SW Oregon birds that are migratory, thus rare in winter:

Turkey Vulture
Green-tailed Towhee
Osprey
Lazuli Bunting
MacGillivray's Warbler
Swainson's Thrush
Yellow-breasted Chat
Wilson's Warbler
Spotted Sandpiper
White Pelican
Sandhill Crane
Rufous & Allen's Hummingbirds
Vaux's Swift
All swallows
Flycatchers except Phoebes
Chipping and Lark Sparrows
Bullock's Oriole
Black-headed Grosbeak

Trumpeter Swan: this endangered bird breeds at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Tundra Swan: winters near Portland and in Klamath NWR

Redhead: breeds in south central Oregon, esp. at Malheur

Harlequin: uncommon breeder in some Cascade streams

Barrow's Goldeneye: both breeds and winters east of the Cascades; can be found wintering in small numbers in Rogue Valley

Scoter species: all three found along the coast in winter with Black Scoter being rare; White-winged regular in estuaries such as Coquille River mouth at Bandon

Long-tailed Duck: scarce but regular wintering duck along the coast, may join scoter flocks

Mountain Quail: easy to hear inspring, much harder to actually see. Resident in mountain forest where there's been a fire or clear-cut, may approach coast in winter

Red-necked Grebe: breeds at Howard Prairie and Upper Klamath Lakes; also uncommon coastal migrant

Clark's Grebe: breeds in south central Oregon

Sooty Shearwater: present along coast from May to October

Leach's Storm-petrel: breeds on offshore rocks on southern Oregon coast in Curry County

American White Pelican: breeds in eastern Oregon lakes, can be found on Howard Prairie Lake near Ashland

Brandt's and Pelagic Cormorant: coastal breeders in Oregon

Least Bittern: secretive breeder in south central Oregon

Northern Goshawk: breeds in high mountain coniferous forests, esp. Cascade region including Crater Lake. Also breeds in northeastern Oregon; can be seen soaring over mountaintops and wooded valleys; viewed from above there are white tufts at the base of the hawk's tail

Swainson's Hawk: breeds in drylands of eastern Oregon including Malheur area

Ferruginous Hawk: year-round resident in southeastern Oregon including Klamath Lakes region

Rough-legged Hawk: migrant from the north, especially plentiful in Klamath Basin during winter

Yellow Rail: has a tiny breeding range in the Klamath region

Black Oystercatcher: breeds along rocky sections of Oregon coast

Upland Sandpiper: rare breeder in small area of eastern Oregon

Black Turnstone and Surfbird: often seen in mixed flocks in winter and late fall along rocky sections of Oregon Coast, definitely not dune birdies

Wilson's Phalarope: regular migrant through eastern Oregon, esp. Klamath Lakes, Malheur and also irregular breeder

Heermann's Gull: coastal wintering bird

Thayer's Gull: most common along the central and northern coast of Oregon in winter

Western Gull: common year-round on coast

Glaucous-winged Gull: wintering gull on coast and northern Willamette valley

Black Tern: breeds in wetland areas of central and southern Oregon east of the Cascades. May also breed some years in Willamette Valley

Alcids: numerous alcids breed or feed along the Oregon Coast. Pigeon Guillemot nest on mainland cliffs. Marbled Murrlet in old growth forests. Cassin's Auklets, Ancient Murrlet and Horned Puffin all breed along coast in limited numbers

Band-tailed Pigeon: in woodlands of western Oregon

Eurasian Collared-dove: becoming established in the Rogue Valley

Owls: thirteen species are regular breeders in the state, with the Great Gray Owl being the biggest owl native to Oregon. The Boreal Owl has a tiny range in the Cascades and a few spots in northeastern Oregon. Some winters a few Snowy Owls enter Oregon

Black Swift: only two breeding colonies known in Oregon. Can be seen at Salt Creek Falls in Lane County, about 4,000 feet elevation

Vaux's Swift: common over wooded areas in western Oregon. Regular in early morning andevening over Ashland and can even be seen from the Elizabethan (outdoor) theatre. Large colonies can be seen during migration at roosts in:
Chapman School, Portland; First Presbyterian Church, Corvallis; Agate Hall, Eugene

Anna's Hummingbird: common year-round in the Rogue Valley. The only hummer that regularly winters in large numbers in Oregon

Calliope Hummingbird: breeds in Blue, Steen, Wallowa and Hart Mountains in eastern Oregon

Rufous and Allen's Hummingbirds: Rufous found over western third of Oregon, Allen's only in the extreme southwestern corner of the state. Not distinguishable in the wild by sight alone. The Allen's metallic shriek is different from the various sounds of the Rufous. Both species can return to breeding territories in February. Allen's display flight is a rocking chair motion while the Rufous is J-shaped

Lewis's Woodpecker: Regular wintering bird in Rogue Valley, can be seen at Agate Lake east of Medford and in the oak woods uphill from Emigrant Lake near Ashland. Scattered areas of breeding east of Mount Hood in oak/ponderosa forests. Highly gregarious

Williamson's Sapsucker: forest on eastern slope of Cascades. It was here the very first specimen was collected 160 years ago by an American railroad survey team.

Red-naped Sapsucker: mountain forests of eastern Oregon

Red-breasted Sapsucker: forest bird of Cascades and coastal ranges, breeds in upland forests around Ashland, over-winters in the area

White-headed Woodpecker: Mostly found in the Cascades, but also on Mount Ashland in the Siskiyous and in thre forests around North Klamath Lake. Favors open ponderosa forests

Olive-sided Flycatcher: found in tall trees of Oregon's evergreen forests. Often located by its distinctive three-pnbote call from a treetop. Declining in numbers due to loss of wintering habitat in tropics.

Hammond's & Dusky Flycatchers: mountain forests of western Oregon, difficult to tell apart. Dusky prefers more open habitat and the edges of clearings. Dusky has longer beak and tail

Pacific-slope Flycatcher: breeds in appropriate riparian habitat in western Oregon; overlaps with similar Cordilleran Flycatcher in far northeastern Oregon.

Black Phoebe: found only in the extreme southwestern corner of the state. Present in Rogue Valley around Ashland

Ash-throated Flycatcher: Prefers oak or juniper woodlands with lots of sunshine and open ground. Found near Emigrant Lake's south end, not far from Ashland

Cassin's Vireo: widely distributed across the state except in southeeastern corner

Hutton's Vireo: partial to moist woodlands along Oregon's coast. Can be found in Rogue Valley

Gray Jay: partial to mountain campgrounds and parks

Steller's Jay: present in my garden everyday. Vocal and insistent when it's time for peanuts

Pinyon Jay: Gregarious resident in very center of Oregon, east of Cascades.

Clark's Nutcracker: found only in the highest mountains, especially along the cascade Range. The most readily found bird around Crater Lake's visitors' center

Violet-green Swallow: found all over the state, especially in the moister forests of western Oregon

Mountain Chickadee: the name says it all. The white eyebrow is the field mark you watch for. Larger than Black-capped or diminutive Chestnut-backed

American Dipper: nesting in many mountain streams of Rogue Valley. That includes downtown Ashland along Ashland Creek in Lithia Park across the street from my home

Mountain Bluebird: regular from Cascades eastward. Small population near peak of Mount Ashland

Townsend's Solitaire: bird of high elevation forests. Can be secretive

Varied Thrush: secretive nester in damp forests of western Oregon. Some winters it can be abundant

Black-throated Gray Warbler: Bird of mixed forests, some riparian but not marshy. Thus population can be spotty and unpredictable. Present on western slopes of Rogue River valley.

Townsend's Warbler: Breeds in Cascade Range, evergreen forests.

Hermit Warbler: High-nesting denizen of fir forests in moist western Oregon. Often hard to find because it stays high in canopy. Birding from steep roadsides where you can look DOWN on forest is very helpful

MacGillivray's Warbler: Despite distinct and bold coloring this skulker can be hard to track through underbrush and damp scrub. Thrives in areas where tall trees have been felled

Green-tailed Towhee: Thrives in dry brushland with diverse plants. Can be found above 6,000-feet elevation. Does not winter in Oregon

Spotted Towhee: abundant resident of any brushy spot, like my garden. His drab cousin, the California Towhee, is found only in riparian habitat in this southwestern corner of Oregon

Cassin's Finch: Most common in Cascades and further east. Can be found in Siskiyous above the Rogue Valley. Does winter at selected garden feeders in Ashland area

Lesser Goldfinch: Common year-round here in the Rogue Valley. Abundant on thistle feeders all winter long, even when larger and less hardy American Goldfinches have all fled southward. Gregarious

TOWHEE.NET:  Harry Fuller, 243 Granite Street, Ashland, Oregon 97520
website@towhee.net