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Wide open spaces generally surround these sparrow-sized, ground dwelling birds. The upperparts are mostly brownish and the underparts are generally buffy with varying amounts of yellow on the throat. There is black on the breast and side of the head, but the most unique features are small black "horns." Females and immature birds are duller. Interesting behavior includes aerial displays and "flight songs" during courtship, and the propensity to forage and loaf along dirt and gravel roads. In western Oregon, it breeds in small, scattered populations throughout the Willamette Valley, with concentrations in the central valley on and near Basket…

Features: Brook trout are easily identified by the worm-like pale yellow markings on their backs and red dots with blue halos and white borders on their lower fins. In small streams brook trout are often 5- to 7-inches long but can reach 25 inches or more in large rivers or lakes. Habitat: Brook trout are an introduced species, first stocked in the early 1900s. They are widely distributed from high mountain lakes to headwater tributaries, and thrive in cold, mountainous streams and lakes where other species are unable to do well. Many barren lakes have been stocked with brook trout…

Features: These fish have dark blue backs, silver sides and bellies, and very long pectoral (side) fins. Albacore caught off the Pacific Coast are generally 21 to 30 inches long with the largest fish running about 35 pounds. Habitat: Tuna are pelagic species, meaning they spend their lives in the open ocean. Albacore generally show up 15-200 miles or more off the Pacific Coast in mid-July and stick around through September. Albacore are usually found where surface water temperatures are at least 59 degrees Fahrenheit and the water has a distinct clear blue color (this is where chlorophyll levels are…

Few birds are as astonishing as the American dipper. This nondescript, dark brown to gray bird is seldom seen more than a few feet from the water's edge. Its elaborate song, which can come forth even on cold winter days, is readily heard above the noise of rushing streams. This bird's ability to dive into a rushing stream to forage on aquatic invertebrates and reappear in the same location has elicited wonder and excitement from ornithologists, naturalists, and birders as well as envy and adoration from fly-fishers. It is an uncommon year-round resident in montane streams and rivers throughout Oregon…

The Common nighthawk is a migrant to Oregon with one of the longest migration distances of any North American bird. It is also one of the last to arrive in Oregon. Long, slender wings are marked by a white patch on the "hand" visible in flight from great distances. When perched on the ground, the cryptic brown, gray, and black mottling makes the bird almost invisible. This bird breeds and migrates at all elevations through the state. Its nesting habitat is characterized by open landscapes with little ground cover and is most abundant in sagebrush and rocky scablands and rimrock…

One of the most familiar sights along the roads of Oregon is a Red-tailed hawk soaring high on the sky over a field, or perched on a utility pole, waiting patiently for prey. Red-tailed hawks are large-bodied raptors with relatively broad wings. The back is mottled brown, and the tail of mature birds is orangish red with a thin, dark subterminal band. Perched birds can be identified from behind even when the tail is concealed by the white mottling on the scapulars forming a faint 'V'. Most individuals can be assigned to one of two color morphs, light or dark…

Although quite common in the U.S., the Black-crowned night-heron's nocturnal and crepuscular feeding habits can make it difficult to locate. Its habitat consists of marshes, lakes, rivers, and other wetlands, where it feeds mostly on fish. It is a thick-billed, medium-sized, stocky heron with relatively short neck and legs. Adults have a black back and cap which contrast with the pale gray or whitish underparts. Immatures have brown backs with large pale spots and heavily streaked underparts. A distinctive choking squawk call is often heard at dusk. It is a fairly common summer resident east of the Cascades where it…

Features: Sacramento perch are blackish above with about seven vertical dark bars that are irregular in form and position. They are not a true perch, but a sunfish. It is the only member of the sunfish family native to the west coast and, in Oregon, is found only in the Klamath Basin. Sacramento perch are distinguished from the other sunfish in Oregon by having 12 or 13 dorsal fin spines whereas all the others have 10 or fewer. Maximum size in Oregon is about 12-inches in length and a weight of about 3/4 pound, although in California they have been…

Features: Pumpkinseeds may be identified by the orange or red spot on the ear flap and the orange cheeks with wavy blue or turquoise stripes. Color is exceedingly brilliant and somewhat variable; olive to brassy-green above, the back finely dusted with gold or emerald. Habitat: Pumpkinseeds are found in the same habitats and often in association with bluegills. Adults often congregate beneath old deadheads and trees that have fallen into the water. Food habits are also similar to bluegill. They consume large numbers of snails by browsing on the stalks of aquatic vegetation. Techniques: Pumpkinseed are found in many of…

Features: Redear sunfish are often confused with bluegill, but differ by having a red or orange border around the black ear flap and by lacking the spot on the dorsal fin and the vertical bars on the side. Habitat: In Oregon, redear sunfish are found only in a few ponds in the Willamette Valley and the central part of the state. In their native range, redear sunfish prefer warm, large lakes and reservoirs and bayous with vegetated shallow areas and clear water. They feed primarily on the bottom and seldom take surface insects. The diet consists mostly of zooplankton, insect…

Features: Warmouth have more of a bass-shaped body and a larger mouth than the other sunfishes, other than the green sunfish. Warmouth are yellowish brown in color with three or four brownish bars radiating back from the eye over the gill cover. They can be distinguished from the green sunfish by the absence of turquoise mottling on the gill cover and the lack of a dark spot at the rear base of the dorsal fin. Habitat: In Oregon, warmouth are present in a few coastal lakes and widely distributed in the Columbia basin, but are not commonly caught by anglers…

Features: Color varies, but walleye are generally dark olive-brown on top grading to almost white below. Walleye have two well-separated dorsal fins; the first fin has a large black spot at its rear base. The opaque eyes, giving the fish its common name, and canine teeth are other prominent features. Habitat: Walleye are found in the Columbia, Willamette and Snake rivers. In the Willamette River, the walleye fishery is generally limited to the section downstream from Willamette Falls at Oregon City, although a few have been documented as far upstream as Dexter Dam. Walleye prefer large, clean and cold or…

Features: The color of all trout varies with environment. In general, the rainbow is bluish-green on the back, silvery on the sides and belly, and has a white edge to the dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins. A generous sprinkling of black spots appear along the back, and on the dorsal, adipose and caudal fins. A pinkish band usually extends along the sides. Habitat: Rainbow trout are the most widely stocked and distributed trout in Oregon. They occur naturally in many rivers and streams, and each year ODFW stocks millions more in ponds, lakes and streams. Prime trout waters are clear…