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Western pond turtles prefer marshes, streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. They need sparse vegetation nearby for digging nests and like to bask on logs. Population declines are due to habitat loss, degradation of nesting areas by invasive plants, competition from non-native turtles and disease. Predators include raccoons and invasive bullfrogs and fish. Western pond turtles are Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Coast Range, East and West Cascades, Klamath Mountains and Willamette Valley ecoregions. Photo by Simon Wray, ODFW

This species is found in a variety of habitats. To make matters more confusing, four subspecies are found in Oregon, each of which has somewhat different habitat preferences. All can be found in moist areas such as marshes and lake or stream margins, but two may occur some distance from water. The diet varies among subspecies; the more aquatic forms feed on fish, frogs, tadpoles, and leeches, which are eaten in the water. Terrestrial forms take frogs and toads, but also lizards, small mammals, salamanders and slugs. Photo by David Bronson, ODFW

This foreign visitor is regularly found in Oregon among wintering flocks of American widgeon. Drakes are easily distinguished from American wigeon drakes by reddish brown head, gray flank, and lack of green eye stripe. Hens are similar to American Wigeon hens and difficult to distinguish. The call of the male is a shrill whistling, whe'e you; the female's voice a low purr or croak. It is a rare to uncommon visitant east of the Cascades. Hear the call of the eurasian wigeon Photo by ©Greg Gilson

Popularly called "Gooneybird" for its elaborate mating antics and clumsy takeoffs and landings and breeding islands, this is a large, spectacular seabird. Though small for an albatross, it glides on wind currents just above the ocean waves on long narrow wings which span approximately six-and-a-half feet. The dark gray wings, back and tail contrast with a white body and upper tail coverts. Singles or small groups are reported occasionally on offshore Oregon birding trips, primarily in winter. Hear the call of the Laysan albatross Photo by ©Greg Gilson

For many, the rich, melodious song of the Black-headed grosbeak is the music of springtime in Oregon. The handsome males, with their bold pattern of cinnamon, black, and white, are among our most striking songbirds, and area familiar site in parks and gardens as well as in almost every forest type in the state. The buffy, streaked females are less conspicuous, but are also accomplished singers. The Black-headed grosbeak is a common to fairly common breeder and common migrant in forested regions throughout the state. Hear the song of the Black-headed grosbeak Photo by David Bronson

The mountain beaver is a medium-sized, muskrat-like rodent often lacking a visible tail. It is not related to other beavers or rodents but are called beavers because of their habit of gnawing down young trees. The mountain beaver has an extremely short, fur-covered tail, and otherwise differs from the muskrat by possessing five-toed feet. It is dark brown with a small white spot at the base of each ear. In Oregon, are common in forested areas on the west slope of the Cascade Range west to the Pacific Ocean. They are, however, rarely seen as they spend most of their…

Features: Greenish or bluish above with dark wavy worm-like marks along the back; shading to silvery below, usually with dusky spots on the lower side. Mackerel grow to be 25-inches long. Habitat: Pacific mackerel are usually found close to shore, but are not typically associated with any bottom structure. Technique: Mackerel are not usually targeted by Oregon’s anglers, but are often caught incidentally by salmon anglers. Small shiny spoon or baited hooks are good methods to use to catch mackerel.

Oregon has 15 native snake species, from the beautifully colored California Mountain kingsnake to the rubber boa, a constrictor. Interestingly, the sharp-tailed snake appears to specialize in feeding on slugs. And did you know that of our native snakes, only the Western rattlesnake has poisonous venom that's dangerous to humans? ODFW has a fun fact sheet for kids of any age, and a more in-depth brochure, Living with Snakes.

The Dunlin undergoes one of the most dramatic changes in appearance of all shorebirds when it molts from winter to breeding plumage. In winter, these medium sized sandpipers are brownish gray above with white underparts, but in breeding plumage they have a striking rufous-brown back and cap and black belly. Females are larger than males but otherwise similar in appearance. The Dunlin is an abundant transient and winter visitant in estuaries and occasionally on beaches along the coast of Oregon, but significant numbers winter in the Willamette Valley, especially the southern part. Hear the call of the Dunlin Photo by…

Graceful and tern-like in many of its actions, this striking little gull displays flashing white outer primaries that contrast with a gray back. The Bonaparte's gull is an abundant spring and fall transient along the coast, primarily over the ocean just offshore and is fairly common and widespread elsewhere in Oregon, usually in flocks of less than 100. Larger flocks of up to 1,000 have occurred at Fern Ridge Reservoir in Lane County, during extreme storm conditions, and in the Klamath Basin. Hear the call of the Bonaparte's gull Photo by Martyne Reesman, ODFW

These, the most numerous jaegers off Oregon, are slightly smaller than Herring gulls. Gull-like and graceful, these piratical birds steal food from smaller seabirds. They come in a bewildering array of light and dark individuals, confounded by age and sexual differences. The Pomarine jaeger is an uncommon spring and fairly common fall transient offshore two to 50 miles, following shearwaters. Sightings have been centered near the continental shelf edge. They are occasionally observed from shore in fall. Hear the call of the Pomarine jaeger Photo by Martyne Reesman, ODFW

The only sapsucker regularly found in western Oregon, the Red-breasted sapsucker, with its raspberry-red head and breast, is unmistakable. It is found in moist coniferous coastal forest and mixed deciduous-coniferous coastal forest west of the Cascade crest, and in aspen-ponderosa pine forests east of the Cascades. Nest cavities are typically in large snags or live trees with decayed interiors. It is a fairly common breeder in the northern part of the state from the coast to the Cascades and south to the southern Cascades. Hear the call of the Red-breasted sapsucker Photo by Darla Marie Prater

This is one of the most audacious of Oregon's resident avifauna both in appearance and behavior. Its black coat and streaming tail dappled in blue-green iridescence contrasts starkly with its flashing white wing feathers during flight. Common and conspicuous east of the Cascades, the magpie prefers open areas stippled with dense thickets or trees. They are highly social, often gathering in large flocks. Historically despised and persecuted by hunters, farmers, and ranchers, this trickster has flourished in the tradition of the coyote. Hear the call of the Black-billed magpie Photo by Kathy Munsel, ODFW

The California towhee can be found in chaparral habitats of southern Oregon, quietly flitting in and out of the brush in search of seeds. It is a plain brown bird with a rusty throat patch and undertail coverts. It is noticeably larger than the Spotted towhee. Its long slender tail is also a useful identifying feature. Sexes cannot be told apart in the field, but juveniles can be distinguished by the extensive streaking and spotting of the underparts. The California towhee is a fairly common permanent resident throughout the Rogue, Applegate, and Illinois Valleys. Hear the song of the California…

The buzzy, insect-like song of the Savannah sparrow is a characteristic sound of open landscapes dominated by grasslands throughout Oregon. Savannah sparrows are usually heard or seen when perched atop a fence post, small shrub, or tall weed, or running on the ground between openings in vegetation until the bird abruptly drops down into cover. The Savannah sparrow nests on the ground, often in a slight depression and well concealed by a canopy of dead vegetation or partially tucked under a clump of vegetation. Hear the song of the Savannah sparrow Photo by Dave Budeau, ODFW

The Swamp sparrow uses wet areas that have thick vegetation for cover. Several glimpses of this reclusive bird may be required before it can safely be separated from Lincoln's sparrow or the more common Song sparrow, though its distinctive call will give it away to observers familiar with it. Chestnut coloration on the wing coverts helps separate this species from other wintering sparrows. The Swamp swallow is a rare to uncommon spring and fall transient and winter visitant in western Oregon, especially along the coast. Hear the song of the Swamp sparrow Photo from USFWS

Other than the muskrat, the water vole is the largest arvicoline in Oregon. It occurs in the Cascade Range from Mt. Hoot to Mt. Mazama and in the Wallowa and Blue mountains east and north of a line connecting Langdon Lake, Umatilla County; the North Fork Malheur River, Grant County and Cornucopia, Baker County. It is considered an inhabitant of alpine and subalpine streamsides. The water vole is active throughout the diel cycle; however, activity is least from dawn to midday, rises during the afternoon, and peaks at night, probably after midnight. It is a good swimmer and can swim…

The Pacific jumping mouse is a long tailed, sleek-bodied mouse. The pelage is course. The ocherous sides are separated sharply from the tawny dorsum; the venter is white, often washed with ochre. The tail is bicolored, but not markedly so. In Oregon, the species occurs in the Cascade Range and westward to the Pacific Ocean except for southern Jackson County. These mice are largely marsh and meadow dwellers but are often found along creek banks or under ferns and weeds in the woods. In September and October, these jumping mice become exceedingly fat; in captivity, they become progressively less active…

The bright rusty plumage of the male cinnamon teal, a bird of western North America, is a visual delight. In flight, both males and females show powder blue in the wings as they fly fast and low, timed at nearly 60 miles per hour. They weigh only about one pound. They are a common breeder throughout the state except in western Oregon and the high Cascades. They are most common east of the Cascades. Hear the call of the cinnamon teal Photo by Maxine Wyatt

This Eurasian diving duck regularly occurs in the Aleutian Islands and with increasing regularity in North America, especially along the West Coast. It is now reported annually in Oregon, between mid-October and early May, with most during January and February. All were from the coastal lowlands or the Willamette Valley, except for one on a small pond in Josephine County. They are closely related to the scaups and often associated with them. Hear the call of the tufted duck Photo by Tom Benson, Flickr