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The most common seabirds breeding in Oregon, Common murres are easily recognized by their distinct black and white breeding plumage and their upright stance at colonies. Wing-beats are rapid and like all alcids they can fly underwater. They are often seen over the ocean in long lines of 10-40 or more birds. They nest on rocky islands and cliffs in colonies of tens or hundreds of thousands of birds packed together almost shoulder to shoulder. Major nesting concentrations in Oregon are on the south and north coasts reflecting the availability of suitable nesting habitat. Hear the call of the Common
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
In winter plumage, the crisp black head, white neck patch, and gray back are striking, and when combined with a pale bill this species is readily distinguished from small alcids in Oregon. Wing-propelled divers, they are nonbreeding visitors to Oregon's offshore waters. They are the only seabirds whose young are reared entirely at sea. The Ancient murrelet is an uncommon to common fall migrant and winter visitant in shelf waters near shore; rare to uncommon in spring; absent to rare in summer. Hear the call of the Ancient murrelet Photo by Patty Mcgann, Flickr
Cassin's auklet uses a few offshore lands for breeding in Oregon. It forages in the marine environment and nests in a chamber under rocks or digs its own burrow, two to six feet long, in the soil. This species spends its day at sea and only comes to the burrow at night, perhaps to reduce discovery by predacious Western gulls. Although few Cassin's auklets nest in Oregon, nesting sites are found along the entire coast where offshore rocks provide appropriate habitat. During the non-breeding season this is the most abundant alcid seen at sea in Oregon. They are present offshore
Rhinoceros auklet are one of the rarer breeding alcids in Oregon. Adults are easily recognized during the breeding season by the vertical "horn" at the base of the upper mandible. Birds in breeding plumage have brownish gray backs, a gray-brown chest, and a dirty white belly. Two distinct plumes are present on the head, one above and one below the eye. The bill is orange. In non-breeding plumage the horn is greatly reduced, the plumes absent or reduced, and the bill duller. It nests in small numbers in Oregon with Goat and Hunter Islands having the largest concentrations of breeding
Horned puffins have an unmistakable black and white plumage and a large, distinct, yellow and orange bill during the breeding season. They are rare in Oregon, and most commonly encountered dead on the beach in winter or spring, or sighted more than 50 miles offshore in spring. Individual birds, or possibly pairs, occasionally stay in Oregon for the breeding season and are seen attending colonies with Tufted puffins, but there are no records of breeding in Oregon. Hear the call of the Horned puffin
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
Pigeons and doves are a familiar sight, daintily walking and bobbing their heads. Rock pigeons and Eurasian collared-doves are natives of Europe while Band-tailed pigeons and Mourning doves are native to Oregon.
The Rock pigeon is an invasive species introduced from Europe. It is found in and about human-created structures, e.g., masonry buildings, parking structures, barns, abandoned houses, bridges, water towers and freeway overpasses that posses cornices, ledges, and cave-like cavities used for nesting and shelter. Pigeons forage in city streets and parks on food refuse, public handouts, and weed seeds, and on grain spilled at shipping facilities and along transportation corridors. In agricultural areas they forage in livestock feedlots and fields. It is common to abundant statewide in cities, towns and agricultural areas. Hear the call of the Rock pigeon Photo
About the size of the domestic pigeon, this swift-flying species is popular among sport hunters. An arboreal bird, it is often observed perched alone on top of a tall tree or in flocks when flying about feeding areas and mineral sites. This is a common summer resident in forested areas west of the Cascade crest. It typically nests in forested mountain areas in the west Cascades. Hear the call of the Band-tailed pigeon Photo by Dave Budeau, ODFW
The Eurasian collared-dove is quite similar to the Ringed turtle-dove but is somewhat larger with grayer underparts and darker primaries. It is a bird of agricultural areas and readily visits bird feeding stations in urban and rural neighborhoods. During the 1600s this Indian species began to expand its range until today it occurs in all of Europe and most of Asia. After introductions in the Bahamas in 1974 and Guadeloupe in 1976 it soon expanded throughout the Caribbean and reached Florida by 1980. It is now expanding into other parts of North America, reaching Oregon in 1988. It is expected
The mournful, drawn-out coo, coo, coo vocalization of a male Mourning dove advertising for a mate is a familiar sound to suburbanites and country-dwellers alike. Annual sunflower is a popular food in Oregon. This species is abundant in spring, summer, and early fall statewide in open landscapes, except along the coast and in the higher elevations of the east Cascades. Hear the call of the Mourning dove Photo by Charlotte Ganskopp
Oregon's owls are mostly nocturnal, hunting for insects, fish, frogs, birds, mice and other small mammals in the night. Their hoots, screeches and calls can be heard after dark or early in the morning. Owls don't build nests, but instead use tree cavities, nests created by other species, naturally occurring structures or human-made nest platforms. The Western burrowing owl nests underground in abandoned dens dug by squirrels, prairie dogs and badgers. Learn more about Oregon's owls.
One of the most startling sounds in the black of night is the loud, harsh call of the Barn owl as it flies over field or marsh in search of small rodents. They are white to tan beneath with fine spotting ranging from almost none to fairly extensive. The face has a well-defined facial disc that acts as a parabolic dish collecting the faint sounds of its prey, allowing it to hunt successfully in total darkness. Male and female Barn owls are similar in appearance though the female is somewhat larger. The Barn owl is a fairly common permanent resident
This diminutive owl is one of the smallest in North America, with a body mass of about 1.9 ounces. It has dark eyes, brown plumage with darker and reddish variegations, and small ear tufts. The Flammulated owl is unique among owls in the Pacific Northwest in that it preys almost exclusively on insects and is a neotropical migrant. Additionally, the pitch of its rather ventriloquial hoot is among the lowest of all North American owls. The Flammulated owl breeds on the eastern slope of the Cascades, in the Blue and Wallowa mountains, and in small numbers in the mountains of
Almost strictly nocturnal, the Western screech-owl hunts discreetly at night and roosts during the day in dense woodlands, its perfectly streaked plumage allows it to pass as tree bark. These habits make it difficult to see, and it is more common than many are aware. It is a small owl with yellow eyes and feathered ear tufts. It exhibits geographic variation in plumage color and pattern: both gray morphs and brown morphs occur in the Pacific Northwest. Sexes are alike. The Western screech-owl is a fairly common year-round resident in lower-elevation woodlands throughout Oregon. It is usually found below 3,000
The Great horned owl is the most commonly encountered owl in Oregon. It is a large, stocky, powerful owl with large yellow eyes and distinctive feather tufts or "ears" above the eyes. Plumage color varies from dark brown in western Oregon to pale grayish brown in southeastern Oregon. The throat is white. It is a fairly common permanent resident throughout the state, but generally absent in areas above the timberline. Hear the call of the Great horned owl Photo by Charlotte Ganskopp
The Snowy owl is the largest North American owl. Its white plumage makes it uniquely adapted for life in the arctic and sub-arctic. Adult males are nearly pure white, females have black spots and some barring. Young birds can be strongly barred. Every few years, for reasons which are still not fully understood, Snowy owls move south of their normal winter range into Oregon. During these irruptive events, they can be found on coastal dunes, open high desert, agricultural areas, airport margins, and occasionally atop buildings in populated areas. Hear the call of the Snowy owl Photo by Charlotte Ganskopp
This tiny owl has a reputation as an aggressive predator on everything from mice and voles to birds and mammals over twice its size. Coloration is highly variable with brown and gray morphs. In Oregon, color varies from dark brown in coastal mountains to gray in eastern Oregon, with an intermediate pale grayish-brown form in the Cascade mountains. About the length of a White-crowned sparrow, it has striking yellow eyes, dark vertical streaks on the breast and abdomen, and dark "eyespots" on the back of the head. It is primarily diurnal and can often be approached quite closely when it
This small owl is unusual in that it nests in earthen burrows in open shrub-steppe regions and grasslands. This habit is even more curious in Oregon since most burrows used for nesting were previously excavated by badgers, a major predator of Burrowing owl eggs and young. These long-legged, short tailed owls are generally brownish buff with spots across the back and barring across the front. Males are usually lighter colored than females, possibly because they spend more time exposed to the elements. Males also average five percent larger than females, a situation rare among owls. The Burrowing owl is a
