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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
A large, long-legged wader distinguished from similar species in a flight by flashing rufous underwings and dark brown primaries. Its feet extend beyond tail tip in flight. Flocks generally consist of fewer than 50 birds on the coast. Juveniles migrate south several weeks later than most adults. After mid-November, a few stragglers are seen until late December. The Marbled godwit is a regular spring and fall migrant on the Oregon coast. Spring migration commences in early April and extends through early June on the coast. Its average arrival at the Malheur National Wildlife Reserve is April 27. Hear the call
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
Because of its association with old forests, this inconspicuous, dark brown owl has become one of the most controversial birds in the Pacific Northwest. The dark eyes and creamy white mottling on the breast and abdomen are distinctive, as is the lack of fear of humans. Both adults and young will typically allow humans to approach within a few feet, and it is not unusual for curious juveniles to follow hikers through the woods. The Northern spotted owl is a permanent resident in forested regions of western Oregon, from the coastal mountains to the eastern foothills of the Cascade Range
Known as "bluebill" to most hunters, this species is one of the most abundant and widespread of North American ducks. The lesser scaup is similar to the greater scaup in appearance and habits, but is smaller and lacks the white on the primaries. In the field, however, the black-and-white drakes and brown hens are very similar to greater scaups. The common vocalization is the purr call of the female; drakes are usually silent, but utter a low single-note whistle in courtship. In general, the lesser scaup is more apt to be found in interior or freshwater habitats while the greater
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
The House finch is the most widespread of Oregon's "red finches." It is a congenial, cheerful singer from urban areas to desert plateaus. The male has a red forehead, throat, eyebrow, rump and varying amounts of red in the breast. It may have small amounts of reddish wash in its otherwise brownish cheek, hindcrown, nape,and streaked back. In some males, red is replaced with red-orange, orange, yellow-orange or yellow. The female is drab grayish-brown, overall, with indistinct streaking above and no red. The House finch is a fairly common resident in lowlands, urban, rural, and agricultural areas throughout Oregon. They
Although a common breeding bird throughout Oregon's mountains, the Pine siskin retains an air of mystery due to its highly nomadic and unpredictable movements and its fondness for the inaccessible conifer canopy. It is most familiar in winter through early spring when flocks descend to foothills and valleys to feed on alder catkin seeds and many mingle with goldfinches in weed patches and at feeders. It is readily identified by its heavily streaked plumage and by the yellow wing and tail bars that are especially prominent in flight. The Pine siskin is a generally common resident in conifer forests throughout
The flight of Pacific loons by the thousands along the coast each spring and fall is one of Oregon's most dramatic bird migrations. Stunning plumage often clothes these fast-flying travelers. The straight bill, distinguishing Pacific from red-throated and yellow-billed, is less robust than that of common loons. The Pacific's head is larger and its neck thicker than those of the red-throated. In flight, Pacific's wing-beats are faster than those of common, loons the feet appear larger, the forecrown is rounder, and the hindcrown more sloped than those of red-throated loons. This is the most abundant loon off the Oregon coast
In Oregon, fork-tailed storm-petrels breed in numbers that are only a tiny fraction of those of Leach's storm petrels. This is the larger of the two storm-petrels breeding in Oregon and is gray in color. These birds leave and return to breeding colonies only at night, when they are best detected by their distinct raspy call. At sea, they are distinguished by quick, buoyant flight with short glides interspersed with wing fluttering to maintain their position at a food source. Fewer than 20 nests have been found in Oregon, all located in the same habitat as colonies of Leach's storm
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
Cooper's hawks are smallish "bird hawks" (slightly smaller than American Crows) with rounded wings, a long rounded tail, and long yellow legs. This is the mid-sized accipiter nesting in Oregon and is larger than the Sharp-shinned hawk, but smaller than the Northern goshawk. The usual mode of flight consists of several rapid wing-beats alternating with brief periods of sailing. Juveniles are dark above with underparts streaked vertically while adults tend to have a bluish cast to their gray upperparts. The long tail is barred dark and light with narrow whitish band at the tip. It is an uncommon breeder in
This fragile-looking bird with bold black-and-white plumage and exaggerated, long, reddish legs is often associated with American avocets at shallow inland ponds and lakes. Very noisy and aggressive in protection of its nest and young, using a variety of distraction displays, including an impressive broken-leg act to lure away interlopers. The Black-necked stilt is a locally uncommon to fairly common summer resident of Klamath, Lake, Harney and Malheur counties. The largest Oregon breeding colony is at summer Lake. It has become a regular spring and fall migrant through eastern Oregon and irregular spring and casual fall migrant through western Oregon
The Least flycatcher closely resembles the Hammond's flycatcher, but its distinctive voice and choice of habitat help to identify calling birds. It was formerly an unexpected vagrant west of the Rocky Mountains, but since 1981 it has become recognized as a regular migrant and local summer resident in the state. It is found in deciduous groves along streams and in wet lowlands. It desires a deciduous overstory with at least some low brushy undergrowth. It is regular migrant and local summer resident in the state of Oregon with the spring migration from May to mid-June. The majority of sightings are
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
