State of Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the western US, with the Columbia River delineating much of its northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. The 42° north parallel delineates the southern boundary with California and Nevada. The western boundary is formed by the Pacific Ocean. It is the ninth largest, covering nearly 255,000 km2 (over 98,000 square miles) and the 27th most populous US state with about 4.2 million people. The capital, Salem, is the third-most populous city in Oregon, with around 175,500 residents. Portland, with around 650,000, is the largest city and the Portland metropolitan area, which includes neighbouring counties in Washington, is the 25th largest metro area in the nation, with a population of well over 2.5 million people.
Oregon is also one of the most geographically diverse states in the US, marked by volcanoes, abundant bodies of water, dense evergreen and mixed forests, as well as high deserts and semi-arid shrublands. Oregon’s only national park, Crater Lake National Park, comprises the caldera surrounding Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the US. The state is also home to the single largest organism in the world, Armillaria ostoyae, a fungus that runs beneath 8.9 km2 of the Malheur National Forest.
Oregon is split into eight geographical regions. In Western Oregon: Oregon Coast (west of the Coast Range), the Willamette Valley, Rogue Valley, Cascade Range and Klamath Mountains; and in Central and Eastern Oregon: the Columbia Plateau, the High Desert, and the Blue Mountains.
Western Oregon’s mountainous regions, home to three of the most prominent mountain peaks of the US The Columbia River played a major role in the region’s geological evolution. It is one of North America’s largest rivers, and one of two rivers to cut through the Cascades (the Klamath River in southern Oregon is the other). Oregon’s landscape varies from rain forest in the Coast Range to barren desert in the southeast. Central Oregon’s geographical features range from high desert and volcanic rock formations resulting from lava beds. The Oregon Badlands Wilderness is in this region of the state.
Oregon Badlands Wilderness – ©Bureau of Land Management Oregon & Washington from Portland, America, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Most of Oregon has a generally mild climate, though there is significant variation given the variety of landscapes across the state. The state’s western region (west of the Cascade Range) has an oceanic climate, populated by dense evergreen mixed forests. Western Oregon’s climate is heavily influenced by the Pacific Ocean; the western third of Oregon is very wet in the winter, moderately to very wet during the spring and fall, and dry during the summer. The relative humidity of Western Oregon is high except during summer days, which are semi-dry to semi-humid; Eastern Oregon typically sees low humidity year-round. The state’s southwestern portion, particularly the Rogue Valley, has a Mediterranean climate with drier and sunnier winters and hotter summers, similar to Northern California. Oregon’s northeastern portion has a steppe climate, and its high terrain regions have a subarctic climate. Like Western Europe, Oregon, and the Pacific Northwest in general, is considered warm for its latitude, and the state has far milder winters at a given elevation than comparable latitudes elsewhere in North America.
The eastern two thirds of Oregon, which largely comprise high desert, have cold, snowy winters and very dry summers. Much of the east is semiarid to arid like the rest of the Great Basin, though the Blue Mountains are wet enough to support extensive forests. Most of Oregon receives significant snowfall, but the Willamette Valley, where 60 percent of the population lives, has considerably milder winters for its latitude and typically sees only light snowfall.
Typical of a western state, Oregon is home to a unique and diverse array of wildlife. Roughly 60 percent of the state is covered in forest, while the areas west of the Cascades are more densely populated by forest, making up around 80 percent of the landscape. Some 60 percent of Oregon’s forests are within federal land. Oregon is the top timber producer of the lower 48 states. Typical tree species include the Douglas fir (the state tree), as well as redwood, ponderosa pine, western red cedar, and hemlock.
Three Fingered Jack, Cascades – ©Ericshawwhite CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Many species of mammals live in the state, which from opossums, shrews, moles, chisel-toothed kangaroo rat, bats and rabbits through mountain beavers, chipmunks, squirrels and porcupines to predators such as coyotes, wolves, black bears, cougars, bobcats and lynxes, as well as deer, elk, and moose. It also has a wealth of bird species.
Birding Oregon
Known for its spectacular ocean beaches, mountains and high desert, Oregon is a state of great beauty. This scenic diversity also supports a diversity of habitats, which in turn support a diversity of bird species.
The climate along Oregon’s Pacific coastline is mild and wet, and the low mountains bordering the coast are heavily forested. Areas like the Tillamook spit are locally famed for not only for shore birding, but also for the wide variety of land birds that can be found in stands of trees and open areas just inland.
The majority of the state’s population lives in the Willamette Valley, nestled between the low Coast range and much higher Cascades range. The valley also enjoys a mild and wet climate, and offers a wide range of habitat ranging from heavily urbanised to classic farmland, large wetlands, forests, and oak savannah.
The Cascade Range is heavily forested up to about 6,000ft in elevation, with sub-alpine and alpine meadows at higher elevations. The major peaks have permanent snowfields and glaciers.
East of the Cascade Range, the climate is much drier and the average elevation much higher than west of the mountains. This combination makes for a harsh climate, hot and dry in summer, and bitterly cold with clear skies in winter. The predominant habitat is sage steppe. Annual precipitation on the Columbia plateau averages about twelve inches. In winter, the Klamath Basin, which spans the Oregon & California border, is home to the largest wintering concentration of bald eagles in the lower 48.
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge – ©Oregon Department of Transportation CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The southeast part of the state lies within the Great Basin, that large portion of the American West fenced from the sea by a series of mountain ranges and divides. The Great Basin includes nearly all of Nevada and Utah, as well as much of eastern California. Southeast Oregon forms the northwest corner of the Basin. Habitat types here are similar to the rest of eastern Oregon. Because there is no drainage to the sea, though, large salt playas and huge wetlands have formed in some areas. High Fault-block Mountains form local rain shadows, and at their feet lie areas with just a few inches of rain, like the Alvord Desert. Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, one of the largest national refuges in the country, stretches for about forty-five miles along the valley of the Blitzen river. Refuge Headquarters, located on the southern shore of vast Malheur Lake, has long been recognised as one of the best migrant traps in the West. Many of the most serious birders in Oregon can be found here during the last weeks of May and the first two weeks in June.
-
Number of bird species: 563
(As at November 2024)State Bird: Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta
-
Avibase
PDF ChecklistThis checklist includes all bird species found in Oregon , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them. -
Ethical Birder
PDF ChecklistThis list includes 547 species of birds that have occurred in Oregon as of July 2023. (I) = introduced (E) = Extirpated *Review Species. Report sightings to https://oregonbirding.org/report-a-rare-bird -
Oregon Bird Records Committee
PDF ChecklistOfficial Checklist of Oregon Birds -
Wikipedia
Annotated ListThis list of Oregon birds lists wild bird species found in the U.S. state of Oregon and accepted by the Oregon Bird Records Committee (OBRC).[1] As of August 2022, there are 547 species on the list. Of them, 164 are on the review list (see below). Nine species were introduced to Oregon or elsewhere in North America; one of them and two others have been extirpated from the state. -
eBird
PDF ChecklistThis checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.
-
ABA Field Guide to Birds of Oregon
| By Dave Irons & Brian E Small | Scott & Nix, Inc | 2018 | Paperback | 368 pages, colour photos | ISBN: 9781935622680 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Birds of Oregon
| By Roger Burrows & Jeff Gilligan | Lone Pine Publishing | 2016 | Paperback | 384 pages, colour illustrations, map | ISBN: 9781772130225 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Birds of Oregon : A General Reference
| Edited by Mathew G Hunter, Alan L Contreras &David B Marshall | Oregon State University | 2006 | Paperback | 752 pages, illustrations, maps | ISBN: 9780870711824 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Birds of Oregon: Status and Distribution
| Edited by J Gilligan | Cinclus | 1994 | Paperback | 330 pages, b/w photos, maps | Out of Print | ISBN: 9780963776518 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Birds of the Inland Northwest and Northern Rockies:
| (Includes Idaho, Eastern Washington and Oregon, and Western Montana) | By Harry Nehls, Mike Denny & Dave Trochlell | R W Morse Company | 2008 | 422 pages, colour photos, maps | Out of Print | ISBN: 9780964081062 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Handbook of Oregon Birds: A Field Companion to Birds of Oregon
| By Hendrik G Herlyn, Alan L Contreras & Ramiel Papish | Oregon State University Press | 2009 | Paperback | ISBN: 9780870715716 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Washington and Oregon
| Edited by Jonathan Alderfer | National Geographic Society | 2006 | Paperback | 272 pages, maps, photos, drawings | Out of Print | ISBN: 9780792253136 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Oregon Birds: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Species
| By James R Kavanagh & Raymond Leung | Waterford Press | 2001 | Unbound | 12 pages, colour illustrations | ISBN: 9781583551288 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
The Birder's Guide to Oregon
| By Joseph E Evanich, Jr. | Portland Audubon Society | 2003 | Paperback | 288 pages, b/w illustrations, b/w maps | ISBN: 9780931686092 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Watchable Birds of the Great Basin
| By David Lukas | Mountain Press | 1999 | Paperback | 192 pages | ISBN: 9780878423972 Buy this book from NHBS.com
-
Harney County Migratory Bird Festival
WebpageSpend an amazing weekend witnessing the spectacular spring migration in the Harney Basin of Southeast Oregon. View thousands of migratory birds as they rest and feed in the open spaces of Oregon’s high desert. -
Ladd Marsh Bird Festival
WebpageScheduled at the height of spring migration and nesting in the Grande Ronde Valley, the annual Ladd Marsh Bird Festival celebrates World Migratory Bird Day with an uncrowded, non-competitive birding opportunity for the whole family. -
Othello Sandhill Crane Festival
WebsiteWelcome to the Sandhill Crane Festival -
Winter Wings Festival
WebpageSince 2005 the massive numbers and variety of wintering raptors, waterfowl and other bird species in the Klamath Basin has been a well-known attraction to birders and nature photographers throughout the country and provided a perfect platform for the Winter Wings Festival (WWF). The WWF is the primary fundraiser for the Klamath Basin Audubon Society (KBAS).
-
Crater Lake National Park
Banding StationSatellite ViewNowhere else in Oregon is there a banding site at this elevation and habitat, providing this valuable visitor experience and research opportunity. -
Klamath Bird Observatory
ObservatorySatellite ViewKlamath Bird Observatory offers various bird monitoring workshops. Our bird banding workshops offer a great opportunity to learn new, and refresh old, bird banding skills. Topics covered include songbird ageing and sexing techniques using molt, plumage, skulling, and other criteria, bander safety,
-
Oregon State University
WebpageWhether you consider yourself a birder or simply love to watch birds live their lives, you can earn your Bachelor’s degree at OSU, get the best training in ornithology, and prepare yourself for a career working with birds. -
Southern Oregon University
WebpageBI 471 - Ornithology -
University of Oregon Museum
WebpageThe museum has several important zoological collections, including the Pacific Northwest Zooarchaeology Collection, the Comparative Primate Collection, and the North Pacific Zooarchaeology Collection.
-
Audubon Society in Oregon
WebpageOffices & Chapters; Centers & Sanctuaries; Upcoming Events -
Bird Alliance of Oregon
WebsiteBird Alliance of Oregon’s passionate and growing community has loved and advocated for Oregon’s wildlife and wild places for more than 100 years. With the help of our vast network of advocates, nature enthusiasts, and partners, we inspire and connect people to nature through a variety of programs that are grounded in science and learning. -
Bird Nerds OSU
WebsiteBird Nerds is the student run ornithological club at Oregon State University. We welcome all undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and community members to come and bird with us while learning about the newest research and gaining useful skills along the way! -
Birding Oregon
Facebook PageBirding Oregon is a Facebook group open to all active birders and bird photographers who wish to share their passion and knowledge in a community setting. The group focuses on sharing birding experiences, sightings of rare birds, descriptions of interesting behavior, and helping those new to the hobby. -
Cape Arago Audubon Society
WebsiteThe Cape Arago Audubon Society is the premier source for birding and conservation information on the Oregon South Coast. -
East Cascades Bird Alliance
WebsitePO Box 565 Bend, OR 97709 -
Kalmiopsis Audubon Society
WebsiteNamed for the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, the Kalmiopsis Audubon Society has been the primary local conservation advocacy group in Curry County for more than 40 years. -
Klamath Basin Audubon Society
WebsiteWe invite you to our first "Birds and Brews" get-together on Wednesday October 9th at Mia’s and Pia's Pizzeria, 3545 Summers Lane, from 6 - 7:30 pm. Explore birding opportunities in the Klamath Basin, share your recent bird sightings, and network with others who love nature. New bird and nature enthusiasts are welcome, and you don’t have to be an Audubon member to join in. -
Klamath Basin Coalition
WebsiteThe Klamath Basin Coalition is an alliance of local, regional and national organizations dedicated to conserving and restoring the biological resources of the West's once-great Klamath Basin -
Lane County Audubon Society
WebsiteLane County Audubon Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of and education about our natural environment, with a primary focus on birds and other wildlife and their habitats. Our organization in dedicated to equity, diversity and inclusion. -
Mid-Willamette Bird Alliance
WebsiteMWBA (previously ASC) is headquartered in Corvallis, Oregon and welcomes members and visitors from the mid-Willamette Valley and beyond. We host speakers, lead half-day birding walks to local areas, guide multi-day field trips to regional birding areas, present education programs to all ages, and support conservation of birds, other native wildlife, and natural habitats. -
Nature Conservancy in Oregon
WebpageThe mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends, and for nearly 60 years, we've been working in Oregon to do just that. We're bringing people together to solve the biggest conservation challenges of our time by transforming policy, inspiring communities to take action, protecting vital habitats and natural resources and improving livelihoods. -
Oregon Birding Association
WebsiteOBA believes that birding is for everyone, and works to serve the Oregon birding community and promote the enjoyment, knowledge, and conservation of birds through education, science, and shared birding experiences. -
Pendleton Bird Club
WebsiteWe are a community of birders based in Pendleton, Oregon. We share bird sightings, hold meetings, and publish a monthly newsletter. Many of us also use e-bird. We enjoy sharing our birding experiences with others. -
Prescott Western Bluebird Recovery Project
WebsiteWelcome to Prescott Bluebird Recovery Project’s (PBRP) home page. We hope your visit is enjoyable as well as educational. We are an all-volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation of the Western Bluebird within the northern portion of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. -
Rogue Valley Audubon Society
WebsiteThe mission of the Rogue Valley Audubon Society is to support the conservation and restoration of ecosystems so that birds and other wildlife may flourish and contribute to our planet’s biodiversity. -
Salem Audubon Society
WebsiteThe Salem Audubon Society in Salem, Oregon, is an active chapter of the National Audubon Society. Our mission is to connect people to Nature through education focused on birds, other wildlife, habitats, conservation, and restoration of natural ecosystems. To this end, we promote the enjoyment of birds and environmental stewardship with birding field trips and educational programs and involve volunteers in education, advocacy, and restoration projects. -
Seven Capes Bird Alliance
WebsiteSeven Capes Bird Alliance is the Audubon Chapter serving Oregon’s Lincoln and Tillamook Counties. Our mission is to encourage residents and visitors to protect and enjoy the native birds, other wildlife, and habitats found on Oregon’s Central Coast. -
Siskiyou Audubon Society
WebsiteOur Mission is to promote the welfare of birds and other wildlife through habitat enhancement and education. Our primary focus is on our local community, our local schools, and issues of the Pacific Northwest. -
Umpqua Valley Audubon Society
WebsiteUmpqua Valley Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society serving central and coastal Douglas County, Oregon.
-
*Protected areas of Oregon
InformationSatellite ViewInteractive list of arboreta, forests, hiking trails, state parks, wildlife refuges, reserves and nature centres etc -
BS Ten Mile Creek Sanctuary
WebpageSatellite ViewLocated on the coast near Yachats, Ore., the Audubon Society of Portland's Ten Mile Creek Sanctuary is a 216-acre reserve of extraordinary ecological importance. It includes the largest intact stand of coastal temperate rainforest of Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock in the lower 48 states and is home to the federally listed Marbled Murrelet and Northern Spotted Owl. Other sanctuary species include Roosevelt Elk, Black-tailed Deer, Cougar, Black Bear, Bald Eagle and other birds of prey. The creek has runs of threatened Coho Salmon, Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Trout. -
IBA East Sand Island
InformationSatellite ViewEast Sand Island is a highly modified natural island, five miles inland from the mouth of the Columbia River. It is low-lying, long, and narrow, about 1 kilometer in length and about 200 yards wide at its widest, and has an area of about 50 acres. East Sand Island is the nesting site of the largest Caspian Tern colony in the world (ca. 9,900 breeding pairs). The colony represents about 67% of the Pacific coast population, about 25% of the North American population and perhaps 10% of the worldwide population. It also is a nesting site for the largest known Double-crested Cormorant colony, currently about 12,000 breeding pairs. The colony represents about 41% of the entire breeding population of the Western North American population. There is an increasing number of Brandt's Cormorants nesting amongst the DCCO colony, numbering over 700 breeding pairs. -
NWR Bandon Marsh
WebpageSatellite ViewBandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge protects the largest remaining tidal salt marsh within the Coquille River estuary. Located near the mouth of the Coquille River, it is an oasis for migrating shorebirds, waterfowl and threatened and endangered species including coho salmon, bald eagle and California brown pelican. Expanded in 1999, the refuge now encompasses 712 acres… -
NWR Goat Island
InformationSatellite ViewThe southernmost coastal IBA in Oregon, about 2 miles northwest of Brookings, just offshore of Harris Beach State Park, Curry County. At 21 acres, Goat Island is the largest island along the Oregon coast. It was the first unit comprising the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Goat Island hosts 24% of the statewide nesting Leach's Storm-Petrels and more than 109,000 nesting seabirds comprising 11 species. The island serves as a night roost for thousands of Aleutian Canada geese in the spring and a wintering area for a small group (40) of Dusky Canada geese. -
NWR Malheur
WebpageSatellite ViewMalheur National Wildlife Refuge was established on August 18, 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt as the Lake Malheur Bird Reservation. Roosevelt set aside unclaimed lands encompassed by Malheur, Mud and Harney Lakes “as a preserve and breeding ground for native birds.” The newly established “Lake Malheur Bird Reservation” was the 19th of 51 wildlife refuges created by Roosevelt during his tenure as president. At the time, Malheur was the third refuge in Oregon and one of only six refuges west of the Mississippi… -
NWR Three Arch Rocks
InformationSatellite ViewOn the northern Oregon coast about 2 miles south of Cape Meares and 1 mile west of Oceanside, Tillamook County. This site includes three large rocks and six small rocks totaling 15 acres. The four largest rocks serve as seabird breeding colonies, including Finley Rock (219-054), Middle Rock (219-055), Shag Rock (219-056), and Seal Rock (219-057). Shag Rock contains low vegetation on the north slope and Finley Rock contains vegetation on the north and east slopes and is the tallest rock at over 300 feet above sea level. Twelve species of seabirds breed here totaling 226,093 birds. This includes 30% of the Common Murres breeding in Oregon and 21% of all Common Murres breeding in the eastern Pacific south of Alaska. This site also harbors 60% of the Tufted Puffin breeding population in Oregon. Over 800 Brown Pelicans (Endangered) have been seen here roosting and up to 13 Bald Eagles (Threatened) have been observed preying on seabirds. -
NWR Tule Lake
WebpageSatellite ViewEstablished in 1928, Tule Lake Refuge encompasses 39,116 acres of mostly open water and croplands. Approximately 17,000 acres are leased by farmers under a program administered by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Refuge permit holders farm another 1,900 acres of cereal grain and alfalfa. These crops, together with the waste grain and potatoes from the lease program are a major food source for migrating and wintering waterfowl. A ten mile auto tour route allows for wildlife observation throughout the year… -
NWR Whalehead Island
InformationSatellite ViewOn the southern Oregon coast off the mouth of Whalehead Creek, less then a mile south of Samuel H. Boardmand State Park, southern Curry County. This site includes four rocks that serve as major seabird breeding colonies including Whalehead Island (270-108), Unnamed Rock (270-109), Unnamed Rock (270-110) and Unnamed Rock (270-106). Most of these rocks are heavily vegetated and provide habitat for burrow-nesting seabirds except for 270-110, which contains significant rocky exposed areas where common murres nest. This site contains more than 167,000 breeding seabirds, including 29% of the Oregon Leach's Storm-Petrel nesting population and 5% of the Common Murre population (USFWS census data). -
SF Elliott
InformationSatellite ViewThe Elliott State Forest is approximately 92,000 acres of public forestland, located in Coos County. It was historically designated a State forest to generate revenue for the Common School Fund, but due to steep slopes and the presence of endangered species, about half the forest has never been logged. -
SP Depoe Bay
WebpageSatellite ViewTwo State Parks, Beverly Beach and Fogarty Creek, contain coastal forests and their associated birdlife. Native sitka spruce and lodgepole (shore) pine are the dominant trees, while the brush consists of salal, huckleberries, salmonberries, and various ferns. Typical year around resident species found in this wet forest are Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Steller's Jay, Common Raven, American Crow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Varied Thrush, Wrentit, Hutton's Vireo, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Purple Finch, Red Crossbill, Pine Siskin, and Evening Grosbeak. -
WC Chintimini Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
WebsiteSatellite ViewOur mission is to provide care for injured and orphaned wildlife, and to foster a connection between people and wildlife through education.
-
Bird Alliance of Oregon
Local Tour OperatorJoin Bird Alliance of Oregon as we explore the most exciting destinations in the Pacific Northwest and across the globe! Led by passionate and experienced guides, our world-class Ecotour program offers fun and engaging opportunities to observe, learn and build a deeper relationship with the natural world. Our trips are a treasure of birding, wildlife-watching, natural history, and cultural experience. -
Bird Treks
Tour OperatorBird Treks has been providing small group and custom birding tours for over 20 years. Visit their website to see the incredible tours available, including a full day pelagic with Tim Shelmerdine and Oregon Pelagic Tours! -
Birding Ecotours
Tour OperatorOregon – Klamath Basin and the Coast -
FieldGuides
Tour OperatorOregon From the Coast to the Cascades -
Main Street Adventure Tours
Local Tour OperatorWe are Southern Oregon’s go-to Bird Watching Tour company for avian enthusiasts and wildlife/landscape photographers in Oregon’s Rogue Valley and Klamath Basin’s diverse Pacific Flyway Ecosystem. -
Naturalist Journeys
Tour OperatorWhen Steve Shunk, guide and author of the Peterson Reference Guide to Woodpeckers of North America, joined Naturalist Journeys, he brought expertise and familiarity with Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. -
Nature in Flight Tours
Local Tour OperatorOutdoor Fun and Adventure from the Coast to the Cascades! -
Oregon Pelagic Tours
Local Tour OperatorWe are very happy to continue to offer pelagic tours off Oregon under the name of our new business, Oregon Pelagic Tours. -
Paradise Birding
Tour Operator...or more than 25 years, Steve has specialized in leading private tours on the eastern slope of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains, where 11 woodpecker species annually raise their young. -
WINGS
Tour OperatorOregon in Spring -
WildSide Nature Tours
Tour OperatorSince 1993, Wildside has offered birding tours and photo workshops that adhere to strong ethical standards.
-
2021 [05 May] - Steve Shumk
PDF Report...We enjoyed Osprey on their nest on the outskirts of Bend before crossing the sagebrush ocean. Passing through the Millican and Hampton Valleys, we got our first tease of the great raptor show to come, with Ferruginous, Swainson’s, and Red-tailed Hawks capping the utility poles. Oh yeah, and some Prairie Falcon and herds of pronghorn for good measure... -
2021 [07 July] - Peg Abbott
PDF Report...We loved the walk to Plaikni Falls and the flower show that filled the runoff channel, including bright pink monkeyflower, yellow monkey flower and a variety of other species. The walk was through forest, and here we got to see good views of a Golden-crowned Kinglet showing off its crown, Pacific Slope Flycatcher, and cracking views of Western Tanager, a favorite of the group from this point onward... -
2022 [05 May] - Steve Shunk
PDF ReportWhat a wonderful trip to some of the most gorgeous scenery possible. The first half of the trip was around one of the birding hotspots of the Western US: Malhuer National Wildlife Refuge and it did not disappoint. The second half of the trip was in the pine forests of the Eastern Sierra Mountains around Bend and Sisters with lots of woodpeckers and lots of other exciting species. C -
2022 [07 July] - Steve Shunk
Annotated Species List...Bird highlights included: Barrow’s Goldeneye ducklings; hatch-year Red-tailed, Swainson’s, and Ferruginous Hawks; several Williamson’s Sapsuckers; eight flycatcher species; and nesting Grasshopper, Vesper, and Lincoln’s Sparrows... -
2022 [12 December] - Darren Naish
ReportI saw a good number of birds that were entirely new to me, and in this article I want to tell you about them and – where possible – show you the decidedly mediocre, often awful, photos I took. -
2023 [05 May] - Steve Shunk
PDF ReportOver 10 days, we explored two of Oregon’s most celebrated birding destinations: southeastern Oregon’s Malheur region and central Oregon’s Woodpecker Wonderland. The complementary habitats of the two regions meant great bird diversity, with 172 species tallied representing 48 different families. -
2023 [07 July] - Steve Shunk
PDF ReportOregon’s magnificent Cascade Mountains can be experienced in myriad ways. We explored the expansive forests around 11 different volcanoes—each over 8,000 feet—by basing ourselves at three magnificent lodges: Crater Lake Lodge, Suttle Lodge, and Timberline Lodge... -
2023 [09 September] - Cory Gregory
ReportOregon plays host to so many different habitats and ecological regions that summarizing them is rather difficult to do! From the sage, to the mountains, and the lush coastal forests, we explored many corners of this state and came away with a fun and comprehensive fall Oregon trip! -
2024 [05 May] - MRT
ReportMy wife and I took a two week camping/birding trip to Eastern Oregon. From Ashland, we stopped in Summer Lake, Malheur NWR, the Zumwalt Prairie, returning through Fort Rock, Cabin Lake and back to Summer Lake. We started on April 15, a little early for returning warblers and shorebirds in this part of the world though there were several migrants here and there. -
2024 [05 May] - Steve Shunk
PDF Report“Woodpeckers and Waterbirds Galore” could be the name of this tour, which visits two of Oregon’s premier birding locations. Habitat diversity served as a common theme throughout the journey, going from desert and desert oasis to mixed-conifer and fire-scarred forest. Our total of 172 bird species was typical for the season. We had no ‘big misses’ and added a few species not seen every year. -
2024 [06 June] - Steve Shunk
PDF Reportan the second time around be as good as the first? I’m here to tell you that it can! The second installment of our annual Oregon tour matched the earlier (May 20-29) trip in many ways, and it boasts its own highlights. Both trips came in at around 170 bird species—this one tallied 175—and both trips found all of the expected specialty birds
-
Cascades Raptor Center
Facebook PagePublic Education designed to enhance the awareness, respect, appreciation, and care of the earth and all its inhabitants so critical for a balanced and healthy planet. The Raptor Center houses nearly 50 avian ambassadors. -
Oregon Birding Trails
WebsiteBring your binoculars as you visit the land at the end of the Oregon Trail! Watch surfbirds and black oystercatchers scramble over rocky headlands between crashing waves, as gray whales spout just off the Oregon Coast. Look for Lewis's woodpecker and Clark's nutcracker as you listen to the song of hermit warblers, among majestic pines framing the snowy volcanic peaks of the Cascades
-
John Riutta – The Well Read Naturalist
BLOGSharing the joys, discoveries, quandries, and other psychological phenomena arising from encountering anew as an amateur something I have done professionally for years….
-
Photographer & Artist - Noah Stryker
GalleryNoah Strycker is an 18-year old birder, photographer, illustrator, and writer based in Creswell, Oregon… -
Photographer - Dennis S Davenport Photography
GalleryNature photos focusing on Birds -
Photographer - Rick Cameron
GalleryI (Rick Cameron) have compiled a lifelist of all of the birds I`ve seen over the past few years. The categories are based on those found in the National Audubon Society`s Field Guide to North American Birds.