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Canada geese, with their distinctive black neck and head and white cheek patches, need little description because they are one of Oregon's most familiar and conspicuous birds. There are 11 subspecies of the Canada goose. As a whole, the species is widely distributed throughout Oregon, with the exception of mountainous and desert areas lacking reservoirs, lakes, or large rivers. Concentrations of wintering and breeding Canada geese occur wherever agriculture and other human developments provide green forage or small grains and water bodies provide sanctuary. Hear the call of the Canada goose Photo by Leise Wease

All of Oregon's blue-colored birds are appreciated for their dazzling appearance, but the striking plumage of this summer visitor is accompanied by a song described as vivacious, varied, well-articulated and sweet. Males are unmistakable when singing from a prominent perch, flashing deep azure upper parts with rich orange-brown breast and flanks, a white belly, and white wing bars. Females are warm brown and relatively plain, though they share with males the habit of twitching the tail to one side when excited. The Lazuli bunting is fairly common in low-elevation dry valleys in Curry County but are becoming uncommon north through…

Bobolinks summer in Oregon's eastern grasslands and meadows, singing what has been described as a bubbling delirium of ecstatic music that flows from the throat of the bird like sparkling champagne. The yellow-brown female, juvenile or non-breeding male may at first appear to be a sparrow, but the breeding male has an astonishing and diagnostic backwards tuxedo pattern of buff on the nape and white rump and scapulars on an otherwise black body. The Bobolink is a regular, locally common breeder at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and a few scattered pairs occur in northeast Oregon. West of the Cascades…

At certain estuaries and interior alkali lakes, flocks of many thousands of these migrants can be observed swirling around over shallow water, landing to frantically feed, before resuming migration. Falcons often attack Westerns, and their acrobatic, tightly coordinated escape flights are breathtaking to observe. In winter, these small sandpipers are gray above with white underparts. In breeding plumage they have a rich rufous-chestnut back, cheeks and cap, dark-centered scapulars with rufous-chestnut edges, grayish throats streaked with dark chevrons through the flank, and whitish underparts. Longer-billed females generally are larger than males but are otherwise similar in appearance. Along the coast…

Formerly known in American literature as the Sparrow hawk, this is the smallest (dove-sized) and most familiar and abundant member of the family Falconidae in North America and one of the easiest raptors to observe. It has two considerably different plumages: adult male and female and juvenile males differ somewhat from adult males until post-juvenile mold in fall. Adult males have rufous backs and tails with blue-grey upper wing coverts. The tail has a wide black subterminal band. Juvenile males are similar to adult males but have heavily streaked breasts. Females are slightly larger than males and have reddish-brown backs…

The Olive-sided flycatcher is one of the most recognizable breeding birds of Oregon's conifer forests with its resounding, three-syllable whistle song quick, three beers. It is a relatively large, somewhat bulky, large headed, short-necked flycatcher that perches erect and motionless at the top of a tall tree or snag except when singing or darting out to capture flying insects. The overall olive-gray plumage is generally nondescript except for a whitish stripe down the breast and belly which gives the impression of an unbuttoned vest, and white patches between the wings and lower back. This flycatcher breeds in low densities throughout…

The foothills of interior southwestern Oregon come alive in late April with the bold song of this bright yellow warbler. Here it seems every brushy area or mixed conifer/hardwood forest with dense undergrowth has at least one male singing just beyond the reach of binoculars. Although it can be found in many other places in the state and in a variety of habitats, nowhere else is it as common. Nashville's are one of the few warblers in the West to nest on the ground. They occupy diverse shrub communities, often including or adjacent to a relatively short or open tree…

This small, boldly-patterned duck can be found in Oregon throughout the year, either around rocky headlands on the coast or inland on mountain streams. No other breeding duck in Oregon feeds almost exclusively on benthic invertebrates, often swimming underwater and upstream against swift current in search of prey. Though males are striking in appearance, these and the drab brown females can be difficult to see when at rest on a mid-stream rock or dodging behind rocks as they evade observers. Broods have been observed or nests located on tributaries in the river basins of the west Cascades. They are found…

Small in size and displaying a showy, almost comical alternate plumage, the male ruddy duck is an unforgettable sight. Breeding males are unmistakable with their rich chestnut back, black crown, white cheek, sky-blue bill, and proportionately long stiff tail. Female plumage is drab in comparison, being dusky dark brown with a dark facial strip across the mostly white cheek, quite similar to the male's basic plumage. Known for their peculiar courtship display in which the male draws his head down and slaps his bill against his breast repeatedly in increasing tempo, creating a bubbling in the water and a hollow…

This large bird of prey is dark above, white below, and has a visible dark spot at the wrist of the wing when flying. The head is black and white. Juveniles have buffy-tipped dark feathers above. In flight, the wings have a noticeable angle or "crook." This highly migratory fish-eating species is frequently found nesting along larger rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. A large bulky nest at the very top of a live, broken top,or dead tree and more recently on utility poles, channel markers, pilings, and cell phone towers near fishable waters is good evidence of Ospreys. The Osprey breed…

The Tufted Puffin is extremely charismatic and the most recognized seabird in Oregon. It is easily identified in the breeding season by the colorful laterally compressed bill, a distinct white face with long cream-colored facial plumes, black body, and reddish-orange feet. In winter it moves offshore and loses most of its colorful plumage and bill plates.‌ Tufted Puffins are burrow-nesters and feed at sea. Along the Oregon coast, they primarily nest on soil-covered islands free of mammalian predators. They also occasionally nest on headlands such as Cape Mears, Cape Lookout, Cape Foulweather, and Yaquina Head. ‌ Tufted Puffin populations have…

The bright yellow, red, and black plumage of the male Western Tanager, so conspicuous in open situations is very obscure in forested areas where it tends to blend into the shaded foliage. The species perhaps is best known in migration when it visits city parks, orchards, and other open urban and suburban areas. It is attracted to birdbaths but seldom to bird feeders. It breeds in open coniferous forests and mixed coniferous and deciduous woodlands, primarily in mountains. They usually nest in conifers - rarely deciduous trees - at varying heights, usually well out on a branch, often at the…

With four wing-beats each second pushing them to 62 miles per hour, brant are the fastest and strongest geese in flight and among the swiftest of all large birds. Black brant comprise the vast majority of brant occurring in Oregon. These small geese have smoky black backs and bellies, and dissected white collars and white around the tails provide striking contrast. The black brant can live up to 20 years and are resilient enough to ride out storms on the open ocean. In Oregon, wintering numbers along the coast have seen a 50 percent reduction from previous years due to…

The gregarious Tricolored blackbird is one of North America's most intensely colonial breeders, forming dense, non-territorial, noisy colonies. A highly synchronized nesting system exploits secure nesting locations and rich food supplies that change from year to year. In Oregon, breeding colonies are scattered and intermittent at specific locations, though sites used during consecutive years may be in the same general area. The Tricolored blackbird breeds most consistently in Klamath and Jackson Counties. Small colonies and summering residents have been found in the Willamette Valley; during fall and winter they are rare. Most retreat south to California in winter, while some…

Sporting the form of a curlew, this medium-sized marsh wader is almost always found in flocks, flying in formation and quacking like ducks. Their long, down-curved bill complements their long neck and legs. Although their feathers appear black, a closer look will reveal an iridescence of bronze, purple, maroon, and green. They are named for their "white face" which appears in alternate plumage as a narrow border of white feathers along the edge of their reddish-purple facial skin, delineating a mask around the red eye. The White-faced ibis has extended its breeding grounds in Oregon to wetlands in Harney, Lake…

The Sharp-shinned hawk is North America's smallest and most migratory accipiter. As a hunter of songbirds (and sometimes young chickens) it historically endured harsh reproach, and was often depicted as a blood-thirsty villain, even by some ornithologists. Across the U.S., many thousands were shot in the first half of the 20th century. But prevailing attitudes have changed, and today a glimpse of this slender, secretive hawk darting through the treetops is more likely to elicit admiration than malice. Adult plumage, nearly identical to the slightly larger Cooper's hawk, consists of slate gray back and wings, breast and sides barred with…