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With a widespread distribution and affinity for open habitats, the Killdeer is one of the most common and recognized birds through much of North America. Killdeer are large for a plover and easily distinguished from other North American plovers by their characteristic two black or brownish-black breast bands. Killdeer are well known for their loud and persistent call of "kill-dee, kill-dee," heard at all times of day or night on both the breeding and wintering grounds. Killdeer often nest close to human activities. Adults perform an elaborate and exaggerated broken-wing display to lure humans and potential predators away from their

On his historic expedition with Meriwether Lewis, Captain William Clark, the bird's namesake, first mistook this species for a woodpecker undoubtedly because of its long, sharp beak. However, this most specialized member of the North American Crow family uses this apparatus to pry loose its favored seeds from unrelenting cones of several pines with which the nutcracker has a symbiotic relationship. The whitebark pine, in particular, is totally reliant on Clark's nutcrackers for seed dispersal and germination. In Oregon the Clark's nutcracker is a resident along the crest of the Cascades, usually above 4,000 feet, lower on the east slope

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

The skies near favored stopover locations are filled twice annually with the sights and sounds of these geese as they migrate between Arctic breeding grounds and wintering areas farther south. Snow geese share very similar all-white plumage and black wing tips with the less common Ross's goose. These are Oregon's only wild white geese. It is predominantly a spring and fall migrant, especially abundant in large wetland and agricultural complexes such as Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Silvies River floodplain in Harney County, Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and Klamath Wildlife Area. Wintering snow geese in Oregon are found primarily along

The Red-breasted nuthatch is a happy, jolly little bird, quick and agile in its motions and seemingly always in a hurry to scramble over the branches. It is distinguished from other nuthatches by white eyebrows, black eyelines and cap, reddish breast, and nasal yank yank song. Although males have a blacker cap and redder breast than females, distinguishing sexes in the field is difficult. During winter, is can be observed foraging in mixed-species flocks with Chickadees, Brown creepers, Kinglets, Townsend's carblers, and Dark-eyed junkos. The Red-breasted nuthatch breeds and winters throughout Oregon where conifer or mixed conifer-hardwood forests are present

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

The Turkey vulture, known locally as a "buzzard," is a common sight spring through fall throughout the state, except in the highest mountains and featureless desert expanses in summer where they are uncommon. Seeing Turkey vultures returning is a welcome sign of spring. Turkey vultures are large-winged soaring birds with overall dark plumage except for a silvery sheen on the undersides of the flight feathers. Adults have small, featherless, red heads, while juveniles have gray heads. The Turkey vulture is a common to abundant transient throughout the state and an uncommon to common summer resident except in high mountains. It

This stocky, medium-sized shorebird is a denizen of Oregon's rocky shoreline, foraging as close to the crashing waves as possible, hence its name. It uses the rocky intertidal zone which includes jetties, offshore rocks and rocky shorelines, sea stacks, and tidal pools and is occasionally found on sandy beaches interspersed with groups of rocks, and on mudflats near the mouth of the Coquille River. It sometimes uses freshwater outfalls for bathing. Birds wintering in Oregon have the upperparts, head, neck, and breast slate gray with a whitish eye-ring. Indistinct supercilium and chin are white, wheres the belly and abdomen are

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Characteristic of open country and cold weather, the Rough-legged hawk can be found soaring over exposed terrain or perched on utility poles across much of the state in winter. The rough appearance of its legs comes from the feathers covering their length, an adaptation that provides extra warmth in frigid weather. In flight, dark wrist patches and belly help identify this large buteo, though like other hawks it is subject to much variation in plumage. From a distance it frequently appears to have a frosty upper half. It often hovers over fields while hunting, a behavior that is rare among

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