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In Oregon, the opossum is considered an invasive species. The Virginia opossum is a cat-sized mammal with a pointed nose, unfurred, black, leathery ears with white edges; beady eyes; a hind foot with an opposable hallux (big toe); and a naked scaly tail. It was introduced in Oregon between 1910 and 1921. Populations were established in northwestern Oregon apparently from releases of animals brought to the state as pets or novelties. Small streams, forest communities, and agricultural lands planted to a variety of crops are typical of many habitats occupied by Virginia opossums in Oregon. They are active nocturnally and…

The ears of the pygmy rabbit are short, rounded, and covered with long silky hairs inside and out; the tail is small and covered with hairs possessing wide buffy bands with narrow blackish tips above and below; and the feet are short, densely furred below, and colored a light orangy-buff. In Oregon, pygmy rabbits have been found east and south of a line connecting Klamath Falls, Fremont, Redmond, and Baker City. This rabbit is closely tied to habitats dominated by big sagebrush. The Pygmy rabbit is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Northern Basin and Range ecoregion. Photo from…

Although common within its range, this handsome sparrow can easily be overlooked. The gray head, black malar stripe, white eyebrow, and prominent black spot set in the middle of a white breast identify the bird. It is widespread throughout the extensive shrub-steppe of central and eastern Oregon. The principal breeding range of Sagebursh sparrow is southeast and central Oregon. It is found throughout the arid expanses of the Great Basin and usually associated with big sage. Although considered by some authors to be a sagebrush obligate, Sagebrush sparrows have been found in other plant communities exclusive of sagebrush. Hear the…

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…

The Piute ground squirrel is the other of the two small gray ground squirrels without stripes or spots. In Oregon, it occurs south of Sheepshead and Cedar mountains in Malheur County. It is a species of the High Desert and commonly occurs in habitats in which the dominant shrub is big sagebrush, saltbush, or greasewood. It is commonly associated with rocky outcrops, levees, railroad embankments, ditchbanks, and sand dunes. Some occur in fencerows and edges of alfalfa and small-grain fields. These ground squirrels are usually active for three to five months each year. They emerge from their hibernacula in February…

This popular upland game bird is the largest of Oregon's three forest grouse. It is well known for the distinctive hooting call emitted by courting males in the spring. This call is accompanied by an extravagant courtship display involving exposure of blood-engorged, featherless shoulder spots and eye combs, which are reddish to orange. It is a common resident in coniferous forests. Hear the call of the dusky grouse Photo by Jim Dollar, Flickr

These lizards are found in open desert shrublands, particularly where islands of sand have accumulated around shrubs and are absent where a dense grass understory would inhibit their ability to run. The Long-nosed leopard lizard eats large insects, such as grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles, and also takes small vertebrates, including pocket mice, side-blotched lizards, whiptails, and Western fence lizards. Some plant material (flowers, berries) is eaten when available. Photo by Charlotte Ganskopp

This small tan-and-gray sparrow with a delicately streaked upper breast is found in summer in wet mountain meadows where its bubbly song can be heard from low shrubs. It winters in brushy lowland areas where it skulks in tall grass and weeds and is usually seen for only a moment. It breeds locally above 3,000 feet in the west Cascades and winters in the valleys west of the cascades. Hear the song of the Lincoln's sparrow Photo by Kelly Colgan-Azar, Flickr

Ruffed grouse are named for a series of black iridescent feathers on the sides of the neck called the ruff, which is erected by males to form an ring around the neck during courtship displays. This forest-dwelling species, favored by upland game-bird hunters, is well known for the drumming of the males during courtship displays in the spring. It is a common resident throughout most forested regions of the state. It occupies most forests at low to moderate elevations east of the Cascade crest, primarily the east slope of the Cascades from Ft. Klamath and upper Klamath Lake and Blue…

This drab, greenish, diminutive species is similar in appearance to the Hutton's vireo, and sometimes confused with that species in western Oregon. Slighter-billed and smaller than the vireo, this little bundle of energy seems always to be moving as it flicks its wings and hops from twig to twig. The male Ruby-crowned kinglet sports a bright red crown spot, typically visible only when the bird is agitated, and in spring pours fourth a delightful melody, surprising for such a small, drab bird. This species breeds in high elevation forests, primarily east of the Cascade crest, where it is common in…

The Red-breasted nuthatch is a happy, jolly little bird, quick and agile in its motions and seemingly always in a hurry to scramble over the branches. It is distinguished from other nuthatches by white eyebrows, black eyelines and cap, reddish breast, and nasal yank yank song. Although males have a blacker cap and redder breast than females, distinguishing sexes in the field is difficult. During winter, is can be observed foraging in mixed-species flocks with Chickadees, Brown creepers, Kinglets, Townsend's carblers, and Dark-eyed junkos. The Red-breasted nuthatch breeds and winters throughout Oregon where conifer or mixed conifer-hardwood forests are present…

This small, rich-brown wren is only slightly larger than a quarter, and has a tail quite short for a wren. A quiet observer in the forest will see these birds hop in and out and all over logs, snags, shrubs, twigs, and limbs on the forest floor. It has been said that the song of this bird is larger than the bird itself. The Winter wren breed from Coos County southward and in eastern Oregon in the Blue and Steens mountains. It retreats from high altitudes in winter where snow pack is heavy. Migration probably occurs throughout the state, but…