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This dark, medium-sized finch with gray and pink highlights is the darkest of the rosy-finches and one of Oregon's rarest breeding birds. It is found in summer in montane areas above timberline, where loose swarms of these birds seem to blow like leaves among isolated cirques, cliffs, and hanging snowfields. In Oregon it breeds on Steens Mountain and may breed occasionally in the Wallowa Mountains. Winter distribution is poorly known, but birds have been found on the lower east side of Steens Mountain and in the Alvord Desert in winter and rarely in central Wallowa County. Hear the song of

The Black oystercatcher is easily recognized with its black plumage, long, strait, laterally compressed, orange-red bill with a yellow tip, orange-red eye ring, yellow iris, and pale pink legs. These birds are restricted to rocky coastal shorelines where they feed in the intertidal zone. They are an uncommon to fairly common resident on rocky shores and sand/gravel beaches along the entire coast. Along the sandy central coast, they are present only as an occasional dispersing or wandering individual, typically on jetties. Black oystercatchers are Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Nearshore ecoregion. Hear the call of the Black oystercatcher Photo

Cassin's auklet uses a few offshore lands for breeding in Oregon. It forages in the marine environment and nests in a chamber under rocks or digs its own burrow, two to six feet long, in the soil. This species spends its day at sea and only comes to the burrow at night, perhaps to reduce discovery by predacious Western gulls. Although few Cassin's auklets nest in Oregon, nesting sites are found along the entire coast where offshore rocks provide appropriate habitat. During the non-breeding season this is the most abundant alcid seen at sea in Oregon. They are present offshore

One of the characteristic birds of woodlands and city streets is this loud, colorful jay. Its bright blue-and-white-plumage and shrill calls are quite distinctive. It is closely related to the Steller's jay and hybrid individuals have been noted where their ranges overlap. It is an opportunistic forager of small animals and invertebrates, but is predominantly a vegetarian. It is a rare to regular visitor to eastern and western Oregon from late September to late April. The Blue jay prefers open mixed forests or deciduous groves and is often found in orchards and parks and along wooded city streets. Hear the

Features: These crab can be identified by their black-tipped claws, wide fan-shaped carapace (body cover) and deep, brick-red color.‌ Habitat: As the name implies, red rock crab prefer the harder substrate habitats such as rocks, pilings, and other structure. Red rock crab prefer higher salinities than Dungeness crab and therefore are usually found in larger estuaries, close to the ocean. They are most common in Coos, Yaquina, and Tillamook bays where there are plentiful rocky substrates. Red rock crabs are native to Oregon.‌ Techniques: Usually caught in combination with Dungeness crab, using the same techniques.‌

This striking songbird is best known for its habit of impaling prey on thorns and barbed wire, or wedging items in a v-shaped branch for easier handling and storage. The Loggerhead shrike breeds in open habitats east of the Cascades where they are rare but regular in the winter, especially at low-elevation sites. They are uncommon and declining in northeast Oregon. West of the Cascades, there are usually a few records each year during fall, winter, and spring in open habitats of the coast and the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue valleys. The Loggerhead shrike is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species