Bird Alliance of Oregon

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

Come spend the day with us this Saturday, Sept. 19 talking birds, trying out some great optics, and getting expert advic...
09/14/2026

Come spend the day with us this Saturday, Sept. 19 talking birds, trying out some great optics, and getting expert advice from our Nature Store team and a Zeiss representative. We’ll kick things off with a FREE bird walk at Commonwealth Lake Park in Beaverton from 9 to 11 a.m., with a full selection of Zeiss binoculars and scopes available to try in the field. With migration happening, you never know what we might find!

After the walk, we’ll head back to the Nature Store from 12 to 3 p.m. for a more in-depth look at Zeiss optics and plenty of time to ask questions. Whether you’re interested in digiscoping, looking to upgrade to high-end optics, searching for a great travel scope, or simply trying to figure out what’s right for you, we’ll be happy to help. There will also be extra discounts on Zeiss optics that day, so it’s a great opportunity to try something new and save while you’re at it.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 19
■ Bird Walk at Commonwealth Lake Park: 9 – 11 a.m.
■ Nature Store Demo and Sale: 12 – 3 p.m.

Please RSVP for the FREE Bird Walk at Commonwealth Lake Park to let us know you’re coming: https://birdallianceoregon.org/event/zeiss-demo-day-at-the-nature-store-bird-walk/

Have you spotted a Clown Nudibranch in Oregon’s tidepools? These charismatic and colorful sea slugs are usually between ...
09/11/2026

Have you spotted a Clown Nudibranch in Oregon’s tidepools? These charismatic and colorful sea slugs are usually between one and three inches in our intertidal zone, but can get up to six inches long in deeper waters, making it one of our largest nudibranch species. Like so many of our amazing ocean life, these animals depend on our rocky habitats.

Photos by Ali Berman

You may have heard birders use the term "sexually dimorphic", but what does it actually mean? Simply put, sexually dimor...
09/09/2026

You may have heard birders use the term "sexually dimorphic", but what does it actually mean? Simply put, sexually dimorphic birds have visible differences between males and females of the same species. Those differences can include coloration, markings, feather patterns, or size. Compare that to sexually monomorphic birds, where males and females have little to no visible difference in appearance. Here are two examples:

🪶 Turkey Vultures are a good example of a species where males and females look virtually identical—sexually monomorphic. There are no obvious differences in their plumage or appearance that let you tell the sexes apart in the field.

🦅 Northern Harriers, on the other hand, are highly sexually dimorphic. Males are pale gray above and white below, while females are larger and mostly brown. Male Northern Harriers are affectionately known as the "gray ghost."

So when you hear that a bird is sexually dimorphic, it simply means males and females look different. And in birds, those differences can range from subtle, like size, to dramatic, like the completely different appearances of male and female Northern Harriers.

Next time you’re out birding, take a closer look: can you tell whether you’re looking at a male or female?

Photos by Scott Carpenter

Important: Over the last few days our Wildlife Care Center has seen a large spike in window strike patients, a deadly ph...
09/08/2026

Important: Over the last few days our Wildlife Care Center has seen a large spike in window strike patients, a deadly phenomenon we see every year during fall migration when birds fly into windows thinking they are an extension of habitat. Since Friday we’ve taken in 14 migrating Swainson’s Thrushes, as well as a Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Cedar Waxwing, and Barn Swallow—all window strike victims. Nearly half of all window strikes happen at residential houses, which is why it’s so important for renters and homeowners to take steps to make their homes bird safe. Click the link for tips that fit every budget, from DIY solutions like putting up tape to installing professional screens and films. You’d also be amazed by how much good a dirty window can do. https://birdallianceoregon.org/our-work/protect/habitat-and-wildlife/urban/reducing-wildlife-hazards/tips-for-reducing-window-strikes-at-home/

Windows are everywhere in the built environment, and so we must all do our part. Let us know in the comments what you’ve found to help reduce window strikes the most at your home.

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 ()

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5151 NW Cornell Road
Portland, OR
97210

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