Search myodfw.com

Noteworthy as a generalist, the Black-chinned hummingbird appears in a wide variety of habitats, including lush river bottoms, urban settings and desert canyons. Below the male's velvety black gorget is an iridescent purple band that can also look black in poor light. At rest, the wingtips are relatively broad and curved, unlike any other North American hummingbird. A rare to locally common resident east of the Cascades, it is least common in Klamath and Lake counties. Summer habitat in eastern Oregon includes canyons, juniper woodlands, and desert riparian zones. In the foothills of the Blue and Wallowa Mountains, it's found…

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…

The Costa's hummingbird is a very rare spring and summer visitant to central and southwestern Oregon. Males are sometimes present for the entire year in the Rogue Valley. Males have been observed in canopy-free riparian habitat along Bear Creek and semi-open tall white oaks at the edge of Agate Lake. Many of these birds go undetected in Oregon because of their similarity with other hummingbird species. Hear the call of the Costa's hummingbird Photo by Mick Thompson, Flickr

This tiny jewel is the smallest breeding bird in North America and the smallest long-distance avian migrant in the world. The average weight of males is approximately 0.09 oz, about half of that of an Anna's hummingbird, and a little more than the weight of a penny. It breeds predominantly in mountain habitats, and despite its diminutive size, successfully withstands the chilly summer nights at high elevations. It is a common summer resident of the Blue and Wallowa Mountains and other high ranges east of the Cascade summit. Spring and fall migrants are rare at lower elevations east of the…

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…

The Rufous hummingbird is the most common and widespread of Oregon hummingbirds. This rusty-red and fearless nectar feeder is a popular yard bird, inspiring even the most modest of nature lovers to set up a feeder. It is a common transient and breeder throughout most of western Oregon, especially in forested regions. Hear the call of the Rufous hummingbird Photo by Charlotte Ganskopp

Allen's hummingbird is a common breeder in the coastal fog belt from California into southern Oregon. It is closely related to the more wide-ranging Rufous hummingbird with only subtle differences in plumage, behavior, and vocalization. This is a fairly common spring and summer resident along the southern Oregon coast as far north as Bandon. It occurs as a very rare vagrant in other parts of western Oregon. Hear the call of the Allen's hummingbird Photo by Trish Gussler, Flickr

This majestically crested bird is often heard before being seen due to its conspicuous harsh rattling call. Kingfishers are most frequently associated with lake and pond shorelines and islands, as well as coastal dunes with ponds and widely scattered shrubs and trees. They hunt from a vantage point above water such as an overhead branch, telephone wires along shore lines or pilings of piers. This is a common permanent resident throughout most of the state except in the north Lake and east Deschutes counties where open water is generally absent Hear the call of the belted kingfisher Photo from ODFW

The Lewis's woodpecker was named for Meriwether Lewis, who first described the species in 1805. This medium-sizesd vaguely crow-like woodpecker relies on flycatching during the spring and summer and store mast in the fall and winter. Formerly widespread in Oregon, it is currently common year-round only in the white oak-ponderosa pine belt east of Mt. Hood. It also breeds in low numbers in open habitat along east Oregon river and stream valleys. The Lewis's woodpecker is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in these ecoregions: Blue Mountains, Columbia Plateau, East Cascades, Klamath Mountains, West Cascades. Hear the call of the Lewis's…

Male and female Williamson's sapsuckers look so different that until 1873, ornithologists thought they represented two distinct species. The mostly black male has a bright yellow belly and red chin. The female is pale brown with barred back and wings and dull yellow belly. It is a summer resident of forests in the Blue Mountains, on the east slope of the Cascades and east to Warner Mountains in the south. It breeds in mid - to high-elevation mature or old-growth conifer forests with fairly open canopy cover, and large dead trees suitable for nest cavities. Hear the call of the…

Lines of neatly drilled holes in even the smallest strand of aspen east of the Cascade summit are likely the work of the Red-naped sapsucker. The Red-naped sapsucker is a common summer resident throughout forested mountains east of the crest of the Cascades and a spring and fall migrant through the same mountains and lower elevations, preferring areas with trees. Hear the call of the Red-naped sapsucker Photo by Tom Koerner, USFWS

This active and often unwary woodpecker, the smallest in North America, is generally the most often seen black and white woodpecker in human-settled areas. A preference is shown for decayed wood for nesting, though sound wood is also utilized. Nest sites are usually 10 to 12 feet off of the ground. It is found mostly at low to moderate elevations in deciduous and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests throughout much of the state, and less often in coniferous forests. Hear the call of the Downy woodpecker Photo by ©Keith Kohl, ODFW

This medium-sized woodpecker may be found in virtually any forested area in Oregon. It is found primarily in mixed-conifer and ponderosa pine forests, as well as adjacent deciduous stands, especially during the breeding season. Hairy woodpeckers feed on beetles, ants and other insects, spiders, miscellaneous plant matter, elderberry corn and mast (mostly acorns), and a few seeds. They are regular visitors to suet feeders and have been observed drinking from hummingbird feeders in central Oregon. It is a resident in forests throughout Oregon with the exception of juniper. Common throughout most of this range, but uncommon to fairly common along…

In Oregon, the American three-toed woodpecker tends to use higher-elevation forests; however, forest type may not be as important to this species as the presence of bark beetles. Nests are often fairly low; nest trees are often smaller in diameter than those used by other cavity nesters. Habitat requirements may include trees with heartrot for nesting and high densities of bark or wood-boring beetles. It is rare and local, particularly near and west of the Cascade summit, often near high-elevation lakes or beetle outbreaks. American three-toed woodpeckers are Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Blue Mountains and East Cascades ecoregions…

The Northern flicker is larger than most woodpeckers in Oregon. It is primarily lighter shades of brown and gray with black markings: spotted underparts, barred back, and a broad necklace. Its wing linings and undertail range from salmon to yellow, and the rump is white. Males have a red or black mustache. Northern flickers may be encountered in almost any terrestrial habitat, but are generally most abundant in open forests and forest edges adjacent to open country. They venture into nearby habitats, including towns and farms but typically avoid dense forests. It is a common resident throughout Oregon. Hear the…

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…

Plumage and structure of flycatchers is so similar that their call is the primary field mark. Oregon has one lark species, the Horned lark that breeds in small scattered populations throughout the Willamette Valley. The Western meadowlark is in a different family and is related to the blackbird, grackle and oriole.

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 down-slurred pee-eer call of this flycatcher is one of Oregon's most characteristic summertime bird sounds. Wherever there is a canopy of mature deciduous trees, one is likely to hear the call during warm afternoons when most other birds are silent. Because the call can easily be heard, it can usually be found perched near the tip of a dead branch from which it frequently flies a short distance to capture a flying insect, or to chase an intruder from its territory. The Western wood-pewee is a common migrant and fairly common breeder statewide in open groves of trees or…

This long-distance, relatively late-arriving migrant to Oregon is associated with shrub-dominated habitats, especially riparian willow thickets. The plumage has subtle tones of olive-green and gray; the species is without a visible eye-ring but the characteristic sneezy, abrupt song reveals its presence. The Willow flycatcher breeds in western Oregon from sea level along the coast and interior to above 5,000 feet west of the Cascades summit. In eastern Oregon it breeds mostly above 1,000 feet from Klamath to Burns and also Lake County and Union County. The habitat of breeding Willow flycatchers is characterized by dense shrubs and/or tall herbaceous plants…