Oregon Bird Identification: A Comprehensive Guide

Oregon is a birdwatcher's paradise, with over 500 species documented in the state. Many of these birds can be found in the coastal regions, where the Pacific Ocean meets the shore.

The Western Tanager is a common sight in Oregon's coastal forests, known for its bright red head and yellow body. These birds migrate from Mexico and Central America each year, arriving in Oregon in the spring.

If you're new to birdwatching, it's essential to understand the basics of bird identification. This includes learning about the different shapes, sizes, and plumage patterns of various bird species.

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Oregon is home to a diverse range of bird species, with over 35 frequent visitors to backyard feeders.

Most of these birds are sparrows, finches, and their allies, which include species like the Cassin's Finch and the House Finch.

The top 10 most frequently reported backyard feeder birds in Oregon are:

These birds can be found visiting platform feeders, which are used by 92.5% of birds in Oregon, followed by large hopper feeders, which are used by 64.8%.

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The Cassin's Finch is a striking bird with a red-brown head and a bright raspberry red cap. They are primarily seed-eaters and can be attracted to your backyard with a variety of seeds such as black oil sunflower seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, nyjer, and millet.

In the State of Oregon, finches and their allies, including sparrows and grosbeaks, make up the largest group of backyard feeder birds. They have heavy, conical bills that are perfect for crushing seeds.

Backyard feeders with platforms, hoppers, and tube feeders are ideal for these ground-feeder birds. They can be expected at feeders all year-round in the eastern half of the State of Oregon, but their appearance can be unpredictable.

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The Cassin's Finch is a stunning bird with a distinctive appearance. The male Cassin's Finch has a striking red-brown head, rosy throat and breast, and a bright raspberry red cap.

They are primarily seed-eaters, so providing a variety of seeds like black oil sunflower seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, nyjer, and millet will likely attract them to your backyard. Cassin's Finches are known to visit feeders all year-round in the eastern half of the State of Oregon.

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This bird favors platform feeders, but can also use large and small tube feeders. They are not aggressive at feeders, making them a delight to watch.

Cassin's Finches prefer backyards with a mix of open spaces, shrubs, and trees, as well as a source of water. They are a great addition to any garden or yard.

Their nests are cup-shaped and made of twigs, grasses, and rootlets, lined with soft materials like hair or feathers. It takes around 26 days from egg-laying for the young to fledge.

Cassin's Finches can live for at least 7 years, making them a long-term addition to your backyard.

The Fox Sparrow is a bird that's relatively easy to attract to your yard, especially if you offer the right food. They love black and hulled sunflower seeds, nyjer, cracked corn, millet, and milo.

Fox Sparrows tend to feed on the ground under elevated feeders, so consider using hoppers or platform feeders that allow them to forage comfortably.

They're generally peaceful birds and get along well with other ground feeders, but they can be pushed aside by more aggressive birds.

Fox Sparrows need cover, so it's best to place their feeders near vegetative cover, like shrubs or trees, to make them feel more secure.

They're ground-nesting birds, building cup-shaped nests tucked under grasses or shrubs, and they breed in mid-May through late July.

Fox Sparrows lay 2-5 bluish-green eggs with brown markings, and it takes about 23 days for the eggs to hatch and the young birds to fledge.

These birds can live up to 10 years and 4 months, which is impressive for a bird of their size.

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The Chipping sparrow is a small and slender sparrow with a distinctive sharp chip note and simple, trilling song. It's a common summer resident in open forests and drier woodland edges throughout Oregon, especially abundant in the Blue Mountains.

Chipping sparrows have a unique appearance, with breeding adults displaying a chestnut crown, a black eye-stripe, and crisp white eyebrow. The male and female lose their distinctive bright cap for a streaky dull brown head pattern after nesting season.

The Chipping sparrow is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Willamette Valley ecoregion.

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The Sagebrush sparrow is a handsome bird that's easy to overlook, but its distinctive gray head, black malar stripe, white eyebrow, and prominent black spot on its white breast make it a standout.

This bird is widespread throughout the shrub-steppe of central and eastern Oregon, where it's often found in big sage habitats.

The Sagebrush sparrow's principal breeding range is southeast and central Oregon, where it's associated with the arid expanses of the Great Basin.

It's worth noting that while some consider the Sagebrush sparrow to be a sagebrush obligate, it's also been found in other plant communities.

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The Spotted Towhee is a common bird species found in Oregon and can be seen year-round.

They have a distinctive appearance, with males having jet-black heads, throats, backs, and tails, while females are dark brown or grayish-black. Juvenile birds are mostly brown with brown streaking and tarnish spots.

Spotted Towhees are ground foragers and use a two-footed scratching method to locate food under the litter. They primarily feed on seeds, plants, acorns, and berries during the winter.

They are also omnivores that eat insects such as beetles, weevils, crickets, grasshoppers, moths, spiders, millipedes, snails, and wasps during the breeding season.

The Spotted Towhee is a bird species that's a delight to have in your backyard. It's a ground-dwelling bird, so it's best to place feeders on the ground or on a platform feeder.

One of the best ways to attract Spotted Towhees is with black oil sunflower seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, safflower, cracked corn, peanut hearts, millet, and milo. They love these types of seeds!

Spotted Towhees are largely a ground feeder, so they'll often take seeds spilled below elevated feeders. They may also use platform feeders and, less often, hopper feeders.

These birds have resident populations as well as birds that expand and contract their ranges throughout the year. You can expect to see Spotted Towhees in your backyard feeders during the fall and winter months.

Spotted Towhees are not aggressive birds and will often feed alongside other ground feeders. They're also quite shy and will be more likely to visit your backyard if it has dense low vegetation nearby.

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The female Spotted Towhee builds her nest on the ground or low in bushes, often concealed by adjacent plants. She lays 2-6 white to greenish eggs speckled with reddish spots, which take about 24 days to hatch.

Spotted Towhees live at least 11 years in the wild, which is impressive for a bird of their size.

The Green-Tailed Towhee is a large and colorful member of the sparrow family. Its eye-catching chestnut crown is a distinctive feature that makes it hard to miss.

This bird spends most of its time on the ground or in thick cover, scratching about industriously in the leaf litter. Its catlike mewing call is a quintessential sound of the shrublands.

Locally, the Green-Tailed Towhee is fairly common east of the Cascades in summer. It's even more common in the north Great Basin, where it's found in nearly all mountain ranges.

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If you're lucky enough to live in Oregon, you might spot some woodpeckers visiting your backyard bird feeders. Three woodpeckers are regular visitors to these feeders in the state.

Woodpeckers feed on a variety of foods, including insects, other arthropods, fruit, nectar, and seeds. The red-bellied woodpecker often takes seeds from feeders to cash elsewhere for later consumption.

The Downy Woodpecker is a common bird found throughout Oregon, particularly in areas with trees. They have a distinctive black-and-white striped head and black wings with white spots.

Downy Woodpeckers are known for their impressive nesting skills, carving out a large area in dead trees or live trees with dead areas to create their nest. They line the nest only with wood chips.

A Downy Woodpecker only has one brood each year, with 3 to 8 white eggs. The incubation period is around 12 days, with both the male and female taking turns.

Mostly Downy Woodpeckers eat insects, with the male tending to eat from the ground and the female finding insects from branches and in trees. They will also eat seeds, weeds, and fruit.

You can attract Downy Woodpeckers to your backyard by offering suet and nuts at your feeders. They're a common sight in residential areas, cities, farmland, and wooded areas throughout Oregon.

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In Oregon, you might spot the Red-breasted Nuthatch, which has a distinctive black-and-white head pattern and blue-gray upperparts.

They typically feed on large and small tube feeders, suet cages, and hopper and platform feeders, so having a variety of feeders in your backyard can attract them.

These birds are feisty but not aggressive to others, and they'll stand their ground against similar-sized birds at feeders.

Red-breasted Nuthatches are more likely to visit feeders surrounded by woodlands or various types, making it a good idea to place your bird feeders in a woodland area if you want to attract them.

They breed in late April through early August, and the female lays 2-8 pinkish-white eggs spotted with brown.

The breeding season for Red-breasted Nuthatches in Oregon typically lasts from late April to early August, and they can raise two broods in a season if they mate early enough.

Red-breasted Nuthatches live at least 7 years and 6 months, which is impressive for a small bird.

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They feed on small insects and seeds, and regularly associate with specific habitat types, so having a variety of plants and trees in your backyard can attract them.

In Oregon, you can expect to see Red-breasted Nuthatches at backyard bird feeders anytime, making it a great state to spot this bird species.

Red-breasted Nuthatches are small birds, dark gray on top with a rusty color breast, and they have a short tail and a sharp bill.

The female is similar to the male except she has lighter gray on top and a paler rust color underneath.

They are found in woodlands, mature forested areas, and large parks, and their nests are in large trees, mostly evergreens.

The nest is big, around 15 inches across and 7 to 10 inches deep, and it's made of large twigs lined with pine needles.

Red-breasted Nuthatches are year-round residents in Oregon, but those that breed in Canada and the Midwest migrate to the southern US States for winter.

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The Bewick's Wren is a year-round resident in Coastal Oregon, often found in dense vegetation and brush piles that provide cover and approach routes to bird feeders.

Bewick's Wrens are shy at feeders and don't stay out of dense vegetation for long periods of time. They're submissive to most other birds.

These birds are attracted to mealworms, suet, hulled sunflower seeds, and peanuts, making them a great addition to your backyard bird feeding setup.

To attract Bewick's Wrens, use large or small hopper feeders, tube feeders, suet cages, and the ground. They favor dense vegetation, so consider adding a brush pile or two to your yard.

Bewick's Wrens build bulky oven-shaped nests with a side entrance, often placed in broken-off stumps and limbs 3-6 feet above the ground. They also nest in hanging planters and decorations on porches.

The breeding season for Bewick's Wrens is late April through August, with females laying 3-7 creamy-white eggs with brown to reddish-brown spots. It takes about 30 days from egg-laying until fledging.

Bewick's Wrens live at least 8 years, making them a long-term addition to your backyard bird population.

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The Western Meadowlark is a robin-sized bird with a distinctive appearance that makes it easy to identify. Its flat head, long, slender bill, and round-shouldered posture are characteristic features.

Its wings are rounded and short for its size, and its tail is short, stiff, and spiky. This unique combination of features sets it apart from other birds.

The Western Meadowlark's plumage is also a key identifier - its yellow underparts are intricately patterned with brown, black, and buff upper parts. A black "V" shape crosses its bright yellow breast, making it a standout in the field.

In flight, the outer tail feathers flash white, providing a quick glimpse of the bird's identity. This flash of white is a reliable indicator of the Western Meadowlark's presence.

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The Mourning Dove is a medium-sized bird with a rusty brown color and a few black spots above the wings, reaching up to 12 inches in body length and 18 inches in wingspan.

They are monogamous, mating for life, and use old nests or build their own on top of a post, tree branch, or the ground.

Mourning Doves lay two white eggs and incubate them for 13 days, with the male feeding the female during this time.

The young will leave the nest after 15-16 days, and the Mourning Doves eat seeds, grains, and insects like crickets, grasshoppers, and beetles.

They don't eat from feeders, but from what falls on the ground when other birds use the feeder.

In contrast, the Brown-headed Cowbird is a chunky bird with a dark eye, short tail, and thick bill, and the adult male is glossy black with an iridescent brown head.

The female Brown-headed Cowbird is a parasite, laying her eggs in the nests of other birds, and the Cowbird chick will often push the other species' eggs or chicks out of the nest.

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California Condors in the PNW were once a common sight in the region's skies.

They're the largest avian scavengers in North America, and their presence is a fascinating aspect of the Pacific Northwest's ecosystem.

Despite their association with California and the desert southwest, California Condors have a long history in the PNW, with evidence of their presence dating back to prehistoric times.

These birds are an important part of the region's wildlife, playing a crucial role in cleaning up carcasses and maintaining the balance of nature.

Their impressive wingspans, reaching up to 10 feet, allow them to soar effortlessly through the PNW's skies, scanning the landscape for food.

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The Golden-Crowned Sparrow is a common sight in western Oregon, particularly during the winter months. They're big, brown, and plain, but don't let their appearance fool you - they're quite striking once you notice their faded head markings and beautiful gold, black, and white plumage.

These sparrows are abundant migrants in western Oregon, and you're likely to spot them in large flocks. They're less common farther east, but you can still find them in the Willamette Valley during the winter.

One of the most distinctive features of the Golden-Crowned Sparrow is its bright yellow crown on the head. This serves as its namesake, and it's a beautiful sight to see.

Golden-Crowned Sparrows are ground feeders, and they prefer to forage on the ground or on a platform. They enjoy a variety of seeds, including sunflower seeds, millet, peanut hearts, and safflower.

If you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a Golden-Crowned Sparrow's nest, which they build on the ground, concealed under vegetation or low shrubs. The female lays a clutch of 3 to 5 eggs, which she incubates for about two weeks.

Here's a quick rundown of the Golden-Crowned Sparrow's presence in Oregon:

They're social birds and interact peacefully with other ground feeders, but they can be pushed aside from platform feeders by more aggressive birds.

The White-Crowned Sparrow is a common visitor to many backyards, and it's a delight to have them around. They can be expected at your feeder all year-round.

One great way to attract White-Crowned Sparrows is to offer them their favorite foods, such as black oil and hulled sunflower seeds, cracked corn, millet, and milo. They'll also appreciate a platform feeder or hopper feeder, especially if you're just starting to feed backyard birds.

These birds are relatively large and long-tailed, with distinctive black and white stripes on their crowns, and gray head and breast areas. Immature birds have tan and brown head stripes.

White-Crowned Sparrows are ground feeders, but they'll also take platform feeders. Just be aware that they might get pushed aside by more aggressive birds.

If you want to attract White-Crowned Sparrows to your yard, create a habitat that resembles their natural environment, such as overgrown fields and brushy areas. This will be especially appealing during their migration periods.

White-Crowned Sparrows build cup-shaped nests in shrubs or bushes, usually between 2-5 feet off the ground. They might also nest on the ground if tall shrubs are scarce.

The breeding season for White-Crowned Sparrows varies regionally, but it's generally from May through mid-August. During this time, they lay 3-7 bluish to greenish eggs with brown spots.

After about 22 days, the eggs will hatch, and the young birds will fledge after about 9 days. White-Crowned Sparrows can live up to at least 13 years and 4 months.

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The mountain chickadee is a year-round resident in the mountains of Oregon, but you won't find it in areas of low elevation.

This bird is non-aggressive at feeders, and it usually takes one seed at a time, leaving to eat or store it before returning for more. It's also submissive to most birds visiting backyard feeders.

Mountain chickadees are birds of woodlands, and they readily visit feeders placed within their natural habitat. In fact, they favor large and small tube feeders, suet cages, large hoppers, and platform feeders.

If you want to attract mountain chickadees to your yard, try offering hulled sunflower seeds, black oil sunflower seed, nyjer, suet, peanuts, peanut hearts, and mealworms. They love these treats!

Mountain chickadees are cavity-nesting birds, and they excavate their own nests in rotten or soft wood. They also use existing cavities, like those made by woodpeckers.

The Mourning Dove is a year-round resident in Oregon, and it's a great bird to have in your backyard. They're all brown with dark spots on the wing, and juveniles have pale edging on their feathers.

Mourning Doves are non-aggressive at feeders, but they will stand their ground against other birds. They're submissive to blue jays, blackbirds, and crows.

These birds favor relatively open yards where they can feed on spilled seeds on the ground below hanging feeders. They also use platform and large hopper feeders.

Mourning Doves build a precarious platform of twigs placed in a fork, branch, or dense foliage, usually 10 to 15 feet above the ground. They breed in mid-February through early October, and the female lays 2 white eggs.

It takes about 27 days from egg-laying for the Mourning Dove to fledge, with an incubation period of 14 days and a nestling period of 14 days. They can live at least 30 years and four months.

Mourning Doves eat a variety of seeds, including hulled sunflower seeds, safflower, cracked corn, peanut hearts, millet, oats, and milo. They're also known to eat insects like crickets, grasshoppers, and beetles.

Their wingspan can reach up to 18 inches, and they're a medium-sized bird from the dove family. They have a rusty brown color and a few black spots above the wings.

Mourning Doves are monogamous and usually mate for life. They use old nests of other birds or build their own nest on top of a post, tree branch, or even on the ground.

The Black-Billed Magpie is unmistakable in its black and white plumage with a black bill and long tail. It's a tame and familiar bird that can be expected in your backyard any time of the year.

These birds are food generalists, which means they'll eat just about anything, and can be attracted with hulled sunflower seeds, peanuts, milo, suet, black oil sunflower seed, or fruit. They particularly love platform and hopper feeders, but they'll also do well feeding on the ground.

Black-Billed Magpies are aggressive at feeders, but they're submissive only to larger birds like crows and ravens. They're not picky about their surroundings either, and will thrive in yards with low-density urban areas and plenty of vegetation.

Their nests are quite impressive, measuring large and bulky with a central cup that may have a rim of mud. They're placed in trees at heights of 10-25 feet above the ground, and the female lays 2-8 brownish eggs with brown spots.

It takes about 45 days from egg-laying for the young to fledge, with an incubation period of 18 days and a nestling period of 27 days. According to mark and recapture records, Black-Billed Magpies can live at least 9 years, and are likely to live much longer, possibly up to 26 years like their blue jay counterparts.

The varied thrush is a striking bird with its bold orange, gray, and black patterns. Its upper half is black with a distinctive orange eyebrow.

Attracting varied thrushes to your yard is relatively easy, as they love hulled sunflower seeds, suet, and mealworms, and also enjoy fruit.

If you're looking to attract varied thrushes, consider placing feeders on the ground or on a platform, as they favor these areas.

Varied thrushes are generally non-aggressive to other birds on the ground, but may interact aggressively with other birds on a platform feeder.

In Oregon, varied thrushes are year-round residents or non-breeding visitors in most areas, making them a common sight in many backyards.

To attract varied thrushes to your yard, choose a relatively open habitat with feeders placed in open spaces, as they prefer these conditions.

Varied thrushes build cup-shaped nests on tree branches, close to the trunk, using twigs, grasses, and moss for the external part, and finer materials like rootlets, hair, and feathers for the inside.

The breeding season for varied thrushes is from early April to late July, although there may be regional variations.

Varied thrushes lay 2-6 bluish eggs with brown markings, and it takes about 26 days from egg-laying until the young birds fledge.

With a known record of living at least 4 years, varied thrushes are likely longer-lived than that, making them a rewarding bird to attract and observe.

Lincoln's sparrow is found in summer in wet mountain meadows. These areas are perfect for its bubbly song, which can be heard from low shrubs.

It has a distinctive appearance, with a tan-and-gray plumage and delicately streaked upper breast. This small sparrow is a delight to spot in its natural habitat.

Lincoln's sparrow breeds locally above 3,000 feet in the west Cascades. This is the perfect elevation for the species to thrive during the summer months.

In the winter, it can be found in brushy lowland areas, where it skulks in tall grass and weeds. This behavior is typical of the species, which is usually seen for only a moment in these areas.

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Harris's sparrows are white below and have at least some black around the face or throat, with more in adults than younger birds.

Their cheeks are golden-tan in fall and winter, while in spring, they turn grayish. They're a winter visitor, often found with other sparrows.

You can spot Harris's sparrows statewide, although they're a rare migrant and regular visitor. Numbers vary greatly from year to year, but a few birds are typically found in the state every year.

They're most regular in the Columbia Basin and in valleys within the Blue Mountains.

The American Tree Sparrow is a study in gray and tan, with a small dark spot on an otherwise gray breast. This unique appearance is one of its most distinctive features.

Tree sparrows visit Oregon only in winter, mainly in lowlands within the Blue Mountains and Owyhee upland regions, with a few farther west in some years. They are a welcome sight for birdwatchers during this time.

These birds frequent willow clumps in grassy areas, making them a great place to spot one. If you're lucky, you might even catch a glimpse at a feeder or two.

Brown wings with distinct white stripes are another notable characteristic of the American Tree Sparrow.

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The Dark-Eyed Junco is a small, dark-headed sparrow with white outer tail feathers. It's one of the state's most abundant species and one of the easiest to identify.

Most juncos occurring in Oregon show dark hoods, dull rusty-brown backs, and pinkish brown below the wings. Some are grayish, lacking much of the brown tones.

These birds are regular visitors to city parks and neighborhood bird feeders, often seen in single-species flocks or joining mixed wintering sparrow flocks.

They have a population of over 600 million, making them one of the most common birds in the United States and Canada.

Dark-eyed Juncos lay three to six eggs, which are cream-colored with brown spots. They are usually laid in a tree hole or on the ground.

This bird loves feeders! They will eat whatever you put out, including black-oil sunflower seeds, suet, peanut butter, or generic wild bird food. They are not picky.

Here's a quick guide to identifying the Dark-Eyed Junco:

The female Dark-Eyed Junco lays 6-8 eggs, which are white or light cream in color with brownish or reddish speckles.

The Brewer's sparrow is a bird that makes up for its drab appearance with its extraordinary song.

It's found in Oregon, particularly in the vast sagebrush communities of the Great Basin Shrub-steppe, where it's an abundant migrant and summer resident east of the Cascades summit.

This bird is extremely abundant, breeding in the sagebrush expanses of the Intermountain West, and is also an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Columbia Plateau ecoregion.

The Black-Headed Grosbeak is a striking songbird with a bold pattern of cinnamon, black, and white.

Its rich, melodious song is a familiar sound in Oregon, particularly during springtime.

Males are among our most striking songbirds, and are a common sight in parks, gardens, and forests throughout the state.

Females, on the other hand, are less conspicuous, but are also accomplished singers.

The Black-Headed Grosbeak is a common breeder and migrant in forested regions throughout Oregon.

You can hear its beautiful song by clicking on the link provided.

The Red-winged Blackbird is a common sight in many backyards, including mine in Oregon. They're a large bird, measuring 6.7-9.1 inches in length.

Their distinctive red and black plumage is a giveaway to their identity. The male has a striking orange-red patch on its shoulder and long pointed wings, but some males may have yellow or orange epaulets instead of red.

Red-winged Blackbirds are active during the day, but they can also be seen at night near lights. I've noticed this myself, often seeing them flitting around porch lights in the evening.

Their nests are usually found in marshes or near water, but they're not picky and can be found on flat roofs or even in chimneys. The female builds the nest using twigs, grasses, and hair, lining it with finer grasses, rootlets, or horsehair.

Red-winged Blackbirds are prolific egg-layers, with the female laying 4 to 6 pale blue-green eggs with black, brown, and purple speckles. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs for about 12 days.

After 14 days, the young leave the nest, and the adults start feeding them a diet of insects and seeds, including corn, wheat, and other grains. They also eat berries from shrubs and trees like elderberry, mulberry, wild grape, or honeysuckle.

Their distinctive call is a loud, clear whistle that sounds like "fee-bee" and various cackling and chattering noises. I've had the pleasure of hearing them singing from a perch high in a tree or on power lines.

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The Ruby-Crowned Kinglet is a tiny songbird that's a delight to have in your backyard. They're olive green in color with white around their eyes and white wings featuring a black bar.

Their tiny bills are strong and perfect for snatching insects from shrubs and bushes. They mostly eat insects, including spiders, ants, beetles, and wasps.

During breeding season, the female Ruby-Crowned Kinglet builds her nest in tall trees, usually over 100 feet high in dense forests. She lays up to 12 white eggs with red-brown spots on the ends.

The incubation period is 12 to 14 days, and the young stay in the nest for 16 to 18 days after hatching. This means you might see them flitting around your backyard for about two months.

Ruby-Crowned Kinglets are social birds and will stay with their mate for about two months, from building the nest to when the young leave. They're a great addition to any backyard, and you can attract them with seed feeders during the non-breeding season.

The Rufous Hummingbird is a tiny bird, measuring just 3.5-4 inches in length. Their striking plumage is a mix of bright coppery-orange, rufous, and green, which glitters in sunlight.

These birds are known for their aggressive and territorial nature, often chasing away larger birds and other hummingbirds from their feeding areas. This behavior is quite fascinating to watch, especially if you're lucky enough to spot one in person.

Rufous Hummingbirds construct small, cup-shaped nests made of plant materials, spider webs, and lichens. The female lays two pea-sized eggs and incubates them for about two weeks.

Their primary diet consists of nectar from a variety of flowering plants. They also consume small insects and spiders, which they catch while hanging upside down from leaves and branches.

In the fall, Rufous Hummingbirds embark on a remarkable journey to their wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America, sometimes covering thousands of miles during their migration.

The Western Tanager is a bird species that nests in trees during the breeding season, typically from May to August.

These birds are known for their bright red heads, yellow bodies, and black wings with two white bars, making them a striking sight to behold.

Western Tanagers build their nests in the outer branches of trees, usually between 10 and 50 feet off the ground, and prefer coniferous or mixed forests.

The female Western Tanager builds the nest, while the male defends the territory, and the female lays 3 to 5 pale green or blue eggs.

The inside of the nest is lined with fine grasses, rootlets, and sometimes animal hair, providing a cozy space for the eggs to incubate.

Both parents feed the chicks, which fledge after about 12 to 14 days, and the Western Tanager can be found in Oregon during the breeding season, which typically occurs from May through August.

Western Tanagers feed on a variety of insects, including beetles, caterpillars, ants, bees, and wasps, which they often catch while in flight or by gleaning them from the foliage.

They will also eat fruit, especially during the breeding season, and are known to feed on berries, cherries, and other small fruits.

The Western Tanager is occasionally targeted by the Brown-headed Cowbird, which lays its eggs in the Tanager's nest, and the Cowbird chicks typically outcompete tanager chicks for food.

To attract backyard birds in Oregon, consider using platform feeders, as they are the most popular choice among birds, with 92.5% of species using them.

The most frequently reported backyard feeder birds in Oregon include the Cassin's Finch, House Finch, Purple Finch, Fox Sparrow, and Golden-crowned Sparrow. These birds are year-round residents and can be seen visiting feeders throughout the year.

If you're looking to attract a variety of bird species, install a large hopper feeder, which is used by 64.8% of bird species. This type of feeder offers a variety of seeds and nuts that cater to different bird preferences.

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Some birds, like the Dark-eyed Junco and the American Robin, prefer to feed on the ground, which is used by 59.2% of bird species. This is likely due to their ground-foraging habits and preference for seeds and insects.

If you're not sure what type of bird is visiting your feeder, consider using a platform feeder, which is used by 50 species of birds in Oregon. This type of feeder offers a flat surface for birds to land and feed comfortably.

Here's a list of the top 10 most frequently reported backyard feeder birds in Oregon, in no particular order:

By choosing the right type of feeder and offering the right food, you can attract a variety of bird species to your backyard in Oregon.