Klamath Bird Observatory

05/21/2026

New article on eBird Northwest! Washington’s cliff-nesting raptors need space to raise their young, and birders can help.

Our latest eBird Blog feature highlights shared stewardship efforts in Washington that protect sensitive nesting sites for Peregrine Falcons and other cliff-nesting raptors. Temporary recreation closures, respectful birding, and careful documentation all play a role in helping these birds succeed.

For eBirders, complete checklists and appropriate breeding and behavior codes can provide valuable conservation information, while keeping a safe distance from nests helps ensure our observations don’t become disturbances.

Read more about how partners across Washington are working together to protect these remarkable birds:
https://ebird.org/region/US-OR/post/protecting-washingtons-cliff-nesting-raptors-through-shared-stewardship/

Each spring and summer, Washington’s cliffs become nurseries for Peregrine Falcons and other sensitive raptors, and places where birders, climbers, hikers, and land managers all have a role to play

05/19/2026

🐦 Adopt a tag. Follow a journey. Protect vulnerable birds.

Klamath Bird Observatory is excited to launch Adopt-a-Tag, a new giving program that helps support our bird movement research across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

These tiny tracking tags help KBO scientists answer big conservation questions: Where do birds migrate? Where do they stop along the way? What habitats do they depend on? And how can we better protect them throughout the year?

Through tracking studies, KBO researchers have followed Western Purple Martins on a nearly 7,000-mile migration from Oregon to southeastern Brazil and are working to better understand the movements, survival, and conservation needs of the imperiled Oregon Vesper Sparrow.

Every tag deployed helps reveal part of a bird’s hidden journey. That information can guide conservation action across borders, habitats, and seasons.

By adopting a tag, you directly support cutting-edge research using GPS tags, Motus tags, and satellite transmitters. Your gift helps put technology in the field, supports the scientists who analyze the data, and contributes to conservation strategies that protect birds across their full annual cycle.

Giving levels start at $1,500 and include opportunities to receive migration updates, exclusive webinar access with KBO scientists, and select thank-you gifts depending on the level of support.

✨ Adopt a tag. Adopt a journey. Help us follow the flight paths that conservation depends on.

Learn more and adopt a tag here: https://klamathbird.org/adoptatag/

05/13/2026

Washington’s updated State Wildlife Action Plan is here—and migratory birds are part of the story.

The new WA SWAP helps identify the species, habitats, threats, and conservation actions that will guide wildlife conservation across Washington for the next decade. For migratory birds, that kind of statewide planning matters: birds connect landscapes across borders, and protecting them takes coordinated, science-based action.

KBO is excited to share this new blog highlighting how data, partnerships, and conservation planning can support migratory birds and the habitats they rely on.

Read the blog: https://ebird.org/region/US-OR/post/washingtons-state-wildlife-action-plan-2025-and-migratory-birds/

05/12/2026

Thank you to Harry Fuller for making the trip to Jackson County and taking a group out to Emigrant Lake. The group found not one but two nesting Lawrence’s Goldfinch! Check out Harry's blogs below to learn more about the Lawrence's Goldfinch and the other birds they saw.
https://ecowise.wordpress.com/2026/05/11/migrants-at-emigrant-lake-digital-tour/
https://ecowise.wordpress.com/2026/05/08/once-in-a-lifetime-at-emigrant-lake-may-8-2026/
Jackson County Parks

After the many decades I have lived, I know there are singular things that happen once, that happen for the frist time, that remain unique experiences. Hearing Josh White or Judy Collins sing live.…

05/06/2026

Don't forget when you visit the Ashland Coop this month to round up for KBO!

Meet our May Change for Good recipient, Klamath Bird Observatory!🪶🪶
KBO is focused on bird conservation and environmental education through ornithological practices. Emphasizing high-caliber science and the role of birds as indicators, KBO informs and improves natural resource management. Recognizing that conservation occurs across many fronts. The organization also aims to nurture an environmental ethic through community outreach and education.
Round up your total at checkout to make an impact today!❤️

04/30/2026

Welcome back, Emma Peara, for another fanastic KBO field season!

Hi! I'm Emma Peara, and I'm delighted to be returning as an intern on KBO's Birds and Blackberry Riparian Restoration Project for the 2026 season. Since graduating from the University of Oregon in 2022, I've spent the last few years traveling around, exploring my research interests in avian ecology here in my home state and abroad with organizations like KBO, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Toucan Ridge Bird Observatory, Deakin University, and, most importantly, seeing lots of cool birds! I had a blast last year learning about the art of nest searching with the Birds and Blackberry focal species, so I'm excited to work with them and the KBO crew again and further explore southwestern Oregon. When I'm not watching birds, I enjoy canoeing, playing board games, baking, and making pottery.

04/29/2026

Field season is off to a flapping good start. Join us in welcoming this years field crew. We are starting off with Emma Lindwall.

Emma is from Michigan, and she’s excited to explore Oregon and meet all of its local wildlife! She graduated from Northern Michigan University in 2025, where she pursued her passions in both biology and art. While newer to the birding scene, she had the privilege of working with hermit and Swainson’s thrushes in the UP last season, and is excited to join the Riparian Bird Monitoring crew!

04/08/2026

Join Aubrey May, Southwest Oregon Preserve and Forest Manager at The Nature Conservancy, and members of the Klamath-Siskiyou Oak Network, for a guided hike exploring the remarkable oak ecosystems of Table Rocks. Participants will learn how fire, climate, and land management have shaped these landscapes and how collaborative restoration efforts are helping sustain oak woodlands and the wildlife that depend on them. Along the trail, we’ll explore the ecology of oak communities, discuss the impacts of fire suppression and invasive species, and share how regional partners are working together to restore resilient oak habitats through stewardship across public and private lands.

Location: Lower Table Rocks
Date and Time: April 12th at 9 AM

For more information or to register, contact the BLM Medford District Office at (541) 618-2200, Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

03/27/2026

We welcome Keeley Kirkendall to the KBO Board 🥳

Keeley brings a lifelong interest in problem-solving, community service, and the natural world to his work on the Klamath Bird Observatory board. He began his career as a consulting chemical engineer, then earned an MBA in Finance and moved into the financial industry. He spent much of his career lending and investing in the development of affordable housing nationwide.

Since retiring in 2010, he has stayed active in nonprofit and volunteer work. He served for six years on the board of ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum in Ashland, including two years as Board President, helping promote science education for people of all ages. He has also volunteered with the Small Business Development Center in Medford, working with local entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses, and has served on several nonprofit boards focused on affordable housing and community development.

He joined the Klamath Bird Observatory board because of his strong belief in the importance of conservation and education, and his desire to help advance bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships.

02/15/2026

Love is in the air, and the herons are back!! You can already see pairs standing by nests. Check out the Ashland.news article about these beautiful giants in the trees.

Photo: Great blue heron rookery by Frank Lospalluto

https://ashland.news/birds-eye-view-herons-return-to-their-rookeries-for-spring/