye-stripe, gray back, flanks, and a bright patch of iridescent green on the rear of the wing (speculum). Hens are brown with a green speculum. Habitat: Green-winged teal are primarily winter migrants in Oregon. They are puddle (dabbling) ducks that prefer shallow areas like ponds and marshes, where they feed on or near the surface of the water by tipping up. Techniques: Teal are early migrants that begin arriving in Oregon in August but will continue to arrive into November. There are good early season hunts in…

Features: Brant are a small to medium-size goose. They have smoky black backs and bellies, and dissected white collars and white around the tails provide striking contrast. The brant can live up to 20 years and are resilient enough to ride out storms on the open ocean. Habitats: Brant are primarily found in bays and estuaries, but on occasion can be found inland. They forage on eel grass and other aquatic vegetation. Most of their feeding is in shallow water or in tidal flats. They tend to feed in flocks. Techniques: As with any waterfowl hunting, location is key. Seek…

Features: The small Ross's goose looks very similar to a snow goose, but with some slight distinguishing features. Like the snow goose, this goose has black primary feathers. But it does not have the black grin of a snow goose on its pink bill. Also, their wing beat is faster and call higher pitched than a snow goose's. Habitats: The Ross's goose can be found in shallow lakes and wetlands while in migration. It feeds on grasses, sedges and small grains. Techniques: Often taken while snow goose hunting, the techniques are similar. Create a white decoy spread with silhouettes, white…

Features: The distinctive white band across the base of their bill gives this goose its name. It is medium in size with a gray and brown body. Adults have d ark brown and black spots on their chests and breasts give this goose the "specklebelly" nickname, while the young of the year birds are a nondescript gray with yellow legs and bills. Habitats: The white-fronted goose grazes on a mixture of grasses and grains. It can often be found in agricultural lands. Techniques: Hunting white-fronted geese is not for the faint-hearted. Scouting is necessary. And since they're mostly found in…

Features: Blue grouse are large in comparison to most other grouse species. The females are mottled brown, tan, and gray. The males are similar, but with solid blue-gray on the underside and bright orange-yellow combs over the eyes. Habitat: Blue grouse occupy the coniferous forests of western Oregon, the eastern slopes of the Cascades, the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon, and the Klamath Basin and south Warner Mountains. Preferred habitat includes timber edges, open timbered slopes, mountain meadows adjacent to springs or other sources of water, and near berry producing areas such as chokecherry thickets. Technique: Effective hunting techniques involve…

Features: Columbian sharp-tailed grouse are brown-gray with small black and white markings, a white underside, and a short tail that is white at the base. They are a medium-sized grouse. Both the males and females have a yellow-orange comb over each eye. Habitat: Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were historically found in most counties of eastern Oregon. These birds preferred the bunchgrass prairies interspersed with stream bottoms containing deciduous shrubs and trees. This habitat was particularly common in north-central Oregon and the Columbia Basin. Technique: In 1929, Oregon closed its hunting season for sharp-tailed grouse and it has never re-opened. By the…

Features: Both the male and female are gray or reddish-brown on the body with dark bars and spots throughout. They have variable tail colors but always have a black band near the tip. Habitat: Ruffed grouse are most commonly found in brushy riparian areas in eastern Oregon and in early-aged mixed woodlands in western Oregon, though birds may be found in pockets of good habitat nearly anywhere. Technique: The ruffed grouse is a bird of the edge, so look in edges of meadows, clearcuts, and where brushy growth meets timber. In September, when most ruffed grouse hunting takes place in…

Features: Hungarian partridge have a gray-brown body with reddish brown barring on their wings, back and tail. Their beak and legs are gray. Habitat: In eastern Oregon, the best partridge populations exist in Columbia and Snake River basin counties. Although some birds may be found many miles from farming areas, the bunchgrass and sagebrush foothills adjacent to wheat and other farmlands provide the best habitat and the most stable populations. Technique: "Huns" are swift and challenging birds to hunt, usually bursting from the cover with a startling squeal and clatter of wings. They are typically hunted incidentally to pheasants or…

Features: Female pheasants are brown on top and paler underneath. They have black spots on their sides and black bars throughout their tails. The males are much more conspicuous with bright red on their head, a white band around their necks, and an iridescent copper color on their sides and backs. Their tails are long and pointed with barring. Habitat: The ringneck is a farmland species, heavily dependent on cereal grains and other seeds. They also like taller vegetation for cover. Technique: Because pheasants are tied so closely to agriculture, the majority of hunting opportunity occurs on private lands. State…

Features: Slightly larger than its cousin, the rock pigeon, band-tailed pigeons have a grey body. As its name suggests, a wide pale band stretches along the tip of tail feathers. Up close a distinctive white, crescent-shaped mark across its neck is noticable. Habitats: Found on the west side of the state, the band-tailed pigeon frequents semi-open coniferous forests. It forages on wild seeds and fruits in tree tops. In search of food, it travels in flocks from tree top to tree top. Techniques: Find a food source, such as elderberry or cascara, and location with open shooting lanes. Then wait…

Features: Slender birds, mourning doves have long tails and small heads. Their soft cooing and whistling wings make them unmistakable. Habitats: Mourning doves perch on telephone wires or in trees. They forage on the ground for seeds. Techniques: Scouting is always helpful. Look for a tree or telephone line that is near a food crop. Once a location is found, find a spot where a backdrop will breakup your silhouette and take a seat. Wait for a passing shot. Extra shells may be necessary.

Features: A medium-size shorebird, it is stocky with brown and buff coloration. The long, thin bill is a distinguishing feature. Habitats: As a shorebird, the Wilson's snipe is found along bog, marsh and wet meadow edges. It uses its long bill to forage for worms and other invertebrates. Techniques: Hunt along wetland edges. Because their coloration is excellent camoflage, they're difficult to see before flushing. Be quick on the draw and use a light load. They are small birds after all. Header photo by Dave Budeau

Features: Wood ducks can not be mistaken. The drake's iridescent chestnut, greens and white patterning are distinctive. The hen has a unique profile and white pattern around the eye. Habitat: Wood ducks are found in wooded swamps, on rivers and ponds. They feed on mostly seeds, but wood ducks will supplement their diet with aquatic plants, insects and crustaceans too. Acorns, hazelnuts, waste grains, and fallen seeds from trees and shrubs make up a good deal of their diet. As the name implies, they nest in tree cavities near water. Techniques: Search out a wood duck's food source and wait…