For decades, Bird Alliance of Oregon has marked this changing season with weekly Bird Song Walks. We are delighted to share that after a two-year hiatus, we are bringing back these iconic walks in April and May!
Read Post
On January 2, 2022, Bird Alliance of Oregon held our 96th annual (and second “COVID-safe”) Christmas Bird Count. Because of ongoing risks associated with COVID-19, field teams were once again reduced in size, but a hardy group of 215 field observers and 115 feeder watchers managed to tally a respectable 123 species, right smack in the middle of the 10-year average for the Portland count.
Read Post
A question that Bird Alliance of Oregon often gets asked is, “What should I feed the birds?” This is a great question, usually followed with, “What birds are you trying to attract?”
Read Post
Whereas the Black Phoebes that were spotted during winters over much of the Willamette Valley for the last decade were assumed to be reverse migrants, over the last few years, many seem to have simply stayed, found a mate, and are now year-round breeding birds at many of our local areas, especially along the Columbia Slough.
Read Post
Willamette Valley is home to large numbers of wintering birds, and birders in this area define the season in terms of waterfowl and sparrows, gulls and raptors. Winter birding has a charm of its own and it may be the season many of us value the most – perhaps not for what birds the winter brings, but for what birding brings to winter.
Read Post
In October, we wrapped up the thirteenth consecutive Vaux’s Swift monitoring season at Chapman Elementary School and other chimney sites in the Portland metro area. The roost at Chapman is considered one of the most important stopover points on the Pacific Flyway and can host up to 15,000 swifts in a single night!
Read Post
This fall, we are delighted to share that a dedicated core group of Outings Volunteers will begin leading outings again, with strict COVID protocols in place that we are confident will keep participants safe while enabling us to enjoy one another’s company together again.
Read Post
When the hot weather hit, I feared the worst. These birds would be too small to get their own water, and, in that heat, I worried the mother wouldn’t be able to provide her young with enough.
Read Post
This summer, Bird Alliance of Oregon is excited to launch The Bird Days of Summer, a suite of sliding-scale programs designed to engage new audiences in nature and birding. Together, we’re striving to build an inclusive community that is accessible to all.
Read Post
Of the 149 birds of North America that have honorific names, all of them are named after white people. Whether they were named after the “discoverer” of the birds (Wilson’s Warbler, for example, named by Alexander Wilson) or in honor of someone else (like Franklin’s Gull, named in honor of the leader of a scientific expedition), these birds were all named in a time and place where only white men were allowed to be in these positions of power and privilege.
Read Post