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

Save the date for the 46th annual Wild Arts Festival happening at Wingspan Event Center in Hillsboro on December 5 & 6!J...
10/14/2026

Save the date for the 46th annual Wild Arts Festival happening at Wingspan Event Center in Hillsboro on December 5 & 6!

Just in time for the holidays, this is your opportunity to purchase unique nature-inspired art, meet some of your favorite authors, and find one-of-a-kind items and experiences in the Silent Auction. Every purchase at the Wild Arts Festival supports Bird Alliance of Oregon's mission to inspire all people to love and protect birds, wildlife, and habitats across the state. Help us spread the word and tell your family, friends, and coworkers to join you at the Wild Arts Festival 2026.

👉 To explore this year’s artists and authors and purchase your tickets today, visit https://www.wildartsfestival.org/

P.S. Consider volunteering at Wild Arts Festival for free entrance! Most shifts are 4 hours or less and can be done with a friend - it's a fun opportunity to get involved.

🎨 Common Loon artwork by Erin Linton

Forest Park is at risk again and we need your voice!PGE’s Harborton Reliability Project could destroy 4.7 acres of matur...
10/13/2026

Forest Park is at risk again and we need your voice!

PGE’s Harborton Reliability Project could destroy 4.7 acres of maturing native forest, including 150-year-old trees, two seasonal streams, two wetlands, and critical wildlife habitat. Despite Portland City Council’s unanimous 12-0 opposition in 2025, PGE is pushing forward with a proposal that threatens Forest Park and undermines local environmental protections.

On October 14, there are two important ways to take action:

1. Join us at City Hall at 8:45a (wear green) for a rally urging Portland City Council to say NO to PGE and put Forest Park and community voices ahead of corporate profits.

2. Submit a comment by October 14 (earlier the better). The hearing is virtual and you are welcome to attend our Watch Party at the Rebuilding Center or join virtually using the zoom link.

Forest Park is depending on us - let’s show up and make our voices heard.

👉Click here for further details: https://birdallianceoregon.org/take-action/help-us-fight-for-forest-park-again-on-october-14/

As our Oregon Migration Guide mentions, October is the month that we see Fox Sparrows show up to spend the next 6-7 mont...
10/12/2026

As our Oregon Migration Guide mentions, October is the month that we see Fox Sparrows show up to spend the next 6-7 months wintering with us. Fox Sparrows are one of North America’s most variable sparrows - despite its name, not every Fox Sparrow is rusty red. This chunky, heavily spotted bird comes in four main variations, reflecting regional differences in plumage and appearance: Red, Slate-colored, Thick-billed, and Sooty.

In Oregon, we get to see the Sooty variation of the Fox Sparrow, a darker form with deep brown upperparts, a grayish face, and bold, dark spots across its breast. Look for it scratching energetically through leaf litter beneath dense shrubs and thickets, kicking aside leaves in search of seeds and insects. You might hear one before you see it thanks to its rich, whistled song which it will sing upon its arrival to establish its winter territory.

📷:
1. Becky Matsubara
2. Doug Greenberg
3. Alyenaa Buckles

Lights Out Alert! We have two more nights ahead of heavy bird migration activity through Oregon. Do the birds a favor an...
10/09/2026

Lights Out Alert! We have two more nights ahead of heavy bird migration activity through Oregon. Do the birds a favor and turn those outdoor lights off and close your blinds. These birds are traveling hundreds to thousands of miles, and can eaily get off track from light pollution. By collectively dimming our lights, we help get them safely to their destinations. Between weather, predators, and foraging for food, these birds have enough obstacles on their way. Let's give them a hand ❤️ 🐦

Join us on Saturday, October 17 at our new NE 82nd Sanctuary for a work party to help restore this habitat!During these ...
10/08/2026

Join us on Saturday, October 17 at our new NE 82nd Sanctuary for a work party to help restore this habitat!

During these work parties, volunteers will tackle a wide variety of tasks around the Sanctuary including non-native species removal, restoration planting, debris clean up, and other tasks related to habitat restoration and improving wildlife habitat.

RSVP here: https://birdallianceoregon.org/event/weekend-work-party-at-ne-82nd-avenue-sanctuary-oct-17/

Join us online on October 13 at 7 p.m. for our next Nature Night: Feathered Forest: Aloft with Birds in Ancient TreesFro...
10/07/2026

Join us online on October 13 at 7 p.m. for our next Nature Night: Feathered Forest: Aloft with Birds in Ancient Trees

From Pacific Wrens in the understory to Marbled Murrelets in the overstory, ancient forest birds are guides to a hidden world rich in wondrous relationships. Join award-winning nature author Marina Richie for an evening of immersion into the Pacific Northwest old-growth forests as she shares stories from her new book Feathered Forest, the first to entwine birds with wild trees.

Register here: https://birdallianceoregon.org/event/nature-night-feather-forest-aloft-with-birds-in-ancient-trees/

Have you met our crow yet? If you haven’t made it out to Bird Alliance of Oregon’s Wildlife Sanctuary to see “Heart of t...
10/06/2026

Have you met our crow yet? If you haven’t made it out to Bird Alliance of Oregon’s Wildlife Sanctuary to see “Heart of the Forest,” there’s still time, but hurry! This spectacular crow sculpture is only here through October 28.

We’ve loved being part of “Follow the Crows”, an art trail raising funds for and celebrating the October 23 release of LAIKA’s new film, Wildwood. And for us, the connection is especially meaningful.

Bird Alliance of Oregon’s Wildlife Sanctuary was the original inspiration for the Avian Principality, the fictional world at the heart of Wildwood. Author Colin Meloy and illustrator Carson Ellis drew inspiration from Portland’s Forest Park network, and imagined our sanctuary as a land ruled by birds. 🐦👑 And the character Owl Rex was based on Julio, our resident Great Horned Owl. You can meet her too!

Now, a real-life crow sculpture has landed here, bringing a little bit of the Wildwood world to our sanctuary.

Come see “Heart of the Forest,” painted by muralist and fine artist Ana Gabriela Honsowetz, before it flies away on October 28! And then walk our trails to explore the real Avian Principality!

With their striking cobalt plumage and black crests, Steller’s Jays are always fun to spot gliding though the forest (al...
10/05/2026

With their striking cobalt plumage and black crests, Steller’s Jays are always fun to spot gliding though the forest (although you likely hear them first with their signature scolding calls). They’re highly intelligent, curious, and not shy about making their presence known. And they’re skilled mimics. At the sanctuary, we often hear them mimicking Red-tailed Hawks, likely trying to startle other birds away from food.

Next time you hear a loud “shook shook shook shook!” in the woods or at your campsite, look up… chances are a Steller’s Jay is keeping an eye on you (and maybe your snacks).

Photos by Mick Thompson

With its shiny black body, heavily textured shell, and, in males, a small horn projecting from its head, Rugose Stag Bee...
10/02/2026

With its shiny black body, heavily textured shell, and, in males, a small horn projecting from its head, Rugose Stag Beetles look like something straight out of a miniature Halloween movie. The name “rugose” is a nod to its wrinkled or rough appearance.

Rugose Stag Beetles live in moist woodlands, where their larvae develop in decaying wood. Adults can be found on the ground or around fallen and decomposing trees.

Despite their intimidating appearance, these beetles are just around half an inch long or so. They are a good reminder that dead and decaying wood is anything but lifeless - it is often home to an entire community of fascinating organisms doing their jobs for the ecosystem they exist in.

📷:
1. Dash Huang
2. James Maughn

October is here and it’s chock-full of owls, mushrooms, birds, bats, forests, and plenty of opportunities to get outside...
10/01/2026

October is here and it’s chock-full of owls, mushrooms, birds, bats, forests, and plenty of opportunities to get outside and learn something new for curious beginners and seasoned naturalists alike.

Discover more about the owls of Portland and Oregon, explore Sauvie Island through a once-a-month beginning birding class, learn about Oregon’s volcanic past, immerse yourself in native plants, and sharpen your skills identifying jays, crows, ravens, gulls, and more.

Feeling creative? Paint a barn owl or learn the basics of bird journaling. Looking to slow down? Try forest therapy or a relaxing sound bath.

And because it’s OWLtober, we have some especially spooky adventures in store, including cemetery birding at Riverview Cemetery on Halloween weekend.

Check out the October lineup and find your next adventure with us: https://birdallianceoregon.org/our-work/learn/adult-programs/classes/

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5151 NW Cornell Road
Portland, OR
97210

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