![image of a hunter outside of a turkey ground blind](/sites/default/files/styles/380x228/public/2020-09/hunting-from-blind.jpg?itok=tZ95S4Jl)
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This medium-sized owl is easily recognized by its conspicuous "ear" tufts, yellow eyes set in a round facial disk, size, and mottled plumage of black, brown, gray, buff, and white. Legs and toes are densely feathered. Females are larger and darker in coloration than males. It is strictly nocturnal and secretive during nesting. The Long-eared owl is a fairly common breeder in open country east of the Cascades in wooded riparian areas and junipers. It is a common breeder on Boardman Bombing Range, Morrow County and widespread in Malheur County. It is a rare breeder in the foothills of the
![long-eared_owl_rudo_jurecek_flickr.jpg Long-eared owl](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/long-eared_owl_rudo_jurecek_flickr.jpg?itok=tdzX0u5K)
Perhaps the most enigmatic hummingbird found regularly in Oregon, the Broad-tailed hummingbird has so far eluded documentation of its breeding in the state, likely due to identification uncertainties and the remoteness of its preferred habitat. Primarily a Rocky Mountain species, its hard-to-define breeding range seems to reach its limit at Oregon's eastern edges where reports of this beautiful and rare species arise each summer. The relatively large adult male has a rose-red gorget and green plumage with no dorsal Rufous coloration. Females and immatures are nearly indistinguishable in the field from those of the more common Rufous hummingbird. Hear the
![broad-tailed_hummingbird_chuck_roberts_flickr.jpg Broad-tailed hummingbird](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/broad-tailed_hummingbird_chuck_roberts_flickr_cx.jpg?itok=izZPRXp8)
Features: Their eyed-side is greenish-brown to dark brown or black with lighter blotches. Their blind side is white to milky-white. They have a large, stout but flat body, shaped like an elongated diamond . Pacific halibut have been known to reach 500 pounds, but on average are 40 pounds. Habitat: Halibut are a large flatfish and so they spend much time near the bottom of the ocean looking above for food. They prefer chilly water and are primarily found in the Gulf of Alaska. Technique: Boat anglers use heavy rods to fish on or near gravel bottoms in water 150-500
![pacific_halibut_mrp_odfw.jpg Thumbnail](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/pacific_halibut_mrp_odfw.jpg?itok=gadgqeH0)
Large and primarily white, the American white pelican has the longest wingspan of any bird in Oregon. It also has an enormous orange bill, and flies with neck withdrawn. During the breeding season the top of the bird's head becomes dusted with black and a horn grows on the upper mandible; this projection serves as a target for aggressive encounters to avoid injury to the essential bill pouch, but is shed after the eggs are laid. This pelican makes unusually long flights for feeding and migration, and at great distances, soaring flocks have been reported as UFOs. In Oregon, it
![White pelicans.](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/white_pelicans_ganskopp_odfw.jpg?itok=CBQWi0Js)
Secretive little birds, wrens creep through vegetation and take flight in erratic patterns. Kinglets are insectivores.
![golden_crowned_kinglet_steen_kersting_flickr.jpg Thumbnail](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/golden_crowned_kinglet_steen_kersting_flickr.jpg?itok=0zJ0ZCHG)
This bat, found in older forests, has a wingspan of about 10 inches. Its fur is glossy black, tipped with white. It forages over ponds, streams, meadows and roads, often flying very low and roosting behind loose tree bark. Maternity roosts of the silver-haired bat are found in trees. This bat usually bears twins. The silver-haired bat occurs statewide in Oregon except for most of the Columbia Basin and is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in all ecoregions except the Nearshore ecoregion. It is primarily associated with coniferous forests, including the juniper woodlands in the southeastern portion of the state
![927_silver-haired_bat_durham.jpg Silver-haired](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/927_silver-haired_bat_durham_cx.jpg?itok=9SK9Nq6H)
Features: Coastal cutthroat trout are typically are blue/green on top, red along the lateral line, and white on the belly. They are lightly or heavily spotted and adults have a red slash mark on the throat. Habitat: The most common variety of trout in Oregon is the coastal cutthroat, found in the streams and beaver ponds in coastal drainages. They also are stocked in high mountain hike-in lakes where the water stays cool throughout the summer. Techniques: Cutthroats that are year-round residents of small streams may not get any bigger than 8- or 9-inches, but can reward the angler with
![cutthroat_seine3_michael_gray_odfw_hero.jpg Thumbnail](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2017-09/cutthroat_seine3_michael_gray_odfw_hero.jpg?itok=bcDbd9gk)
The Veery is known less for its appearance than for its ethereal song, a series of spiraling, reverberating flutelike notes, each lower in pitch, suggesting the name: vee-ur, vee-ur, vee-ur. A patient observer may get a fleeting glimpse of a small thrush with reddish brown upperparts, pale undersides, and a buffy upper breast with a few darker spots. It is an uncommon breeder in lower to middle elevations in the Blue Mountains where sufficient riparian thickets exist for cover and forage needs. It is locally common along watercourses in Union, Wallowa, and east Umatilla counties, and less common in north
![veery_kelly_colgan_azar_flickr_1.jpg Veery](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/veery_dan_sudia_usfws_cx.jpg?itok=yPyaIbaV)
The Buff-breasted sandpiper resembles a plover with a high-stepping, pigeon-like gait. One of the few Oregon shorebirds that frequents dry, sparsely vegetated coastal grasslands. Fall migrants consist of juveniles. It has scaly, buffy-brown underparts, yellow legs, a small head, and a short black bill. Beady black eyes stand out on a plain, pale face. It bobs its head while moving. Gleaming white underwings are displayed in a graceful flight pattern. It is unique among North American shorebirds in having a lek mating system. This is a rare but regular fall migrant on the Oregon coast where it has been recorded
![8049_buff_breasted_sandpiper_gilson.jpg Buff breasted sandpiper](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/8049_buff_breasted_sandpiper_gilson_cx.jpg?itok=h3wty-Pq)
Anna's hummingbird is the largest hummingbird common to our region. It is the only hummingbird regularly found in Oregon in winter, during which time it is exposed to short day lengths, limited sources of food and periods of intense cold. It is more vocal than most hummingbirds with males uttering a dry, scratchy buzz of a song that can be heard throughout the year. It is a rare to locally uncommon summer resident west of the Cascades in interior valleys and along the coast; also along the Columbia River east to The Dalles. It occurs and probably breeds into the
![annas_hb_budeau_1.jpg Anna's humminbird male](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/annas_hummingbird_michelle_dennehy_odfw_cx.jpg?itok=DhNw5vuB)
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
![2414_rock_wren_munsel.jpg Rock wren](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/2414_rock_wren_munsel_cx.jpg?itok=XXNFPler)
Features: Spiny dogfish are gray or brown with white spots on their back and a white belly. They can grow to be 5-feet long. They are called "spiny" as they have a spine behind each of the fins on their backs. Habitat: Spiny dogfish are widely dispersed, traveling from Alaska to Chile, and from intertidal waters down to 3,000 feet. They mostly eat small fish, squid, and octopus. Techniques: Being relatively small, spiny dogfish can be taken with light tackle. They tend to school around prey over soft bottoms. A good amount of weight will probably be necessary to keep
![spiny_dogfish_greg_dejasco_flickr.jpg Thumbnail](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/spiny_dogfish_greg_dejasco_flickr.jpg?itok=AolZcZFm)
A white form on the distant water may be the sides and breast of an adult male, whose deep green head and dark back are less visable when far away. The pearl gray bodies and white breasts of females, subadults, and eclipse males are starkly delineated from their full-crested chestnut heads. Long, slender, saw-tooth bills are held horizontally during surface swimming and grip squirming prey after an underwater chase. From coastal bays to the high Cascades, in all corners of Oregon and far beyond, common mergansers ply the rivers and peer into still waters in their efficient pursuit of fish
![common_merganser_gilson.jpg Common merganser drake](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-04/common_merganser_gilson.jpg?itok=liwRuBQM)
Although called warblers, many of these perching birds may not necessarily be closely related to one another. They are usually easier to hear than see.
![1691_yellow-rumped_warbler_leer_odfw.jpg Thumbnail](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/1691_yellow-rumped_warbler_leer_odfw.jpg?itok=2vE_eR9v)
Bitterns, herons, and egrets are all long-legged wading birds with long necks and pointed bills for spearing fish or other prey.
![great_egret_am_budeau.jpg Thumbnail](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/great_egret_am_budeau.jpg?itok=QLcsh6P2)
Towhees, sparrows, grosbeaks and buntings are ground-dwelling birds that are typically drab looking. They feed on insects in summer and seeds in winter.
![2442_sparrow.jpg Thumbnail](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2442_sparrow.jpg?itok=9RkBP1yP)
Fun little birds to watch, chickadees and nuthatches are common in Oregon. With short, strong bills, they feed on insects and seeds and are often seen in groups.
![bc_chickadee_budeau.jpg Thumbnail](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/bc_chickadee_budeau.jpg?itok=d9jc4fBh)
W hen it comes to calling turkeys in the spring , we ’re being a bit unnatural. In the turkey woods, toms gather on strutting grounds and try to call hens to them. Hunters are doing just the opposite: making hen sounds to bring toms to them. For this reason, it pays to develop confident turkey calling skills. Here ’s a look at the turkey sounds hunters will want to be able to make. Refer to the instructions for each kind of call to see how to mimic these sounds. The yelp is a basic turkey call and the easiest
![image of a hunter outside of a turkey ground blind](/sites/default/files/styles/380x228/public/2020-09/hunting-from-blind.jpg?itok=tZ95S4Jl)
Features: The name “cutthroat” is derived from the two red slash marks or streaks on the underside of the lower jaw. Lahontans don't develop the intense crimson or gold coloration that other subspecies do, but the males can develop some red on their sides. Spots on the head can help distinguish this subspecies from other inland cutthroat subspecies. Habitat: This variety has adapted to the dry, highly alkaline waters and was once widespread throughout the Lahontan Basin of California, Nevada and southeast Oregon. Today, native populations can be found in the Whitehorse and Willow creek basins in the far southeastern
![lahontan_cutthroat_usfws.jpg Thumbnail](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2017-09/lahontan_cutthroat_usfws.jpg?itok=323GW8uj)
Adult clouded salamanders are generally brown with brassy patches on their backs and gray bellies. As salamanders age, the brassy color fades. The clouded salamander is one of the lungless salamander species; they breathe through their moist skin. Mature adults can grow to just over five inches in total length. Clouded salamanders prefer forest habitats or burned areas that provide large decaying logs or stumps. They are often found in Douglas fir trees where they can find burrows in the wood, or spaces just under the bark to hide. They may also hide deep in rock crevices during dry and
![clouded_salamander_calf_creek_miles_odfw.jpg Clouded salamander](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/clouded_salamander_calf_creek_miles_odfw_cx.jpg?itok=eUis-FQX)