Types of Birds in Oregon
Oregon is home to 547 bird species across five distinct habitats. This guide covers the most important species in each, with field marks and ID tips to help you name what you are seeing.
Oregon ranks fifth in bird species diversity in the entire United States, behind only Florida, New Mexico, Texas, and California. With 547 accepted species and 120 recognized Important Bird Areas, it is one of the most rewarding states in the country for birders at any skill level.
What makes Oregon exceptional is the variety of its landscapes. The same state that has dense temperate rainforest on the coast also has alkali desert lakes in the southeast. Glaciated peaks in the Cascades give way to high ponderosa pine forests, then sagebrush steppe, then canyon grassland. Each habitat supports a distinct bird community, which is why Oregon species lists look so different depending on where you are standing.
This guide organizes Oregon’s birds by habitat rather than by taxonomy, because that is how most people encounter them. Start with where you are, and let the habitat do the narrowing.
Backyard and Urban Birds
Western Oregon’s mild, wet climate supports a surprisingly rich community of year-round resident birds. You do not need to leave Portland to add 30 species to your list. Most of the birds in this section visit feeders, and nearly all can be found in parks, greenbelts, and suburban gardens across the Willamette Valley and coast.
Western Meadowlark
Sturnella neglecta
The Western Meadowlark is Oregon’s state bird and one of the most iconic sounds of the state’s open landscapes. The male’s loud, rich, flute-like song carries across fields and roadsides from early spring through summer.
Look for a robin-sized bird with a bright yellow breast crossed by a bold black V. Brown and black streaked upperparts provide camouflage against dry grass.
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
Brilliant yellow in summer, olive-drab in winter. Strict seed eater that nests later than most birds, waiting for summer thistle.
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
One of the most abundant birds in North America. Slate-grey head and back, white belly, flash of white outer tail feathers in flight.
Black-capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus
Tiny, bold, and inquisitive. The first bird many Oregon beginners learn. Their “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” call is unmistakable.
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
One of the most recognized birds in the US. Common on lawns where it hunts earthworms by sight, tilting its head to locate prey.
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
Scratches noisily through leaf litter under shrubs. Often heard before seen. Males have striking black, white, and rufous plumage.
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
Abundant feeder bird across Oregon. Males display variable amounts of red on the head and breast, with the reddest males preferred by females.
Steller’s Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri
The loudest bird in any Oregon campground. Deep blue body with a black head and prominent crest. Intelligent and bold at feeders.
Anna’s Hummingbird
Calypte anna
The only hummingbird in western Oregon year-round. Males have an iridescent magenta head and throat that appear black in poor light.
Rufous Hummingbird
Selasphorus rufus
The feistiest hummingbird in North America. Males are almost entirely orange-rufous, aggressively defending feeders.
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Unusual among woodpeckers for spending most of its time on the ground, digging for ants. More likely spotted on your lawn than on a tree.
Forest Birds
Oregon’s forests range from coastal Sitka spruce rainforest to inland Douglas-fir and hemlock, to dry ponderosa pine east of the Cascades. Each supports distinct species. The bird community of an old-growth Coast Range forest is almost entirely different from a high-elevation pine forest near Bend.
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Oregon’s most iconic raptor. Commonly seen near large rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Concentrations of 500 or more winter in the Klamath Basin.
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
The “fish hawk.” Plunges feet-first into water to catch fish. Abundant near lakes and rivers in summer.
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Oregon’s largest and most widespread owl. Begins nesting in January, using abandoned hawk or crow nests. Its deep hooting is common after dark year-round.
Varied Thrush
Ixoreus naevius
One of Oregon’s most beautiful forest birds. Its eerie, sustained single-note whistle is one of the defining sounds of a wet winter forest.
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Oregon’s largest woodpecker, roughly the size of a crow. Excavates large rectangular holes in dead trees searching for carpenter ants.
Wetland and Riparian Birds
Oregon’s wetlands, marshes, rivers, and lakes host some of the state’s most dramatic bird concentrations. The Willamette Valley refuges, Malheur NWR, and Sauvie Island all sit along the Pacific Flyway. In peak season, these wetlands hold hundreds of thousands of birds at once.
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
Oregon’s most visible large wading bird. Stands motionless in shallow water waiting for fish. Found on virtually every river and lake in the state.
American Bittern
Botaurus lentiginosus
Master of camouflage. When threatened, the bittern points its bill skyward and sways, blending perfectly with surrounding reeds.
Sandhill Crane
Antigone canadensis
Autumn arrivals at Sauvie Island are spectacular, with flocks of thousands staging in fields before continuing south. Their rattling bugle call announces their presence from miles away.
Wood Duck
Aix sponsa
Often called the most beautiful duck in North America. Nests in tree cavities near water and takes readily to nest boxes.
Tundra Swan
Cygnus columbianus
Oregon hosts tens of thousands of Tundra Swans each winter, primarily in the Willamette Valley refuges and Sauvie Island.
Northern Harrier
Circus hudsonius
Hunts by flying low and slow over marshes and fields. The white rump patch is visible at a great distance.
Coastal and Seabirds
The 363-mile Oregon coast is one of the most productive bird habitats in the western United States. Offshore rocks and sea stacks support nesting colonies of seabirds from April through August. Rocky shores host specialized shorebirds year-round.
Blue Birds Found in Oregon
Searching for blue birds specifically? Oregon has several striking blue species across different habitats. Here are the four most likely blue birds you will encounter:
- Steller’s Jay Deep blue with black crest. Western Oregon forests. Year-round.
- Western Bluebird Vivid blue back, rusty breast. Open woodlands east of Cascades.
- Mountain Bluebird All sky-blue. High elevation meadows in summer.
- Lazuli Bunting Brilliant blue-and-orange. Spring and summer migrant.
Tufted Puffin
Fratercula cirrhata
One of Oregon’s most sought-after seabirds. Nests on offshore rocks and headlands from April through August. Unmistakable in breeding plumage.
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
Plunge-dives for fish from heights up to 60 feet. Increasingly common along the Oregon coast in summer and fall.
Common Murre
Uria aalge
Oregon’s most abundant seabird. Nests in dense colonies on offshore rocks and sea stacks. Cape Meares hosts one of the largest colonies on the coast.
Pigeon Guillemot
Cepphus columba
A close-inshore alcid found on rocky sections of the Oregon coast year-round. Nests in cliff crevices and under boulders.
Black Oystercatcher
Haematopus bachmani
A year-round resident of Oregon’s rocky coastline. Pries open mussels and limpets with its striking orange bill.
Eastern Oregon and Desert Birds
East of the Cascades, Oregon transforms into a different world. Sagebrush steppe, juniper woodland, alkali lakes, rimrock canyons, and high desert grasslands replace the forests of the west. This is Oregon’s most underbirded region, and for experienced birders, its most rewarding.
Western Meadowlark
Sturnella neglecta
Oregon’s state bird is far more abundant in the open grasslands east of the Cascades. The male sings from fenceposts and shrubs all spring and summer.
Greater Sage-Grouse
Centrocercus urophasianus
The largest grouse in North America and the signature species of the Great Basin. Males perform elaborate lek displays in early spring.
Swainson’s Hawk
Buteo swainsoni
A long-distance migrant that breeds in Oregon’s open country east of the Cascades and winters in Argentina.
Loggerhead Shrike
Lanius ludovicianus
The “butcher bird.” Hunts like a raptor but is songbird-sized. A declining species, most reliably found in eastern Oregon’s open shrublands.
Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestris
One of the most abundant birds in eastern Oregon’s open habitats. Flocks of hundreds winter in plowed fields and along roadsides.