Endangered and declining bird species in the Willamette Valley - part 1 - meet the birds
I was curious to learn more about what birds are struggling that may be using my habitat garden, and what (if anything) we Willamette Valley gardeners could do to help them.
This first post is simply a list of each species, along with what their habitat and diet consists of. In my next post, I’ll put it all together in a list of action items, focusing on what we can do that may be of help.
This list of imperiled birds comes mostly from the Oregon Conservation Strategy website. I gathered further information about them from various other websites, which I’ve listed below. A couple of species, however, were not noted on the OCS website, but I did find notes of their struggle in the valley from OSU. I left off the Lewis’ Woodpecker, since it hasn’t been seen in our area since the 1970’s anyway.
Habitat description: these woodpeckers require live oaks for food, and plenty of dead trees and limbs for storing acorns.
Diet: roughly half of their diet is acorns, with insects, fruits, seeds making up the rest.
Reasons for decline: loss of oaks and competition from starlings for nesting spaces.
Nesting: excavates cavities in snags, does not accept nest boxes.
Sound: here is the sound of their call.
Habitat description: this is a sparrow that likes wide open areas, along with some open-forested areas. They forage mostly on the ground.
Diet: They eat insects most of the summer, then switch to grass and annual seed during fall and winter. They will come to feeders.
Reasons for decline: oaks are a keystone species that produce plenty of insects, and are in decline. Other invasive plants have replaced native insectary plants. Domestic cats and other predators are problematic.
Sound: Here is the sound of its song.
Nest: They do not nest in boxes, but might be sited at feeders.
Purple Martin - The Purple Martins in our state are a unique subspecies and different from the more numerous eastern counterparts.
Habitat description: Martins are aerial insectivores, requiring wide open forests with high insect population. Here is an interesting video discussing the Western Purple Martin habitat association here in Willamette Valley.
Diet: all manner of flying insects. Evidently dragonflies are a favorite.
Reasons for decline: martins are a species that face threats (like agriculture) in their overwintering home in South America. Here at home, the removal of snags as been a factor in their decline, as has non-native starlings taking up their nesting sites. According to some sources it appears that Purple Martins tend to reject snags in favor of man-made structures.
Nest boxes: I see lots of research being done about protecting habitat on public lands along with installing nest boxes, but haven’t seen any discussion about the possibility of private landowners installing nesting boxes in our area.
Sound: here is the neat sound of this bird. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard this bird in our forest, and our computer monitoring system has picked up chatter that identified purple martins. Perhaps they were just passing through, but wouldn’t it be cool if they nested nearby?
Habitat description: lives near marshes and wet prairies in wide open, sunny areas.
Diet: small mammals, birds, and some insects. The young in particular prefer insects.
Reasons for decline: are not well described. Loss of habitat, presumably from invasive plants and agriculture.
Nesting: does not nest in boxes, nesting in the ground.
Sound: their call sounds like this.
Habitat description: forages in sparsely vegetated, wide open sunny areas.
Diet: They eat insects during the breeding season and, like the chipping Sparrow, switch to seeds during migration and winter. Grass and annual forb seed are favorites.
Reasons for decline: infestation of invasive plants (esp. Scot’s Broom), mowing (which destroys nests and disrupts birds), cats and other predators.
Nest info: They nest exclusively on the ground and do not accept nesting boxes.
Sound: hear the sound of their song here.
Habitat: Thrives on small forest disturbances that are near mature forests and have some water supporting high insect populations. They spend most of their time in trees.
Diet: all manner of flying insects.
Reasons for decline: aren’t well understood. Habitat loss in their wintering grounds in the Andes, overall decline in insect populations.
Song: fun fact - the song is known to birders as “quick three beers!”
Nesting: does not accept nest boxes. They prefer snags for nesting and perching.
Habitat description: this is an owl that requires large old conifers in large acreage forests.
Diet: small mammals, birds, some insects. Flying squirrel and woodrats are super important food items.
Reasons for decline: logging of old forests and competition from barred owls. Evidently they are also susceptible to the West Nile Virus.
Nesting: nests exclusively in tall trees, does not accept nest boxes.
Sound: here are the sounds of its call.
Habitat description: this is a species that nests in gravel bars, cleared forests, or sparsely vegetated grassy areas. They hunt at dusk or dawn.
Diet: exclusively insects.
Reasons for decline: Invasive plants have choked out their native insectary plants and nesting sites. Cats and other predators have become problematic.
Nesting: They do not accept nesting boxes.
Sound: here is the sound of its call.
Habitat description: this large bird has a narrow band of ground that they use as wintering sites along the Willamette and Tualitin river. From what I can tell on the map, the areas are mostly confined to the nearby wildlife refuges. If you happen to have suitable habitat, consult the Pacific Flyway Management plan.
Diet: mostly herbivores, eating high protein plants. What plants these are is not clear to me.
Reasons for decline: loss of land due to agricultural uses.
Nesting: does not accept nest boxes.
Habitat description: occupies wide open areas without trees, sparsely vegetated. The habitat was traditionally created by fire or flooding.
Diet: they feed their babies insects and consume insects while producing eggs. During non-breeding season, they eat seeds.
Reasons for decline: infestation of invasive plants and loss of grassland areas are two key areas for concern, but the reason for decline isn’t completely known. Use of rodenticide and pesticides are problems. Presumably disturbances such as mowing have had a negative impact.
Song: here is a video of a Streaked Horned Lark singing.
Nesting: they will not use nest boxes, nesting directly in the ground.
Habitat description: Western Bluebirds enjoy open areas. Traditionally found in oak ecosystems and grasslands with snags for nesting. Sometimes found in orchards.
Reasons for decline: They are susceptible to diseases and parasites. House cats and other predators are a problem. Invasive plants have replaced their insectary plants. Starlings and other non-native birds compete for nesting space. Eating insects sprayed with insecticides can harm the birds.
Here is the song of the Western Bluebird.
Diet: mostly all manner of insects. They will also eat fruit, particularly in winter. Favorites include: Elderberries, Indian Plum, Oregon Grape, Cascara, Currant and Chokecherry. Rarely, they will eat small vertebrates.
Nesting: They may use brush and slash piles for nesting, but prefer cavities made in snags. They will also use nest boxes that are made specifically for them - check out this article by OSU for nest box description.
However, care must be taken in placement of nest boxes. According to the Prescott Bluebird Project, a nest box placed in an area where European Starlings or House Sparrows are present will likely result in dead Bluebirds, and those invasive birds will successfully raise multiple broods in the space, further compounding the problem. Violet Green and Tree Swallows are competitors for insects, so placement of nest boxes in areas where they nest is sketchy (they typically nest near sources of water). Nest boxes where Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Wrens nest will likely be taken by them before the Bluebirds. According to the President for the Prescott Bluebird Project: “Woodlands, wetlands, suburbs, intensively farmed areas, and anywhere house sparrows hang out are not suitable for Bluebirds… Bluebirds are territorial and need enough space to forage for food without competing with other Bluebirds. Generally, a 200-300 yard radius around a box is needed. Because Bluebirds compete with each other, putting up more boxes doesn’t necessarily result in more Bluebirds!”
If you are in suitable habitat, remember that nest boxes must be monitored weekly for predators. They also must be cleaned so that the entrance hole is the proper height to keep predators out and to keep parasites out.
Habitat description: prefers grass and other wide-open areas for foraging. They do like to have some shrubbery available for perching and foraging.
Diet: mostly insects, but seeds/grains make up about 30% of diet. They will sometimes come to feeders. Occasionally eats berries.
Reasons for decline: predators such as cats and dogs. Mowing and other disturbances. Non-native plants have encroached in their habitat, reducing food availability. Reed Canarygrass is of particular concern.
Sound: watch a video of the Western Meadowlark singing here.
Nesting: nests directly in the ground, does not accept nest boxes.
Habitat description: traditionally occupies oak forests, though it is now found in nut orchards and some suburbs. Black cottonwood and ash trees are also favored for habitat.
Diet: mostly insects, but also goes for seeds and acorns. Will feed on suet and peanut butter mixes.
Reasons for decline: European Starlings are a competitor in nest spaces. Loss of oak habitat.
Sound: here is the sound of its call.
Nesting: they nest in tree cavities, and will occasionally accept nest boxes. I see no guidelines onto what dimensions of nest box would be useful to them.
Habitat description: Willow Flycatchers are wetland inhabitants, where a continuous shrub layer, preferably of willows is present.
Diet: all manner of flying insects, primarily bees, wasps, flies. Occasionally berries.
Reasons for decline: loss of wetland habitat, largely from agriculture and invasive plants.
Song: here is the sound of its song.
Nesting: constructs nests out of grassy and twiggy materials, from 1-20 feet high in a tree, usually in willows, alders, wild rose, or blackberries.
Habitat description: near streams, in dense brushy areas. Often found near willows.
Diet: insects and, in the fall, up to half of their diet is berries.
Reasons for decline: habitat loss due to invasive plants and agriculture. Brown-headed cowbird parasitism.
Sound: here is a video of the Yellow-breasted Chat and its various sounds.
Nesting: constructs nests in shrub layer, does not accept nest boxes.
Golden-Crowned Kinglet - according to OSU there is concern this species is in decline in the Willamette Valley.
Diet: small insects and insect eggs, occasionally tree sap, rarely fruit.
Habitat description: most often found in coniferous forests.
Reasons for decline: forest clearing and other habitat losses.
Nesting: directly in tall trees, does not accept nest boxes.
Sound: here is the sound of its song.
Rufous Hummingbird - this is another bird that is declining according to OSU.
Habitat description: pretty much anywhere there are flowering plants and a shrub layer for nesting.
Diet: Nectar from flowers or from an artificial feeder and small insects. Manzanitas are one of their favorite foods. They particularly like: bleeding hearts, red flowering currant, salmonberry, red columbine, honeysuckles, manzanitas.
Reasons for decline: tree and shrub cutting, predation from cats.
Nesting: nests a few feet to several feet off the ground, does not accept nest boxes.
Sound: here is the sound of its call.
Resources not otherwise listed above:
https://ebird.org/
https://myodfw.com/
https://wdfw.wa.gov/
https://pacificbirds.org/
https://www.audubon.org/
https://www.oregonwildlife.org/
https://klamathbird.org/
https://cf.forestry.oregonstate.edu/
https://cascadiaprairieoak.org/
https://www.nps.gov/
Donations: the information that is provided here is free for gardeners of all financial means. If you’d like to financially support this site, you can make a one-time donation or monthly subscriptions on this link. All proceeds will fund more garden projects to share here with you, dear readers, thank you! And thank you SO much to the folks that have supported me. Your contributions mean so much.