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Coyotes, wolves and foxes are found throughout Oregon, depending on the species. The gray wolf, kit fox and Sierra Nevada red fox are Oregon Conservation Strategy Species. More about wolves in Oregon Report a wolf sighting
PENDLETON, Ore. – A $1 million federal investment will jump-start critical engineering and design work on fish passage and alternative solutions at McKay Creek Reservoir Dam, laying the technical groundwork to eventually reconnect more than 100 miles of historic salmon and steelhead habitat. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden helped…
This is Oregon's smallest breeding tern, with black head and body and gray wings during the breeding season. Black terns are delicate, graceful fliers, reminiscent of a nighthawk or swallow. The Black tern breeds in marsh wetland complexes of southeast, south central and central Oregon. In western Oregon, a very small breeding population is found at a few sites in the Willamette Valley. Hear the call of the Black tern Photo by Bob, Flickr
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
This group of animals is common throughout Oregon in various locations depending on species. Oregon just has one marmot, the yellow-bellied marmot and two of its squirrels are on the Oregon Conservation Strategy Species list: the Washington ground squirrel and the Western gray squirrel. Check our Living with Wildlife, Tree Squirrels page for tips on preventing conflicts, trapping, species status and recommended conservation actions.
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
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
CORVALLIS, Ore . — The Oregon Hatchery Research Center Board will meet virtually via Zoom on Wednesday, Sept. 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. In addition to the regularly scheduled items, the agenda includes a review of a proposal for use of the remaining OHRC Research Fund. The meeting…
The most common whale off the Oregon coast is the gray whale. In addition to the approximately 200 resident gray whales that live nearly year-round off Oregon, a winter and spring migration brings about 18,000 more past our coast. Gray whales are baleen whales (mysticetes). They grow to 50 feet in length and will weigh up to 80,000 pounds; adult females are larger than males, which is common in all baleen whales. They do not have a dorsal fin on their back but instead have a series of knuckles. These whales are mottled gray and are covered with barnacles and…
NEWPORT, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is hosting a public meeting on July 29 from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. to get input on the 2026 recreational Pacific halibut season. The meeting is being held in the conference room of the ODFW office, 2040 SE Marine…
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…
The heather vole is among the smaller voles in Oregon. In appearance, it strongly resembles the montane vole. It is gray to brownish on the dorsum, whitish to grayish on the venter. Two of nine nominal subspecies are purported to occur in Oregon: the lighter colored P. I. intermedius in the Blue and Wallowa mountains of northeastern Oregon and the darker P. I. oramontis in the Cascade Range. Heather voles are rather docile creatures; they usually make little attempt to flee or to defend themselves when captured. It is active during daylight hours more frequently than the Southern red-backed vole…
CENTRAL POINT, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is hosting a family-friendly 3D archery event Aug. 2-3 at the Military Slough tract on Denman Wildlife Area. For just $10 (cash only, pay at entrance), archers can take shots at 40 3D animal targets on a two-mile course…
ENTERPRISE, Ore. – ODFW, in coordination with co-managers, will reopen harvest of wild (adipose-intact) fall Chinook salmon in the Snake River effective Saturday, Oct. 4. The reopening follows a temporary closure implemented in September to ensure fisheries remained within agreed harvest limits. During the closure, managers continued to monitor run…
NEWPORT, Ore. – Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife staff are hosting in person meetings Oct. 6, 7, and 8 to discuss the 2026 recreational bottomfish and Pacific halibut seasons with anglers. The Oct. 8 meeting in Newport also offers a virtual option. Meeting information: Oct. 6, Brookings: 5:30-7:30 p.m…
SALEM, Ore. – The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) met March 4-9 to develop three alternatives for ocean salmon seasons along the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. PFMC is hosting a hybrid public meeting March 24 from 7-9 p.m. in Newport to receive input on the proposed salmon management…
Western Oregon observers enjoy these large, elegant plovers almost year-round, and as a consequence they are one of the most familiar larger shorebirds. Almost all migrants and winterers visiting Oregon inhabit mudflats and open wet dirt fields. A few can be found on sand beaches and even occasionally on rocks, but the great majority are found feeding and resting on open mud. In Oregon, it is a fairly common to common transient in western interior valleys. East of the Cascades, the Black-bellied plover is an uncommon transient in the Klamath Basin and at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. In winter it…
Spirited vocalizations make this handsome clown-faced woodpecker one of the more conspicuous residents of much of Oregon's oak woodland. It is unique among Oregon woodpeckers with its habits of communal living and acorn storage. It is fairly common in the Rogue Valley and adjacent hills and locally common in the Klamath River Canyon in southwest Klamath county and the southern part of the Willamette Valley. Acorn woodpeckers are Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in both the Klamath Mountains and Willamette Valley ecoregions. Loss of oak woodlands poses a major threat to this bird. Hear the call of the Acorn woodpecker Photo…
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…
Canvasbacks are large; adults in good condition are as heavy as mallards and second in size only to the white-winged scoter among common Oregon ducks. Drakes have a reddish head and neck; black breast, lower back and tail coverts; nearly white back, flank, and belly, and dark gray tail. The hen is grayish brown with a darker brown head, neck, breast and tailcoverts. It is an occasional summer resident in northeast Oregon, nesting locally only at Ladd Marsh in Union County. It is an uncommon spring and fall migrant in northeastern Oregon and regular in winter and spring on the…