Fall is a wonderful time to go birding in Oregon. The state is home to some of the most striking scenery of the Pacific Northwest, and it also plays host to an impressive variety of birds. With a rich mixture of nesters augmented by migrants and returning wintering species, birding in Oregon is very pleasant during this time of year. Exploring the coast, mountains, and the Great Basin plains of this large and diverse state, all at the peak of fall migration, we'll have a western birding adventure you'll be sure to remember.

We'll start by birding in the Columbia River Gorge, where the vast waterfalls and scenic views are only rivaled by the close views of American Dippers and Steller's Jays we hope to have. Some of the waterfalls we'll visit, including the sky-scraping Multnomah Falls which reaches more than 600+ feet high, are some of the most scenic and familiar waterfalls in America. We'll then move on to the Blue Mountains in northeastern Oregon where, if we're lucky, we could chance into a Great Gray Owl! Higher yet, in the Wallowa Mountains, we could find Williamson's Sapsucker, American Three-toed Woodpecker (rare), Clark's Nutcracker, Red Crossbill, Mountain Chickadee, and others. On the valley floor we'll search for Chukar and Gray Partridge as well.

Moving from northeast Oregon down to southeast Oregon, we'll visit the productive Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Malheur, on the high plateau of the eastern Oregon desert, is considered by many to be one of the dozen best birding locations in the country. The refuge's 181,000 acres encompass marsh, small lakes, sagebrush flats, irrigated meadows, willow and cottonwood riparian growth, and alkali flats, and the plantings around the refuge headquarters make it perhaps one of the finest areas for concentrating migrant birds in the Northwest. While at Malheur and in the surrounding area we should see a wide variety of waterbirds and landbirds, including Eared Grebe, American White Pelican, Trumpeter Swan, Cinnamon Teal, Swainson's and Ferruginous hawks, Prairie Falcon, Burrowing Owl, Sandhill Crane, Black-necked Stilt, Wilson's Phalarope, Sage Thrasher, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and Sagebrush Sparrow. Eventually we'll pull ourselves away, leave the sage behind, and head westward towards Bend. As we ascend the eastern slope of the Cascades, the sage yields to Ponderosa Pines and other vegetation tolerant of the dry climate typical of the vast Great Basin Desert. Since water is in short supply on this side of the mountains, the birding can be particularly good in areas where small springs, streams, and ponds occur. Among the many birds we can expect in these areas are Williamson's and Red-breasted sapsuckers, Black-backed and White-headed woodpeckers, Pygmy Nuthatches, Green-tailed Towhee, Mountain and Western bluebirds, and MacGillivray's, Townsend's, and Hermit warblers, plus a variety of resident birds and numbers of southbound migrant species. Additionally, we hope to venture out and watch as hundreds of Vaux's Swifts spiral around their roosting chimney at dusk. Lastly, we'll climb up to 7000 feet in the Cascade Mountains, where we'll explore the legendary and beautiful Crater Lake National Park before continuing down the west side of the mountains, enjoying Barrow's Goldeneyes and American Dippers along the way.

A highlight of our tour will be visiting the rocky and picturesque coastlines for which Oregon is so famous. From the coastal town of Coos Bay north to Newport, we'll explore various beaches and lagoons as we search for 20+ species of shorebirds, including Black Oystercatcher, Wandering Tattler, Black Turnstone, and Surfbird, as well as gulls, terns, cormorants, and other offshore species. We'll seawatch from the coast, where we hope to see migrating loons, scoters, terns, and maybe some Sooty Shearwaters. The rich offshore waters host a variety of alcids as well, and we'll hope for Pigeon Guillemot, Common Murre, Marbled Murrelet, and maybe even a Rhinoceros or Cassin's Auklet.

Lastly, we will conclude our tour with birding the Coast Range near Corvallis. We'll carefully search for Mountain Quail, Sooty Grouse, and Northern Pygmy-Owl on our way up the mountains and enjoy Canada Jays, Red Crossbills, and Mountain Bluebirds at the higher reaches. Returning to the valley, we'll visit Fern Ridge Reservoir to enjoy Clark's and Western grebes, Hutton's Vireos, Acorn Woodpeckers, and more before returning to Portland.

Join us for a great birding adventure in the Pacific Northwest!

Select the KEY INFO tab or click here for our itinerary plus space requests, status, fees, limits, and guides for any departure.

Client comment
"A superb experience. This tour was almost perfect, largely because of guide Cory Gregory. Cory's planning was unparalleled. Every move was carefully considered, and the entire tour ran like clockwork. Cory's ability to find the right birds in the right places is astounding and was fully on display on this tour. In addition, he is remarkably considerate of participants.... Cory earned the highest accolades I can imagine. Your office service was great, as always." M.G. OREGON: FROM THE COAST TO THE CASCADES 2019