Search myodfw.com

Flocks of these big, brown, plain sparrows are a common sight in winter in western Oregon. By early spring their faded head markings become a beautiful gold, black and white, and their plaintive descending songs become frequently heard from almost any large brush pile. They are an abundant migrant in western Oregon, less common farther east, and abundant in winter throughout the Willamette Valley. Hear the song of the Golden-crowned sparrow Photo by Dave Budeau, ODFW

Bringing its cheerful song to streamside thickets throughout the state each breeding season, the bright and active Yellow warbler seems to be the incarnation of summer. Notable for its vivid color, it has been described as a "rich yellow flame among the opening leaves." It was once the most conspicuous breeding warbler in Oregon and was formerly common in shade trees of urban areas, including western Oregon, but has declined precipitously. Hear the song of the Yellow warbler Photo by ©Keith Kohl, ODFW

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

The presence of this medium-sized shorebird often is announced by its high-pitched ringing call as it forages along rocky coastlines amid crashing waves. Unlike most shorebirds, Wandering tattler is a loner and is rarely encountered in flocks. Loose aggregations may sometimes be found together strung out along jetties in migration. The Wandering tattler is a fairly common migrant during spring and fall along the entire Oregon Coast. Hear the call of the Wandering tattler Photo by Dave Budeau, ODFW

This small, remarkably delicate long-legged wader can be found in migration across most of Oregon. It is speckled gray and white with some variation by season and is typically noticed mincing about in shallow pools and in the water adjacent to mudflats or on seasonally flooded fields, as well as in small isolated ponds. It is an uncommon to common migrant, most birds in fall. In the eastern one-third of Oregon, it usually outnumbers Greater yellowlegs in fall. Hear the call of the Lesser yellowlegs Photo by Dave Budeau, ODFW

This is a colonial species that uses rocky islands or spits in large freshwater marshes, lakes, and rivers for nesting. It may fly at least five miles from the nest to forage in marshes, rivers, pastures, or other open habitats. There are colonies of Ring-billed gulls at marshes of southeastern Oregon and on islands in the Columbia and Snake rivers. There has been a colony near Baker City for over 20 years. Hear the call of the Ring-billed gull Photo by Kathy Munsel, ODFW

Terns are generally associated with marine environments and salt marshes, but the Forster's tern inhabits freshwater areas. During the breeding season this graceful bird is eastern Oregon's resident small white tern. Typical of terns, the Forster's employs a dramatic hunting method of plunge-diving into shallow waters to capture small fish, the bird sometimes submerging completely. This is an uncommon but highly visible colonial breeder east of the Cascades. Hear the call of the Forster's tern Photo by Dave Budeau, ODFW

The green-winged teal is the smallest North American dabbling duck. In alternate plumage, green-wing drakes have a cinnamon-colored head with a green eye-stripe, gray back, flanks, and wing with a iridescent green speculum. Hens are brown with a green speculum. This duck is mainly a migrant and winter visitor. It is an uncommon summer resident and breeder in northeastern Oregon and a rare summer resident west of the Cascades. Hear the call of the green-winged teal Photo by Kathy Munsel, ODFW

This large brown sparrow with its handsome black-and-white head pattern is a common breeder in brushy semi-open country throughout much of the state. In winter, it is frequently found in large flocks, often in the company of Golden-crowned sparrows and other seed eaters. White-crowns are easily seen as they feed on the ground, repeatedly dashing back into the cover of dense shrubs before emerging for another foraging bout. Hear the song of the White-crowned sparrow Photo by Kathy Munsel, ODFW

The brush rabbit rarely ventures more than a few meters from the extremely dense brush that constitutes the requisite component of their habitat. Runways are interlaced through brushy clumps into surrounding grassy areas and are kept clear of vegetation for easy and quick access to and from foraging areas. In Oregon, the brush rabbit occurs in the Willamette Valley and other interior valleys, in coastal areas, and in valleys along coastal streams from the Columbia River south, and from the foothills of the Cascade Range west. Photo by ©Keith Kohl, ODFW

The Douglas' squirrel is one of the smaller tree squirrels in Oregon. The color and markings of this squirrel differ individually, geographically and seasonally, appearing a dusky olive to brownish gray with an indistinct band of reddish brown with a blackish band along the flanks. In Oregon, it occurs in coniferous forests from the Pacific coast to as far east as western Baker County. Douglas' squirrels are active during the daylight hours year-round, although they may remain in their nests or tree dens for a day or two during inclement weather. Photo by Kathy Munsel, ODFW

The bushy-tailed woodrat is a large rat-like mammal; its squirrel-like tail unique among members of the genus, is gray above and whitish below. The dorsum is buffy gray to dark brownish-black and the venter is white to buff depending on the geographic race. It occurs, statewide in a wide variety of habitats. It is active nocturnally. Sometimes, upon leaving the protection of its den, the woodrat may lie motionless on a rock or limb, watching for a long period before moving forth. Photo from ODFW

The moose is the largest member of the family Cervidae. The pelage is blackish or dark brownish grading to dark gray or grayish brown on the venter and leg. The muzzle is broad and overhanging, the palmate antlers of adult males are massive, and a "bell" (waddlelike flap of skin on the throat) is present. The first moose to come to Oregon wandered south from Washington or west from Idaho across the Palouse Prairie. They stayed to establish a herd in the Blue Mountains north of Elgin, and today there are an estimated 50 adults and calves in the area

Western pond turtles prefer marshes, streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. They need sparse vegetation nearby for digging nests and like to bask on logs. Population declines are due to habitat loss, degradation of nesting areas by invasive plants, competition from non-native turtles and disease. Predators include raccoons and invasive bullfrogs and fish. Western pond turtles are Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Coast Range, East and West Cascades, Klamath Mountains and Willamette Valley ecoregions. Photo by Simon Wray, ODFW

Although they occur in a wide variety of habitat types, from deserts and chaparral to open forests across Oregon, Western rattlesnakes usually occur near rocks, cliffs, or downed logs. They overwinter in dens typically located on south-facing rocky hillsides exposed to sunshine. Western rattlesnakes feed mainly on small mammals, including mice, gophers, squirrels and rabbits, but will also take birds lizards, and amphibians. The Western rattlesnake is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Willamette Valley. Photo by Simon Wray, ODFW

This large brown shorebird is the most wide-ranging of the curlew species. It is distinctive, having contrasting light-brown and dark-brown head stripes and a long decurved bill that it uses to probe for food on coastal mud flats and beaches. It is a common spring and fall migrant in coastal areas although it is also found, rarely, in small numbers inland as well. It is a rare spring migrant in the Willamette Valley with generally about one record annually, typically in late April or early May. Hear the call of the Whimbrel Photo by ©Keith Kohl, ODFW

This active and often unwary woodpecker, the smallest in North America, is generally the most often seen black and white woodpecker in human-settled areas. A preference is shown for decayed wood for nesting, though sound wood is also utilized. Nest sites are usually 10 to 12 feet off of the ground. It is found mostly at low to moderate elevations in deciduous and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests throughout much of the state, and less often in coniferous forests. Hear the call of the Downy woodpecker Photo by ©Keith Kohl, ODFW

Noted for its familiar call, chick-a-dee-dee-dee, the Black-capped chickadee is widely heralded as one of Oregon's friendliest and cheeriest residents. Even in the midst of winter, this bird "fairly overflows with good spirits." The Black-capped chickadee is resident at low to moderate elevations in western Oregon from the Willamette Valley and coastal counties to Douglas County and in most of eastern Oregon with the exception of the southeastern corner of the state. Hear the song of the Black-capped chickadee Photo by Dave Budeau, ODFW