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On his historic expedition with Meriwether Lewis, Captain William Clark, the bird's namesake, first mistook this species for a woodpecker undoubtedly because of its long, sharp beak. However, this most specialized member of the North American Crow family uses this apparatus to pry loose its favored seeds from unrelenting cones of several pines with which the nutcracker has a symbiotic relationship. The whitebark pine, in particular, is totally reliant on Clark's nutcrackers for seed dispersal and germination. In Oregon the Clark's nutcracker is a resident along the crest of the Cascades, usually above 4,000 feet, lower on the east slope…

A constant chatter of high-pitched staccato tidi tidi tidi or tideet tideet calls coming from the canopy of ponderosa pine forests east of the Cascade Range is a sure sign of the presence of this tiny, highly active, social nuthatch. Measuring only 3.75-4 inches long, this stubby mite is the smallest and plainest of the three western U.S. nuthatches. This is a tree-bark clinger that has a woodpecker-like bill for probing bark, opening seeds, and cavity excavation. The Pygmy nuthatch forages all the tree surfaces from the trunks to the outer- and top-most needles and cones. The Pygmy nuthatch is…

Even in the most barren and desolate reaches of the Great Basin, the cheerful song of the hardy Rock wren will contradict any notion that the desert is devoid of life. This specialist of cracks and crevices can be found almost anywhere there is exposed rock. One of its most unique features is the mysterious pebble path is constructs from its stone-cave nest to the outside entrance. Drab and pale overall, the gray head and back, white to tawny underparts, and gray tail with buff-tipped corners distinguish this species from other wrens. The Rock wren is a common breeder in…

This moderately small wren maintains the frenetic energy that is so obviously typical of this family of birds. It is a summer inhabitant in many parts of Oregon, generally in open woodlands, thickets, and occasionally in residential gardens. The House wren occurs over the widest latitudinal range of any New World passerine. The House wren nests in a wide variety of native and human-influenced habitats. Nest sites are primarily located within preformed cavities in snags. It is a very uncommon to common transient and summer resident in semi-open woodland habitats throughout the state. In southwest Oregon, it is most common…

This small, dark-headed sparrow flashing white outer tail feathers is one of the state's most abundant species and one of the easiest to identify. When not nesting, the Dark-eyed junco might be seen nearly anywhere in the state. It is a regular visitor to city parks and neighborhood bird feeders. Most juncos occurring in Oregon show dark hoods, dull rusty-brown backs, and pinkish brown below the wings. Some are grayish, lacking much of the brown tones. They are most often observed in single-species flocks but individuals and small groups often join mixed wintering sparrow flocks. It is resident from the…

The House sparrow is an invasive species introduced from Europe. No other North American wild bird is so associated with human settlement as this introduced House sparrow. Its foods are nearly all imports, and its nesting and cover requirements are also human-derived. The House sparrow and European starling are the only introduced passerine birds that are thriving in Oregon. These birds can dominate bird feeders and utilize nest boxes that were intended for native species. The House sparrow can be found statewide around buildings at human developments of adequate size ranging from scattered farmsteads in remote and rural areas to…

The yellow-pine chipmunk is one of the smallest in Oregon, only slightly larger than the least chipmunk. Its face is marked with a dark stripe, followed laterally by two alternate light and dark stripes. The outermost light strip is nearly white. It occurs on the east slope of the Western Cascades and eastward through most of the remainder of Oregon, except it is absent from most of the Columbia Basin and much of southern Harney, eastern Malheur, and southern Baker counties. Its range also extends westward in the Siskiyou Mountains in southern Jackson and Josephine counties. Ponderosa pine seems to…

The least chipmunk is the smallest chipmunk in Oregon, but it is only slightly smaller than the yellow-pine chipmunk. As in all chipmunks, the face is marked with a dark stripe through the eye bordered on each side with a light- and a dark-colored stripe. The middorsum is marked with a dark-colored stripe followed on each side by two alternating light- and dark-colored stripes. The least chipmunk has the largest geographic range of any chipmunk. In Oregon, it occurs east of the Cascade Range except in the Columbia Basin and most of the Blue Mountains. In general, it is a…

The Northern flying squirrel is the smallest arboreal squirrel in Oregon. It is typically squirrel-like except that the fore- and hind legs are connected by a furred patagium that extends from the ankle to the wrist. It is lead colored with buffy brown to brown tips. It occurs in forested areas west of the Cascade Range and eastward to near Lakeview, Lake County and Paulina Lake, Deschutes County. The species also occurs in the Blue, Ochoco, and Wallowa mountains. Northern flying squirrels are mostly nocturnal although individuals may be observed abroad during light hours on rare occasions. They are usually…

Features: Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep are the largest-bodied bighorn in North America and one of two subspecies of wild sheep in Oregon. Bighorn sheep were extirpated from the state in the 1800s so current populations are the result of a reintroduction effort by ODFW and sportsman groups. Habitat: Oregon’s estimated 800 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep are found in the northeast corner of the state, in canyons of the Snake River and its tributaries and in alpine areas of the Wallowa Mountains. Techniques: Bighorn sheep are one of the rarest game species hunted in Oregon today, with about 100 tags available…

Appropriately named, adult long-toed salamanders have extremely long toes on their hind feet. Adults have black or brown skin that is smooth and moist with a yellow ragged-edged stripe running from its head to the tip of its tail. It is speckled with white or silver dots along its sides and underside. Adults may grow up to more than six inches in total length. Adult long-toed salamanders are seen infrequently, as they spend most of the year in the ground. They find cover in a variety of habitats including grasslands, dry shrub-steppe, pastures, lowland forests, high elevation lakes and ponds…

The drake gadwall is a large mostly gray dabbling duck. Adult drakes have a black bill, buff head, gray body, and black upper and lower tail coverts. Hens are nondescript brown ducks with a spotted, yellowish-orange bill with black edges. Gadwalls are unique among dabbling ducks in having a partly white speculum which can be observed in flight. Common vocalizations include the deep, reed-like sounds of the male and the female's quacking, similar to but more nasal and higher pitched than the mallard hen. It is an abundant breeder locally in eastern Oregon and an uncommon breeder in western Oregon…

The white secondaries of the white-winged scoter in all plumages form a conspicuous square wing patch during flight but are often hidden during rest. Other than the secondaries, males' plumage is entirely black except for a small white teardrop around each eye. Females and immatures are dark brown above and pale below with diffuse white patches in front of and behind the eyes. A black knob graces the males' swollen, white-ridged, orange bills, while females' and immatures' bills are dark; the feathering of all extends almost to the nostril. Abundant along the coast from fall through spring, white-winged scoters are…

The bufflehead is North America's smallest diving duck, giving it the advantage of being able to nest in abandoned holes of northern flickers, a plentiful resource off limits to larger cavity-nesting ducks. It is a swift flyer and takes wing from water more easily and neatly than other diving ducks. Widely distributed throughout the state in winter, males attract attention with their striking white body, black back, and iridescent black head with a large notch of white; females and juveniles are dark charcoal-gray with a conspicuous white patch behind and below the eye. It is a local, uncommon breeder in…

The Turkey vulture, known locally as a "buzzard," is a common sight spring through fall throughout the state, except in the highest mountains and featureless desert expanses in summer where they are uncommon. Seeing Turkey vultures returning is a welcome sign of spring. Turkey vultures are large-winged soaring birds with overall dark plumage except for a silvery sheen on the undersides of the flight feathers. Adults have small, featherless, red heads, while juveniles have gray heads. The Turkey vulture is a common to abundant transient throughout the state and an uncommon to common summer resident except in high mountains. It…