Bird Alliance of Oregon

Bird Alliance of Oregon The leading bird conservation organization in Oregon.

The Northwestern pond turtle is one of only two turtle species native to Oregon. These semi-aquatic turtles live in pond...
09/04/2026

The Northwestern pond turtle is one of only two turtle species native to Oregon. These semi-aquatic turtles live in ponds, lakes, marshes, streams, and quiet stretches of rivers, where they bask on sunny logs, rocks, and vegetation. Adults can grow to about 10 inches long.

Females lay their eggs in sunny, sparsely vegetated areas near the water, while turtles also rely on nearby uplands for nesting, overwintering, and moving between habitats.

That makes habitat connectivity especially important. Roads, development, habitat loss, and invasive species can make it harder for turtles to safely reach the places they need throughout their lives. In Oregon, Northwestern pond turtles are considered a Sensitive Species and a conservation priority. In the Willamette Valley, restoration projects are improving nesting habitat, while researchers and wildlife managers continue to monitor populations and work to improve habitat connectivity.

That’s why Oregon’s 1.25% for Wildlife legislation, passed this spring, is such an important investment in the future of species like the Northwestern pond turtle. Supporting habitat conservation and wildlife management can help give these native turtles a better chance to survive (and hopefully thrive!) in Oregon.

📷: James Maughn

They may look plump and unassuming, but Red Knots are powerful long-distance travelers. They migrate exceptionally long ...
09/03/2026

They may look plump and unassuming, but Red Knots are powerful long-distance travelers. They migrate exceptionally long distances to wintering areas as far away as southern South America, Africa, and Australia. Along the way, they depend on coastal beaches, mudflats, lagoons, and estuaries where they can refuel on marine invertebrates. Their stout bills even contain specialized sensory organs that help them detect prey hidden beneath sand and mud.

Despite their remarkable abilities, Red Knots face serious challenges. Cornell Lab of Ornithology lists them as an Orange Alert Tipping Point species and notes that the species has lost more than half its population over the past 50 years. Protecting the coastal habitats and food resources they depend on is essential to their future.

📷:
1. Jason Crotty
2. Matthew Paulson
3. Eric Ellingson

Long before naturalist John Kirk Townsend formally described the Black-throated Gray Warbler from a bird he encountered ...
09/02/2026

Long before naturalist John Kirk Townsend formally described the Black-throated Gray Warbler from a bird he encountered near Portland, Oregon, in 1837, the Chinook people already knew this striking little songbird and called it “Ah Kah a qual.”

Nature outdid itself with its monochromatic color scheme, adding a distinctive bright yellow accent in front of its eye. Found in pine and mixed pine-oak forests throughout the West, Black-throated Gray Warblers spend the winter farther south in Mexico. Males are especially vocal during migration and early in the breeding season, singing an easily recognizable, buzzy “zeedle zeedle zeedle zeet-chee.” Have you seen or heard one of these dashing little birds before?

📷: Eric Ellingson

Every fall, thousands of Vaux’s Swifts pass through Portland on their southbound migration. For decades, one of the city...
09/01/2026

Every fall, thousands of Vaux’s Swifts pass through Portland on their southbound migration. For decades, one of the city’s most spectacular wildlife gatherings took place at Chapman Elementary School, where thousands of people watched the birds swirl into the school’s giant chimney at dusk each night in a breathtaking, choreographed vortex.

But in September 2024, the swifts suddenly broke with tradition. Their numbers at Chapman dwindled, and the birds eventually left the site altogether, instead using smaller roosts throughout the Portland metro area. We don’t know exactly why they switched. We do know that as Chapman’s numbers fell, swift numbers at chimneys on Portland’s east side increased in similar numbers.The birds may return to Chapman, this year or in the future, and we will be ready to welcome them back! But so far in 2026, no swifts have been detected there.

Meanwhile, migration has started, and swifts are using many roosts in many different neighborhoods, though both the number of birds and the available space for spectators is not nearly as high as at Chapman. We are so thankful for building owners who host these winged wonders! Old brick chimneys are also a threatened habitat, as more and more of them are demolished, capped or lined with smooth chimney inserts. So it’s really important that as spectators, we don't overwhelm smaller neighborhood roost sites.

Watching a roost in your neighborhood obviously reduces the impact on other neighborhoods, and it can be a really fun way to get to know your neighbors and spread goodwill for these wonderful birds! Wherever folks watch from, we should keep walkways and roads clear, leave no trace (carry out any trash), be friendly to locals and respect private property, including restricted access by building owners. And please never fly a drone near gathering swifts or their roosts. Drones can disturb the birds, increase the energy they expend during migration, and potentially cause them to abandon a roost.

If you discover a swift roost, please report it so we can track where the birds are gathering and how many are using each site (visit bit.ly/SwiftRoost). And if you are lucky enough to host swifts in your own chimney, let us know, and please delay starting a fire in your fireplace or having your chimney swept until there are no more roosting birds, usually by late September or early October.

📷: Vaux's Swifts / Tara Lemezis

With their ghostly white faces, heart-shaped facial disks and eerie raspy calls, Barn Owls are one of Oregon’s most dist...
08/31/2026

With their ghostly white faces, heart-shaped facial disks and eerie raspy calls, Barn Owls are one of Oregon’s most distinctive nighttime hunters. Unlike most owls, they don’t hoot - they let out a haunting scream as they hunt over open fields and grasslands, using their extraordinary hearing to locate mice and other small mammals, even in complete darkness (their ability to locate prey by sound alone is the best of any animal that has ever been tested). Aptly named, Barn Owls often nest or roost in barns, old buildings, tree cavities and nest boxes, making them surprisingly close neighbors for many of us, although rare to spot. All those rodents they eat make Barn Owls welcome residents around farms and grasslands.

📷:
1 & 2: Dan Dzurisin
3. Mick Thompson ()

Calling all new activists! Join us for our Fall Advocacy Training on September 3 at 6 p.m. This virtual training will gu...
08/28/2026

Calling all new activists! Join us for our Fall Advocacy Training on September 3 at 6 p.m. This virtual training will guide you through the advocacy landscape, past and present. Learn how Bird Alliance of Oregon has tapped into the power of community organizing in the past, and how we continue to do so in our current campaigns. We’ll explain the different strategies you can use to leverage change, and then discuss upcoming opportunities to deploy these newfound tools in current campaigns. https://birdallianceoregon.org/event/fall-advocacy-training/

Ready to learn something new, create, and enjoy the beautiful outdoors this fall? Our upcoming classes and outings offer...
08/27/2026

Ready to learn something new, create, and enjoy the beautiful outdoors this fall? Our upcoming classes and outings offer something for every nature enthusiast. Learn to identify and understand swifts, explore bird language and migration, dive into the world of raptors, or pigeons and doves, and find out the latest on bird flu. You can also get creative with watercolor and bird journaling, join us for a native plant walk, or spend a full day birding on the North Coast. As always, whether you’re new to birding or an experienced birder, everyone is welcome. Register now and give yourself something fun to look forward to this September!

👉To sign-up, click this link: https://birdallianceoregon.org/our-work/learn/adult-programs/classes/

We need your help to protect the Roadless Rule! The Trump Administration is attempting to open 45 million acres of prote...
08/27/2026

We need your help to protect the Roadless Rule! The Trump Administration is attempting to open 45 million acres of protected public lands to destructive road building, logging, and mining, and we need your help creating a massive show of resistance. https://birdallianceoregon.org/take-action/stop-the-attack-on-45-million-acres-of-public-lands/

The Roadless Rules' designates roadless areas provide critical habitat for countless imperiled species including species Bird Alliance of Oregon has worked on for decades to protect like the Northern Spotted Owl and Marbled Murrelet. These species need big, intact tracts of forest. Roads fragment those forests, introducing predators and invasive species, and destroying habitats. There are about 4 million acres of forests covered by the Roadless Rule in Oregon and Washington alone, including iconic landmarks in Oregon like Larch Mountain. Take action today to ensure they are protected!

What’s a bit of uncommon behavior you’ve witnessed from a bird species? Here are some examples to get your brains going:...
08/25/2026

What’s a bit of uncommon behavior you’ve witnessed from a bird species? Here are some examples to get your brains going:

- Mallards usually dabble, but they can also dive to forage.
- We’ve seen Brown Creepers and Red-breasted Nuthatches attempt to catch flies in the air like a flycatcher.
- Green Herons usually hunt by wading in shallow water, but they have been spotted diving for deep-water prey and swimming back to shore using the webbing between their middle and outer tows.

When summer comes to a close, we must say a temporary farewell to our favorite migratory species. Like the Rufous Hummin...
08/24/2026

When summer comes to a close, we must say a temporary farewell to our favorite migratory species. Like the Rufous Hummingbird. This tiny traveler has one of the longest migratory journeys of any bird (when measured by body size). From Alaska to Mexico, it’s approximately 3,900 miles, or 78,500,000 body lengths. While they fly north via the west coast, they go back down south over the Rocky Mountains. We wish them luck on their journey!

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5151 NW Cornell Road
Portland, OR
97210

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