Locations
Short-tailed Albatross © Liam Hutcheson
Birding Locations
We guide across the state and can meet you anywhere. Below are Oregon’s major birding regions accompanied by a selection of their characteristic birds. Explore these regions/birds for ideas on where to go and what birds to expect.
Astoria - Lincoln City - Newport - Coos Bay
Coastal Oregon
In Coastal Oregon, rich conifer forests descend from the Coast Range to the ocean. Wrentits lend their bouncing ball songs to beachside scrub, while Red Crossbills chirp from stunted Sitka Spruces. In the south, the northernmost Coastal Redwood forests are home to nesting Marbled Murrelets. Further north, enormous Douglas Firs dominate the landscape. Rocks within sight of shore host breeding colonies of Tufted Puffins, Common Murres, and Pigeon Guillemots. Rich offshore waters are home to a rotating cast of seabirds, such as Short-tailed Shearwaters and Black-footed Albatrosses. The beaches and inlets provide breeding habitat for endangered Western Snowy Plovers and stopover habitat for dozens of other shorebirds and waders. From north to south, a few voices remain constant: the haunting whistles of Varied Thrushes, the bubbling song of Pacific Wrens, and the cheery sounds of local resident White-crowned Sparrows.
Brant, Cackling Goose, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Mountain Quail, California Quail, Black Swift, Anna’s Hummingbird, Pacific Golden-Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Red Phalarope, Wandering Tattler, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Rock Sandpiper, Tufted Puffin, Marbled Murrelet, Pigeon Guillemot, Common Murre, Ancient Murrelet, Heermann’s Gull, Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Red-necked Grebe, Western Grebe, Clark’s Grebe, Pacific Loon, Red-throated Loon, Yellow-billed Loon, Brandt’s Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, White-tailed Kite, Western Screech Owl, Northern Pygmy Owl, Spotted Owl, Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood Pewee, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Western Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Hutton’s Vireo, Cassin’s Vireo, Northern Shrike, Canada Jay, Steller’s Jay, California Scrub Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Purple Martin, Violet-green Swallow, Bushtit, Wrentit, Pacific Wren, American Dipper, Townsend’s Solitaire, Varied Thrush, Evening Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Bullock’s Oriole, Brewer’s Blackbird, Nashville Warbler, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Hermit Warbler, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting.
Brant © Liam Hutcheson, California Quail © Liam Hutcheson, Tufted Puffin © Liam Hutcheson, Northern Saw-whet Owl © Levi Plummer, Pelagic Cormorant © Liam Hutcheson, Violet-green Swallow © Jim Merritt, Barrow’s goldeneye © Jack Parlapiano, Western Tanager © Jack Parlapiano, Surfbird © Robert Royse, Townsend’s Solitaire © Felipe Guerrero, Heerman’s Gull © Robert Royse, Black-throated Gray Warbler © Liam Hutcheson, Red-necked Grebe © Brad Imhoff, Black Phoebe © Levi Plummer, Brewer’s Blackbird © Brad Imhoff.
Portland - Eugene - Grant's Pass - Medford - Ashland
Western Oregon
Oregon’s valley region lies between the Coast Range and the Cascades. The Coast Range creates a rain shadow, resulting in a much drier valley compared to areas farther west. Numerous large rivers still carry water into the region from the slopes of the Cascades. This valley is home to a wide suite of habitats and, consequently, tremendous bird diversity. Oak woodlands and oak savannas provide habitat for Acorn Woodpeckers and Oak Titmice. The arable soils have been largely converted to agriculture, though feedlots still support Tricolored Blackbirds. Conifer forests, dominated by blends of Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir, hold widespread western breeders like Cassin’s Finches, as well as more restricted Pacific species such as Hermit and Black-throated Gray Warblers. High meadows are home to an endemic subspecies of Vesper Sparrow, and the surrounding large trees provide haunts for Northern Spotted and Great Gray Owls. The conifer forest bird communities largely overlap with those of the Cascades and the Coast Range.
Barrow’s Goldeneye, Mountain Quail, Golden Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, American Goshawk, Western Screech Owl, Northern Pygmy Owl, Spotted Owl, Great Gray Owl, Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Acorn Woodpecker, White-headed Woodpecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood Pewee, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher, Western Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Hutton’s Vireo, Cassin’s Vireo, Northern Shrike, Canada Jay, Steller’s Jay, California Scrub Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Oak Titmouse, Violet-green Swallow, Bushtit, Wrentit, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Pacific Wren, American Dipper, Townsend’s Solitaire, Varied Thrush, Evening Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Cassin’s Finch, Golden-crowned Sparrow, California Towhee, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Bullock’s Oriole, Tricolored Blackbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, Nashville Warbler, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Hermit Warbler, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting.
American Goshawk © Felipe Guerrero, Cassin’s Finch © Jim Merritt, Pacific Wren © Brad Imhoff, Red-breasted Sapsucker © Liam Hutcheson, Bullock’s Oriole © Jim Merritt, Great Gray Owl © Felipe Guerrero, Canyon Wren © David Tonnessen, Evening Grosbeak © Robert Royse, Western Flycatcher © Jim Merritt, California Scrub-Jay © Robert Royse, Ash-throated Flycatcher © Michael Stremciuc, Cassin’s Vireo © Jim Merritt, Dusky Flycatcher © Liam Hutcheson, Black-headed Grosbeak © Jim Merritt.
Hood River - Crater Lake - Bend - Sisters - Klamath Falls
CEntral Oregon & The Cascades
The Cascades are the highest mountains in Oregon, formed by a volcanic arc that stretches from Northern California to British Columbia. Huge volcanoes like Mount Hood soar above 11,000 feet. The lower slopes are a mix of deciduous and conifer forests. The higher slopes are dominated by rich, wet conifer forests, composed of a suite of firs and spruces. Mountain Quail calls ring loudly from the understory. Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches can be found above the treeline on the highest peaks. On the eastern front of the Cascades, a rain shadow creates drier juniper and Pinyon Pine forests, home to Pinyon Jays and Gray Flycatchers. Mixed forests and riparian corridors around Bend support the highest woodpecker diversity in the United States. The Klamath Valley has tremendous wet prairies that support a western population of Yellow Rails, as well as numerous waterfowl and wading birds.
Mountain Quail, Sooty Grouse, Chukar, Common Poorwill, White-throated Swift, Anna’s Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, Yellow Rail, Franklin’s Gull, Black Tern, Red-necked Grebe, Western Grebe, Clark’s Grebe, Golden Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, American Goshawk, Flammulated Owl, Western Screech Owl, Northern Pygmy Owl, Spotted Owl, Great Gray Owl, Long-eared Owl, Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Lewis’s Woodpecker, White-headed Woodpecker, American Three-Toed Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood Pewee, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher, Gray Flycatcher, Western Flycatcher, Cassin’s Vireo, Loggerhead Shrike, Northern Shrike, Canada Jay, Steller’s Jay, Pinyon Jay, Clark’s Nutcracker, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Juniper Titmouse, Violet-green Swallow, Bushtit, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Pacific Wren, American Dipper, Sage Thrasher, Mountain Bluebird, Townsend’s Solitaire, Varied Thrush, Evening Grosbeak, Cassin’s Finch, Brewer’s Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Green-tailed Towhee, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Tricolored Blackbird, Bullock’s Oriole, Brewer’s Blackbird, Nashville Warbler, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Hermit Warbler, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting.
Williamson’s Sapsucker © David Tonnessen, Western Screech-Owl © Liam Hutcheson, Northern Shrike © Brad Imhoff, Brewer’s Sparrow © Liam Hutcheson, American Three-toed Woodpecker © Felipe Guerrero, Black Tern © Brad Imhoff, Clark’s Nutcracker © Jim Merritt, Mountain Bluebird © Jack Parlapiano, Loggerhead Shrike © Brad Imhoff, MacGillivray’s Warbler © Felipe Guerrero, Sage Thrasher © Brian Genge, Rough-legged Hawk © Liam Hutcheson, White-throated Swift © Matt Baumann, Rock Wren © Jack Parlapiano.
The Dalles - Baker City
Northern Oregon
The Columbia River runs most of the length of the Oregon-Washington border and shapes the geography of the region. Clark’s Grebes and California Gulls use the river alongside windsurfers and energy plants. Scenic, steep banks support rock-loving species like Chukars, Canyon Wrens, and White-throated Swifts. To the east, the Wallowa Mountains rise up, providing a forest oasis in the Palouse Prairie. The Wallowas are an ecological intermediate between the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountains. They are the easternmost outposts for Mountain Quail and White-headed Woodpeckers and the only sites in Oregon for Spruce Grouse and Dusky Grouse. The higher elevations have Oregon’s only reliable Boreal Owls. Open pine forests support one of the densest populations of Great Gray Owls, which poach nests from the local American Goshawks.
Mountain Quail, Dusky Grouse, Spruce Grouse, Gray Partridge, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Franklin’s Gull, Black Tern, Western Grebe, Clark’s Grebe, Golden Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Flammulated Owl, Western Screech Owl, Great Gray Owl, Long-eared Owl, Boreal Owl, Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Lewis’s Woodpecker, White-headed Woodpecker, American Three-Toed Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood Pewee, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher, Gray Flycatcher, Western Flycatcher, Cassin’s Vireo, Northern Shrike, Steller’s Jay, Clark’s Nutcracker, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Purple Martin, Violet-green Swallow, Bushtit, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, American Dipper, Mountain Bluebird, Townsend’s Solitaire, Varied Thrush, Veery, Evening Grosbeak, Cassin’s Finch, Brewer’s Sparrow, Green-tailed Towhee, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Bullock’s Oriole, Brewer’s Blackbird, Nashville Warbler, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting.
Dusky Grouse © Liam Hutcheson, Purple Martin © Brad Imhoff, Lewis’s Woodpecker © Felipe Guerrero, Pacific Wren © Liam Hutcheson, MacGillivray’s Warbler © Liam Hutcheson, Hammond’s Flycatcher © Jack Parlapiano, Chestnut-backed Chickadee © Robert Royse, Long-eared Owl © Nick Ramsey, Veery © Liam Hutcheson, Golden Eagle © Liam Hutcheson, Olive-sided Flycatcher © Liam Hutcheson, Green-tailed Towhee © Jim Merritt, Western Wood-Pewee © Robert Royse, Gray Flycatcher © Jack Parlapiano.
John Day - Burns
Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon is flatter and drier than the rest of the state. It is mostly sage and juniper flats with large wetland oases. Isolated mountains support Black-backed Woodpeckers and Northern Saw-whet Owls. The Summer Lake area is a tremendous wetland complex nestled into sagebrush and juniper plains, where a careful birder can identify Gray Flycatchers and the trills of Black-throated Sparrows. The shining star of the region is Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, an enormous complex of wetland, riparian cottonwood corridors, and sagebrush. Steens Mountain rises above the surrounding area; its highest points play host to Oregon’s only Black Rosy-Finches, and the lower sagebrush supports lekking Greater Sage-Grouse.
Greater Sage-Grouse, Chukar, Common Poorwill, White-throated Swift, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Franklin’s Gull, Black Tern, Golden Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, American Goshawk, Flammulated Owl, Burrowing Owl, Long-eared Owl, Red-naped Sapsucker, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Black-backed Woodpecker, White-headed Woodpecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood Pewee, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher, Gray Flycatcher, Cassin’s Vireo, Loggerhead Shrike, Northern Shrike, Canada Jay, Steller’s Jay, Violet-green Swallow, Bushtit, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Pacific Wren, Sage Thrasher, Mountain Bluebird, Evening Grosbeak, Cassin’s Finch, Brewer’s Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Sagebrush Sparrow, Green-tailed Towhee, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Bullock’s Oriole, Brewer’s Blackbird, Nashville Warbler, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting.
Greater Sage-Grouse © Seth Owens, Burrowing Owl © Liam Hutcheson, Canada Jay © Robert Royse, White-headed Woodpecker © Liam Hutcheson, Bushtit © Liam Hutcheson, Black-throated Sparrow © Felipe Guerrero, Red-naped Sapsucker © Liam Hutcheson, Ferruginous Hawk © David Tonnessen, Mountain Bluebird © Brian Genge, Townsend’s Warbler © Liam Hutcheson, Yellow-headed Blackbird © Matt Misewicz, Steller’s Jay © Liam Hutcheson, Black-throated Gray Warbler © Liam Hutcheson, Western Tanager © Brian Genge.
The Dalles - Baker City
Pelagic
The cold, deep waters off the coast of Oregon hold tubenoses, alcids, and skuas. With the continental shelf nearby and breeding seabirds within sight of land, boats can stay within 25 miles of shore. These trips are a great way to cross paths with the incredible migrations of Long-tailed Jaegers, Sabine’s Gulls, and Arctic Terns. In the winter, northern specialties like Parakeet Auklets can be encountered. In the summer, far-flung Hawaiian Petrels are possible alongside large numbers of local residents like Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels. Year-round, getting offshore is sure to net species not possible from land.
Red Phalarope, Tufted Puffin, Marbled Murrelet, Pigeon Guillemot, Common Murre, Ancient Murrelet, Scripp’s Murrelet, Parasitic Jaeger, Long-tailed Jaeger, Pomarine Jaeger, South Polar Skua, Black-legged Kittiwake, Sabine’s Gull, Arctic Tern, Laysan Albatross, Black-footed Albatross, Short-tailed Albatross, Fork-tailed Storm Petrel, Leach’s Storm Petrel, Northern Fulmar, Hawaiian Petrel, Cook’s Petrel, Pink-footed Shearwater, Flesh-footed Shearwater, Buller’s Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Short-tailed Shearwater, Brandt’s Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant.
Tufted Puffin © Liam Hutcheson, Black-legged Kittiwake © Shailesh Pinto, Pink-footed Shearwater © Liam Hutcheson, Pigeon Guillemot © Brad Imhoff, Parasitic Jaeger © Robert Royse, Long-tailed Jaeger © Alex Patia, Scripps’s Murrelet © Liam Hutcheson, Sabine’s Gull © Robert Royse, Buller’s Shearwater © Liam Hutcheson, Sooty Shearwater © Robert Royse, Leach’s Storm-Petrel © Kyle Matera, Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel © Liam Hutcheson.