Oregon Coast Birding - Amazing Fun!

Oregon Coast birding is something that is a huge thrill to many outdoor enthusiasts. Bird watching is actually one of the fastest-growing recreational sports in the entire country and the Oregon Coast offers up 450 species of these gorgeous creatures to be observed and enjoyed.

Because the Oregon Coast is located within the Pacific Flyway, you'll have the chance to view hundreds of migratory birds during the four seasons of the year here. You can section off your search into the 3 coastal regions or indulge yourself and hit all of them. You will find that April thru August are the best months to bird watch, as Pelicans, Common Murrers, and Puffins are at the coast only during these months. 

Birding the Oregon Coast will uncover many varieties of birds who make their home here. Birds along the Oregon Coast can be divided into four categories:
 

• Seabirds spend most of their lives in the waters of the Oregon Coast and they even tend to sleep in the waters. They do need to return to land to lay eggs, but otherwise, their home is the sea. They dine mostly on small fish, squid, shellfish, and other crustaceans. Types of seabirds you will discover on the Oregon Coast include the Tufted Puffin, Marbled Murrelet, Common Murre, the Black Oystercatcher, Auklets, many varieties of cormorants, and the always-in-plain-sight Western Gull.
  
   
• Shorebirds, unlike the seabirds, don't have webbed feet and spend their lives on the shore foraging for food, eating worms, insect larvae, and other bird goodies. The types of shorebirds on the Coast are the Western and Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Whimbrel, the Semipalmated and Western Snowy Plover, and Killdeer.
  
   
• My personal favorites are the birds of prey that live along the coast, feasting on other small birds, rodents, and small mammals. These include the majestic Bald Eagle, Barn Owl, and Osprey. It's quite an experience to spot a Bald Eagle sitting atop a log on the beach!
  
   
• Of course, waterfowl make their homes in the freshwater areas around the Oregon Coast, including a variety of ducks and geese.
  
  

If you are fortunate enough to spot a bird that is out of the ordinary around these parts, give theRare Bird Alerts hotline a ring at (503) 292-0661, statewide. They'd be thrilled to hear about your discovery!

As with anything else, Oregon goes out of it's way for birding the Oregon Coast. The Oregon Coast Birding Trail was created as a self-guided itinerary for all bird enthusiasts, making them aware of the 173 hotspots from the tip of the Oregon Coast down to the Northern section of California. 

Local birders and professionals alike created the guide so that you can get the most out of your Oregon Coast bird watching experiences. The state of Oregon has always been very aware of the needs of it's people and that's one of the many reasons I think it's such a great place to live! 

Download you own copy of the Birding Trail Checklist right here. (290k.  )
 

Best Places For Bird Watching On The Oregon Coast:

1. Astoria Twilight Creek Eagle Sanctuary, Astoria
2. Gearhart Necanicum Estuary, Gearhart
3. Cannon Beach's Haystack Rock
4. Bay Ocean Spit/Tillamook Bay, Tillamook
5. Capes Meares State Scenic Viewpoint (SSV), Three Capes Loop, 10 miles West of Tillamook
6. Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, Newport, OR
7. South Jetty Yaquina Bay, Newport
8. Seal Rocks, Seal Rock, between Newport and Waldport
9. Millicoma Marsh, Coos Bay
10. Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, Bandon
11. New River Area of Critical Environmental Concern, Langlois in North Curry County
12. Port Orford Wetland Interpretive Walkway, Port Orford
13. Winchuck Ponds/Peavine Road, South of Brookings, close to the CA border
     

If you're one of the many avid people who live, eat and breathe Oregon Coast birding and love to rub shoulders with others, feel free to look into any of the Oregon birding clubs. Here's a list for you:

You may want to look into many of the year-round birding events held along the Oregon Coast. I'm sure you can get that information from any of the city's Chamber of Commerce. 

Here's you chance to enjoy the best in Oregon Coast bird watching! Grab a good pair of binoculars and the Oregon Coast Birding Trail Guide and have a fantastic time observing some of the best in Oregon's wildlife.

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