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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…

The Brown-headed cowbird was referred to in early literature as the "buffalo bird" presumably because it commonly foraged on insects flushed under the feet of ungulates. It is a brood parasite, laying its eggs in nests of other species and leaving the rearing of young to surrogate parents. This has had serious consequences for many host species within the cowbirds' range. In Oregon, the Brown-headed cowbird is a common migrant and breeder in open habitats and woodland edges in all parts of the state. It is most abundant in agricultural land, sagebrush and juniper steppe, coastal scrub, riparian zones, and…

While not as abundant or conspicuous as the more familiar Canada and snow geese, the great white-fronted goose represents one of the first signs of fall. The greater white-fronted goose is gray-brown in body color and has orange feet. Adults have the namesake white forehead, pinkish-orange bill, and black speckled/barred breast and belly. Laugh-like calls from small skeins of these birds are heard high overhead in August through September in the north Willamette Valley and across the Cascades to south central Oregon and northeast California. Hear the call of the greater white-fronted goose Photo by Dave Budeau, ODFW

Inconspicuous and master of stealth, the Least bittern inhabits densely vegetated deep-water marshes, making observations rare and difficult; its call is often the only way to detect this secretive species. The smallest of herons, its long neck and legs make it appear larger. The crown, back and tail of male birds is greenish black; purple-chestnut on female. Neck, flanks, and underparts are brown and white and the wings buff. It is a rare spring and summer resident in larger freshwater marshes of eastern Oregon and a very rare spring through fall visitor in the Rogue and Willamette valleys. At Upper…

Though less conspicuous than Great blue herons, Green herons are well-established residents of western Oregon. They are distinguished by small size, glossy greenish-black cap and back, yellow legs, blackish-green wings, gray underparts, and dark red neck. One of the few tool-using birds, Green herons are experts at making and using baits and lures, such as bread crusts, mayflies, earthworms, sticks, and feathers to catch fish. The Green heron is an uncommon but regular migrant and summer resident throughout west and south central Oregon. Detection of nests is difficult and breeding status uncertain in some areas due to its secretive habits…

The Golden eagle is the largest soaring raptor inhabiting open country and mountainous terrain in eastern Oregon. A powerful and skillful hunter, the Golden eagle has become the National icon of the American West. A very large, dark raptor, the nape golden in all plumages, the females are slightly larger. Juvenile birds show white patches at the base of the primaries and a white tail with a broad dark terminal band. They are common residents in all Oregon counties east of the Cascade range. The Golden eagle inhabits shrub-steppe, grassland, juniper, and open ponderosa pine and mixed conifer/deciduous habitats. It…

These small, chunky plovers are uncommon to locally abundant migrants statewide, where they are among the most visible and easily identified small shorebirds. The only single-banded plover that occurs in Oregon, they can be remarkably easy to see when they are moving about on mud flats, and remarkably hard to detect when only their unmoving brown backs are visible against the mud. It is an uncommon to locally abundant migrant, with most birds at estuaries and some concentrations in spring at larger lakes of southeast Oregon. In the fall, it's rare in the Cascades; in winter, it's uncommon at larger…

This tall, pale wader is often first detected by its ringing calls as a small flock maneuvers to land in shallow water along an estuary or lakeshore. The long, often slightly upturned bill and very long yellow legs make this one of the easier shorebirds to identify despite its subdued, speckled gray and white plumage. It is an uncommon to locally common migrant on shorelines and open wet areas statewide. It winters on the coast and locally inland. In addition to using shallow water in estuaries and along lake margins, these birds can often be found in flooded pastureland, especially…

During the breeding season Pigeon guillemots are easily seen flying low over the water along rocky coastlines or in estuaries. They have striking red feet, legs, and mouth linings and their large white wing patches contrast markedly with the rest of their black plumage. When standing on land they have a distinctive upright posture and often emit a high-pitched squeal. In the non breeding season they move offshore and look entirely different when their black plumage becomes mottled with white. The Pigeon guillemot occurs during the breeding season all along the Oregon coast wherever offshore islands or rocky cliffs are…

The Pileated woodpecker was the model for the cartoon character, Woody Woodpecker. It is a large black-and-white bird with a bold red feathered crest and distinctive call. You may hear its powerful drumming before you see it. In Oregon, its habitat includes older forests in the Blue Mountains, East and West Cascades, Klamath Mountains, Willamette Valley and Coast Range ecoregions. They prefer mature forests and younger forests with large snags and logs, requiring large diameter snags for nesting and foraging. Pileated woodpeckers are an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Blue Mountains ecoregion. Hear the call and the drumming of…

Dashing and darting about, flashing its bright white underparts, the Violet-green Swallow is one of the characteristic birds of summer. Unlike the Tree Swallow it commonly nests in niches and cavities on urban buildings and readily uses nesting boxes in residential areas. Its soft twittery call notes are a familiar pre-dawn sound as they fly about overhead. The Violet-green swallow is a very early spring migrant concentrating about streams and wetlands where emerging insects can be found until warmer weather allows them to move into more upland areas. It is a common to abundant summer resident and breeding species throughout…

This chunky swallow is readily recognized by its square tail and orangish rump patch. It nests colonially and has taken to human-made structures so well that it has greatly expanded its range into many areas otherwise not suitable for it. It does not do well in urban settings, however, and quickly disappears when areas become densely settled. The unique gourd-shaped mud nest is often usurped by other species for nesting and is often used for protective roosting sites by rosy-finches and other wintering species. It is a locally common to abundant breeding bird near water throughout most of Oregon. Its…

The smallest and hardiest of our resident bird species, Golden-crowned kinglets are remarkable for their ability to survive through severe northern winters when most other small insectivores have migrated to warmer climates. Spending winter nights in a squirrel's nest or huddled together in a sheltered spat are strategies this species uses for winter survival. Their high-pitched calls ring like tiny bells from the canopy as they flutter among the branch tips in small flocks, searching for insects wintering in conifer foliage and dead leaves. The Golden-crowned kinglet is very abundant year-round in coniferous forests from the Cascades and west throughout…

Although they are one of the most abundant breeding birds in forests and woodlands west of the Cascade crest, it can be difficult to actually see Swainson's thrushes. Drab plumage and the habit of sitting very still hides them from the eyes of would-be predators and birdwatchers alike, especially in the shrubby habitats they favor. However, the beautiful song of this minstrel compensates for a lack of colorful plumage. During the longest days of summer, a chorus of liquid notes rising from the deep shadows each dawn and late afternoon reveals the actual abundance of this species in the conifer…

Arguably the most widely recognized of Oregon's birds, the American robin is the largest, most abundant, and most widespread thrush in the state. Ranging from sea level to treeline, the robin's loud, musical voice and conspicuous brick-red chest make it unmistakable to even the most casual of observers. The robin thrives in both human-dominated and natural landscapes and is considered to be a habitat generalist throughout its range. Considering the robin's natural history, we know most about its diet, which comprises primarily of soft invertebrates in the spring and summer and fruit in the fall and winter. It is most…

One of Oregon's rarest and most local breeders, this vocal but somewhat secretive warbler can be heard and sometimes seen in summer in the south central Cascades. The patient observer may catch a glimpse of a chunky, dark-backed bird feeding low in dense willows, sometimes showing its pale underparts with dark streaks. It is otherwise a rare migrant or vagrant statewide, mostly in Spring. An isolated population of this species has summered and presumably bred in the south central Cascades. No nest has been found in Oregon, owing mainly to the impenetrable habitat. Reports suggest that a small population may…

The Grasshopper sparrow is one of the more enigmatic and erratic birds in Oregon. A small population may appear in an area, persist for a few years, and then disappear, only to return at some later time. It is difficult to detect, because of both its quiet, insect-like song and its reclusive habits. Males sing from elevated perches, such as flower stalks or fence posts before diving back among the grasses. It occurs in scattered "colonies" along the unforested northern slopes of the Blue Mountains. The Grasshopper sparrow is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Columbia Plateau, Klamath Mountains…