Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Annotated Checklist of the
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
with the Snake River islands of Idaho
Alan Contreras and Robert R. Kindschy
Revised Edition
2010 draft, never published
1
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................... 5
Bioregions of Malheur County ....................................................................... 8
Introduction to the Species Accounts ........................................................... 16
Species Accounts .......................................................................................... 21
Checklist of birds ........................................................................................ 102
References ................................................................................................... 106
The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, Oregon for underwriting
the publication of the first edition of this study.
2
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Quinn River of Nevada, and thence into Humboldt Sink, with no
outlet to the sea. About 94 percent of the county is rangeland, with
two-thirds of this managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
The Farewell Bend complex along the Snake River south of
Huntington is treated for purposes of this book as being in Malheur
County, although the park proper is in Baker County. Birds reported
from this area are mostly from the park proper, from the Benson
Creek outfall on the county line, in a pond in Malheur County, or in
the Snake River just south of Benson Creek, also in Malheur County.
It is not possible in many cases to determine where sightings were
made, especially for water birds. We believe that it makes more
sense to include the entire area in this book rather than to attempt to
split the records. Any future publications on Baker County may well
do the same.
Likewise, information for all of the Snake River islands between
Farewell Bend and Adrian is included, even though five of the eight
major islands are in Idaho. In most cases the location of records by
state is noted. A map of the island locations is included inside the
front cover for convenient reference, since most atlases and state
maps do not show all of them adequately.
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
This is the second edition of an annotated list of the birds of
Malheur County, Oregon. The first edition was issued in 1996 as
Special Publication No. 8 of Oregon Field Ornithologists and is now
out of print. It is intended as a general statement of the status of each
bird species known to have occurred in the county.
This publication may contain errors of omission or fact. We
have endeavored to minimize these, but if you have information to
share regarding such mistakes, or additional data to add, please
contact Oregon Field Ornithologists at Box 10373, Eugene OR
97440 or the Vale BLM office, 100 Oregon St., Vale OR 97918. The
Vale BLM office will provide a depository for data on the birds of
Malheur County to be used in subsequent editions of this book.
GEOGRAPHIC AREA COVERED BY THIS BOOK
Malheur County, Oregon comprises the southeastern edge of the
state, extending along the Idaho border from the Nevada line to the
southern edge of the Blue Mountains. It is bordered on the north by
Baker County, on the west by Grant and Harney Counties, on the
south by Humboldt County, Nevada and on the east by Owyhee,
Canyon, Payette and Washington Counties in Idaho.
The county is Oregon’s second largest (after neighboring
Harney) at 9,926 square miles, and most of its 28,100 people live in
the Ontario-Vale-Nyssa area and nearby valleys. It stretches 167
miles from Nevada to the Baker County line, and 65 miles east to
west at the widest point. The average January temperature is 28.7°F,
and the average in July is 75.6°F. The average annual precipitation is
the lowest of any Oregon county at 9.64 inches.
The highest points in the county are the Oregon Canyon
Mountain summit at 7920 feet and Ironside Mountain at 7820 feet.
The lowest point is approximately 2100 feet where Benson Creek
enters the Snake River at Farewell Bend.
Malheur County lies primarily in the Owyhee Upland
physiographic province of the Northwest (Franklin and Dyrness,
1973). The northwestern corner of the county lies within the Blue
Mountain province, while the southwestern corner is part of the
Basin and Range province, and is a northern part of the Great Basin.
All but this last region are drained by rivers flowing into the SnakeColumbia system. The eastern Trout Creek Mountains and most of
the Oregon Canyon Mountains are drained by creeks flowing into the
RECOMMENDED ADDITIONAL READING
In addition to this publication, observers and researchers
interested in the birds of the region may want to have available the
following references, which the authors recommend.
Birds of Oregon: a General Reference. Marshall, D., M. Hunter
and A.. Contreras. 2003, Oregon State University Press.
Wildlife Habitats in Managed Rangelands: The Great Basin of
Southeastern Oregon
Thomas, Jack W. and Maser, Chris. 1986. U.S. Forest Service and
U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Studies and overviews of both
individual species and habitat types.
Birds of Northeastern Oregon, an annotated checklist for Union
and Wallowa Counties
Evanich, Joseph E., Jr. Oregon Field Ornithologists Special
Publication No. 6, 1992. OFO, PO Box 10373, Eugene OR 97440.
Large booklet, covers the state’s northeastern corner
Birds of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Littlefield, Carroll D.
Oregon State University Press, 1990. Covers the refuge and provides
some information for Harney County
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Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Birds of Idaho. Burleigh, Thomas D. Caxton Printers, 1972 (now
out-of-print but available through used book dealers). Excellent
coverage of northern Idaho, useful but not as thorough for the
southern part.
Idaho Bird Distribution. Stephens, Daniel and Sturts, Shirley.
Idaho Museum of Natural History, Special Publication No. 11, 1991.
Displays the general breeding and winter status for the state by
“latilong” blocks
A Checklist for the Birds of Southwestern Idaho. Stephens,
Daniel and Reynolds, Timothy
Golden Eagle Audubon Society, Boise, Idaho, undated. Small pocket
checklist provides considerable status information for the region
Birds [of the] Deer Flat NWR. Deer Flat NWR, 13751 Upper
Embankment Rd., Nampa ID 83686. Refuge checklist that covers the
region from Farewell Bend to Lake Lowell near Nampa, with
seasonal abundance shown.
4
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
they are local even in preferred habitat, occurring north only to about
mid-county. When junipers are present, Mountain Bluebirds and
Ash-throated Flycatchers can be found, although the latter are rarer in
the northern part of the county. Long-eared Owls are also partial to
juniper groves. Bushtit and Cassin’s Finch may also be seen in
denser stands of mountain mahogany or juniper. Finally, canyons
usually support Rock Wren, Canyon Wren (locally), Cliff Swallow,
Violet-green Swallow, Say’s Phoebe, Chukar, Rock Dove (pigeon)
and White-throated Swift.
Bioregions of Malheur County
Malheur County contains a considerable variety of landforms
and vegetation types, although some are present only in a limited
area. The central part of the county is dominated by the canyons and
uplands of the Owyhee River and Succor Creek watersheds. Farther
south, the land is flatter with shallower canyons all the way to the
mountains on the Nevada line. The Oregon Canyon Mountains,
along with the Trout Creek range, which lies mainly in Harney
County, and the Pueblo and Steens Mountain ranges in Harney
County, represent the northernmost in a series of isolated mountain
ranges that occur throughout the Great Basin. From Jordan Valley
westward the land is mainly flat or rolling, broken by low buttes and
hills.
RIPARIAN AREAS
Within the sagebrush-dominated parts of the county riparian
areas provide a much greater variety of birdlife. The presence of
willows (Salix, spp.), black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa),
mountain or “thinleaf” alder (Alnus incana) and quaking aspen (P.
tremuloides) adds considerably to the avifauna of streamside areas
throughout the county. Yellow Warbler, Northern (Bullock’s)
Oriole, Yellow-breasted Chat, Lazuli Bunting, Willow Flycatcher,
Black-capped Chickadee (in valleys) Mountain Bluebird and
Mountain Chickadee (in higher elevation aspen groves), Downy
Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Western Wood-Pewee, Red-naped
Sapsucker (especially in aspen), Brown-headed Cowbird, American
Goldfinch, Brewer’s Blackbird, and American Robin are the most
common birds in this habitat. Tree Swallows use areas with large
dead trees, and Calliope, Black-chinned and occasionally Broadtailed Hummingbirds summer in this habitat as well. Western
Screech-Owls and Great Horned Owls can be found where there is
sufficient sizable timber, and also in areas of rimrock or at human
habitations and abandoned homesteads.
Wherever streams have cut banks, Belted Kingfisher and
Rough-winged Swallow can find nesting space, and larger cut banks
and quarries near water can harbor Bank Swallow colonies, of which
Malheur County may have more than any other part of the state.
SAGEBRUSH COMMUNITIES
Much of Malheur County is dominated by several types of
sagebrush (Artemisia spp.), wheatgrass (Agropyron spp.), rabbitbrush
(Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus) and other grasses and low shrublike
plants. On the higher ridges incursions of western juniper (Juniperus
occidentalis) and curlleaf mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus
ledifolius) occur, the latter forming dense stands at Mahogany
Mountain and in the Oregon Canyon and Trout Creek Mountains. In
general, western juniper is most widespread along the fringes of the
county (although not in the Oregon Canyon Mountains). Ridges
south of Jordan Valley along the Idaho line, north of Crowley, north,
south and west of Juntura, and north, west and southwest of Ironside
carry the most extensive stands, along with Mahogany Mountain,
Leslie Gulch and other sites along the Owyhee Canyon and the upper
Malheur River valley.
The birds most often associated with the sagebrush communities
are Brewer’s Sparrow, Sage Thrasher, Western Meadowlark,
Loggerhead Shrike, Sage Grouse, Red-tailed Hawk, Burrowing Owl,
Common Raven, and Ferruginous Hawk, and, especially where areas
of grass are present, Lark Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, and Horned
Lark. In areas where there is plenty of big sagebrush mixed with
mountain mahogany or juniper, Green-tailed Towhees and Gray
Flycatchers can also be found. Common Nighthawks can be seen
throughout the desert regions of the county, as can Golden Eagles,
especially near rimrock; Common Poor-wills are also ubiquitous.
When sage-covered ground is sloping and contains or is near
rock outcroppings, Black-throated Sparrows may occur, although
VALLEYS AND AGRICULTURAL AREAS
In the south-central and northern parts of the county, extensive
bottomlands contain sizable expanses of irrigated pasture and other
agricultural land interspersed with riparian zones, small marshes,
towns and patches of desert or rocky areas. In addition to the tree
species mentioned in the section on riparian habitats, well-watered
lowlands and towns contain many plantings of native and introduced
species such as cottonwood and other poplars (Populus spp.), box
elder (Acer negundo), Russian-olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia),
5
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Chinese elm (Ulnus parvifolia), mountain-ash (Sorbus spp.), and
other species. The presence of crops such as alfalfa, sugar beets,
onions, potatoes, and feed grains adds yet another element to the
vegetation mix.
In these areas can be found, in addition to many of the species
mentioned under riparian zones, Black-billed Magpie, Ring-necked
Pheasant, California Quail, American Crow, Say’s Phoebe, Western
Kingbird, Eastern Kingbird (locally), House Finch, Gray Partridge
(locally), Swainson’s Hawk, Killdeer, House Sparrow, European
Starling, Mourning Dove and Cedar Waxwing.
The Cow Lakes north of Jordan Valley are the only sizable natural
lakes in the county. Batch Lake is a smaller complex of ponds and
channels just southwest of Lower Cow Lake. The Bogus Lakes,
which are mentioned often in the species accounts, are seasonal playa
lakes bordered by marsh about twelve miles west of the Cow Lakes.
Early ornithologists in Malheur County did not report as many
water-dependent species as are found today, mainly because the
county’s reservoir system is relatively new. The establishment dates
for the county’s major dams are: Antelope, 1914, enlarged in 1935;
Beulah (Agency Valley Dam), 1935; Bully Creek, 1963; Owyhee,
1932; Malheur Res., late 1930s; and Warm Springs (partly in Harney
County), 1919 (Johnson et al., 1985).
Rivers and streams provide breeding habitat for Spotted
Sandpiper, Mallard, Common Merganser, Canada Goose, and at
higher elevations, American Dipper. The reservoirs and Cow Lakes
are useful to breeding birds mainly insofar as they provide places to
feed or marshes in which to nest. Many species of waterfowl breed at
the upper ends of Beulah and Bully Creek Reservoirs in years when
water is sufficient. Some species that do not breed in the county but
often come to feed are American White Pelican, Franklin’s Gull, and
many migrants. Breeders that use the county’s limited marsh habitat
include Sora, Virginia Rail, Sandhill Crane, many species of ducks,
American Avocet and Black-necked Stilt (often where muddy edges
are available), Wilson’s Phalarope, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Redwinged Blackbird, Willet, and Black-crowned Night-Heron. In fall,
yellowlegs, Western, Least and Baird’s Sandpipers, Semipalmated
Plover and other shorebirds occur, most in small numbers.
The principal plants found in Malheur County marshes are
cattail (Typha spp.), hardstem bulrush (Scirpus acutus), sedges
(Carex spp.) and rushes (Eleocharis spp.).
PINE AND FIR FOREST
The least common vegetation zone in the county is the pine and
fir forest, which is found only in the northwestern part of the county
around Ironside Mountain and north of Castle Rock. The area
around Castle Rock supports a sizable juniper incursion, and higher
elevations to the north contain some Ponderosa Pine (Pinus
ponderosa). The juniper-dominated area here and south locally to
the southern part of the county is the most reliable place to find Ashthroated Flycatcher.
Farther north around Ironside Mountain is Malheur County’s
only true “Blue Mountain” forest, with extensive stands of Ponderosa
pine, Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) on north slopes, and some
lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), grand fir (Abies grandis) and,
locally, white fir (Abies concolor). This habitat contains the county’s
only breeding ground for many bird species, including Flammulated
Owl, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Hammond’s
Flycatcher, all three nuthatches, White-headed Woodpecker,
Williamson’s Sapsucker, Red Crossbill, Clark’s Nutcracker, Blue
Grouse, Hermit Thrush, and possibly Vaux’s Swift, Varied Thrush
and Townsend’s Warbler.
A significant portion of this habitat on the north and west side of
Ironside Mountain burned during the summer of 1994. Although the
impact on avian communities remains to be seen, by early summer,
1995 several Black-backed Woodpeckers had moved into the area
and breeding had been confirmed. The patchy nature of the burn has
left many open forest areas that in summer, 1995 contained many
Chipping Sparrows and Western Bluebirds.
SNAKE RIVER ISLAND HABITATS
At least four species (Double-crested Cormorant, California
Gull, Ring-billed Gull, and Caspian Tern) nest in small numbers in
the county only or mainly on islands in the Snake River. These
islands also provide important habitat for Great Blue Heron and
Black-crowned Night Heron, and Swainson’s Hawks are often seen
along the river.
The county’s water habitats are also of great importance in
migration and winter, when Bald Eagle, White-fronted, Canada, and
Snow Geese, Common and Barrow’s Goldeneye, Bufflehead,
Gadwall, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal,
Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Ruddy Duck, Common and
Hooded Merganser, Western, Clark’s, Horned, and Eared Grebes,
WATER HABITATS
Throughout the county, water is a crucial factor in determining
bird use and populations. The three principal water-oriented habitats
in the county are rivers and streams, artificial reservoirs, and marshes.
6
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
and other species rely on the county’s water corridors for places to
eat and rest.
A note on sources
Information regarding plant communities and appropriate
nomenclature is from Franklin and Dyrness (1973), Weinmann et
al.(1984), Jensen et al., (1994) and Littlefield (1990), with additions
and local revisions primarily by Bob Kindschy.
7
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Introduction to the Species Accounts
SEASONS
Terms, Abbreviations and Symbols
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Nomenclature and arrangement of families and orders of birds
follow the Seventh Edition of the American Ornithologists Union’s
(A.O.U) Checklist of North American Birds (1996) and its most
recent supplements as they appear in The Auk.
All species are native unless otherwise indicated.
GENERAL ABBREVIATIONS
NAB
BBS
BLM
CBC
Lk.
NBS
NWR
OB
ODFW
OFO
ONHP
p.c.
ABUNDANCE SCALE
Abundant
Common
Uncommon
Occasional
Rare
Vagrant
Wanderer
Local
March 1 to May 31.
June 1 to July 31.
August 1 to November 30.
December 1 to February 28 (29).
can be found in good numbers (more than 20) on
almost all trips.
a few (fewer than 20) found on almost all trips.
a few (fewer than 20) found on only a few trips.
very small numbers (fewer than 10) found on a
few trips almost every year.
very small numbers (fewer than 10) found on very
few trips and seldom every year.
out of normal range and fewer than five records
for the county.
usually a bird near the edge of its regular range, or
that occurs as part of a pattern.
does not use all apparently suitable habitat, found
only in preferred spots.
R.
Res.
SP
USFS
USFWS
NorthAmerican Birds magazine and its predecessors
Audubon Field Notes, American Birds and National Audubon
Society Field Notes.
Breeding Bird Survey
Bureau of Land Management
Christmas Bird Count
Lake
National Biological Service
National Wildlife Refuge
Oregon Birds magazine
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Oregon Field Ornithologists
Oregon Natural Heritage Program (database)
personal communication, e.g. from an observer to one
of the authors.
River
Reservoir
State Park
U.S. Forest Service
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Data Sources
STATUS SYMBOLS
PUBLISHED INFORMATION
[bracketed]
•
°
H
sp. or spp.
those species which are unreported from the
county, but may be expected to occur.
breeds. Includes nests, recent young, or other
evidence of breeding. About 185 species breed in
the county.
possible breeder, not confirmed.
historical records or status.
species undetermined, or multiple species
The field notes sections of Oregon Birds were searched for
published records from the county. These records appear as “OB
5(4): 101” and so on in the text, referring to the volume and issue of
OB from which the field notes were taken. A similar search of field
notes in North American Birds and its predecessors was also done,
covering the years 1948-2008.
Articles in many ornithological journals were reviewed for
information about Malheur County. Those used for specific
information appear in the references section at the end of the species
accounts. The process of searching these sources was made much
8
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
easier because of the availability of several reference tools: Scott,
Haislip and Thompson (1972), Egger (1980), Watson (1982),
Jobanek (in prep. 1995) and Contreras (1992).
Vale BLM office. Data for some species appear under the species
accounts.
Name
Adrian
AGENCY DATA
Number Route
56 From Highway 201 south into Succor
Creek Canyon
63 Jackson Creek Rd. south and east of
Battle Mountain
24 From Crowley northeastward toward
Skull Springs
64 From north of Black Butte south
toward the Nevada line
Data from the Vale District BLM files were provided by Bonnie
Jakubos and Jon Sadowski. Kindschy’s own data were extensively
used for the Vale, Batch Lake and Bogus Lakes areas. Data from the
Oregon Natural Heritage Database were provided by Mark Stern and
Eleanor Gaines. Data from the ODFW database were provided by
Teri Waldron. George Keister from the Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife and Bruce Peterjohn from the National Biological
Service were helpful in providing the Malheur County data from
breeding bird survey routes, and Danny Bystrak and Kathy
Klimkiewicz provided banding data from the NBS Bird Banding
Laboratory. Ron Garst from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in
Portland helped provide information and funding to support
publication. Kenneth Parkes of the Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh,
and Dennis Paulson of the Slater Museum, University of Puget
Sound, Tacoma, Washington helped in clarifying specimen records.
Battle Mtn.
INDIVIDUAL FIELD NOTES
2. Vale CBC was centered west of Vale to include Bully Creek
Reservoir. It operated from ______ to ______ .
Crowley
Lookout Lake
CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS
Two Christmas Bird Count circles have been active in Malheur
County:
1. Lower Owyhee Valley CBC operated from 1993 to _____, and
was centered west of Adrian, to include most of the lower
Owyhee valley from the dam to the Snake River.
Many observers were generous with their original field notes
and journal entries, with the detailed accounts of Bob Kindschy, Paul
Sullivan and John Gatchet especially helpful. Other observers who
contributed field notes were David Anderson, Jon Anderson, David
Bailey, Al Bammann, Barbara Combs, Alan Contreras, Mike and
Merrylynn Denny, Jon Dudley, Dan Gleason, Hendrik Herlyn, W. E.
Hoffman, Bonnie Jakubos, George Keister, Ted Kenefick, Al Larson,
Mike Lundstrom, Donna Lusthoff, David Marshall, Tom and Allison
Mickel, Nora and Rick Miller, Harry Nehls, Bill Olson, Jon
Sadowski, Jamie Simmons, Michael Willison, and Walt Yungen.
The authors apologize if anyone who contributed has been
inadvertantly left off the list.
Records of these counts are available online at ________ . The
count code for Lower Owyhee is ____; Vale is ____ .
BIRD BANDING RECORDS
A complete list of all birds banded or recovered in Malheur
County is available from the Vale BLM office. This data was
provided courtesy of Danny Bystrak and Kathy Klimkiewicz of the
bird banding lab, now operating under the National Biological
Service. If there were enough banding records for a species, a map
was generated showing the origin or disposition of banded birds. In
most cases information from banding data was incorporated into the
text of the species account.
BREEDING BIRD SURVEY ROUTES
Four breeding bird survey routes operated under the National
Biological Service have been run in Malheur County. Each route is
25 miles long and is conducted under the same rules as all routes in
the country. The route name, code number, and general area covered
are listed below. A complete table of the results of these routes is
available from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife or the
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Matt Hunter, Bonnie Jakubos, Paul Sullivan,
Walt Van Dyke, Mike Lundstrom, John Gatchet, Hendrik Herlyn,
Rich Hoyer, Harry Nehls, Al Larson, Bill Olson, Terry Rich, Jon
9
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Sadowski, and W. E. Hoffman for reviewing early drafts of this
publication. George Jobanek was especially helpful in evaluating
historical records from the county. Dr. Leonard Brennan provided
copies of his publications on Mountain Quail and commented on that
species.
Some habitat descriptions and the abundance scale are adapted
with permission from Birds of Northeast Oregon by the late Joe
Evanich, Jr., with thanks to Joe Evanich, Sr. References to status in
southwestern Idaho are from Stephens and Sturts (1991) and
Stephens and Reynolds (undated) except as noted.
10
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Birds banded in Saskatchewan, Mackenzie (Canada) and
California have been recovered in the county. A young bird banded
July 24, 1961 in Mackenzie was recovered October 21 of that year
east of Harper.
Species Accounts
ORDER: ANSERIFORMES
Family: Anatidae (Swans, Geese, Ducks)
Canada Goose • (Branta canadensis)
Breeds locally throughout the county. Common to abundant
spring and fall migrant, also common during winter. Cold weather
has resulted in concentrations of up to 3000 birds in remaining areas
of open water. Found along major watercourses and in wetlands and
crop fields, but some birds breed on cliffs.
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)
Locally common spring and fall migrant, uncommon winter
visitor. Found on large bodies of water, wet fields. Most spring
movement (up to 100 birds per flock) is through the Snake River
lowlands in March, when water in the central part of the county is
still frozen. In fall, when the Cow Lakes complex is not frozen,
migrant birds use this area also.
Wood Duck • (Aix sponsa)
Breeds locally. Locally common spring and fall migrant,
occasional to locally uncommon winter resident, mainly along the
Snake River and nearby tributaries with open water. Although some
references do not include the species as a winterer in the area, it has
been found on both CBCs held to date and is present in small
numbers on unfrozen parts of the Owyhee River and backwaters of
the Snake River.
Prefers wooded marshes, small ponds, and lakes at low
elevations. Regular in the lower Owyhee Canyon near the BLM
Watchable Wildlife area. The Snake River islands survey conducted
on April 18, 1991 found 204 birds (Keister et al., 1991). Seen
occasionally away from wooded habitats, especially in migration.
One bird banded on October 3, 1968, near Medford, Jackson
County was recovered on October 20 of that year near Adrian. This
indicates that at least some birds passing through the county in fall
are not coming from the north.
Birds banded in the county have a very wide recovery
distribution in the west, and one record of an adult bird banded on
August 3, 1993 and recovered on November 27, 1993 in Louisiana.
The map shows recoveries of birds banded in Malheur County. The
Idaho recoveries represent birds banded in August in Malheur
County and recovered nearby on the Idaho side of the Snake River
the same fall. The Oregon recoveries are of birds recovered in the
Snake River valley near Adrian.
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)
Status unclear. A young bird banded on August 26, 1970 at
Malheur NWR was recovered on April 21, 1971 near Vale. Another
young bird banded August 26, 1986 at Malheur was recovered
August 9, 1988 at Owyhee Lake. One was at Grassy Lake on May
13, 1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.). At least one other record has been
published, but details are unavailable.
Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)
Locally common spring and fall migrant in wetlands and crop
fields. Spring migration is underway by February.
Ross’s Goose (Chen rossii)
Occasional migrant on larger bodies of water and in wet fields,
mainly in the southern part of the county. A bird banded October 10,
1962 in Saskatchewan was killed during hunting season of that same
fall near Arock. Another banded in Saskatchewan on October 17,
1967 was recovered on November 24, 1970 near Adrian. One was at
Antelope Res. in spring, 1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.).
Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens)
Green-winged Teal • (Anas crecca)
Locally uncommon but irregular spring and fall migrant on
larger bodies of water and in wet fields. The species does not seem
to use Malheur County migration corridors every year; however,
numbers of up to a thousand have been reported in good years. Most
spring movement is in March, although “several thousand” were on
the Snake River in early April, 1985 (AB 39(3): 328).
Breeds locally. Common spring and fall migrant and occasional
winter resident. Found on lakes, marshes, flooded fields, river
backwaters.
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)
11
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Of Oregon’s five specimen records of this species, two are from
Malheur County, and were obtained in January and March, 1950 near
Ontario (Gilligan et al., 1994). The state’s most recent record was
from Malheur NWR in 1977, but it could occur in Malheur County
again. Difficulties in determining whether a given bird is of wild
origin cloud some reports of the species.
Breeds locally in small numbers. Common spring and fall
migrant, uncommon but widespread winter resident when open water
remains. Usually found on lakes, ponds, flooded fields.
Banding data shows that most Gadwall recovered in Malheur
County were banded in Oregon, although there are single recoveries
for birds banded in Washington and California. Six of the eight
Oregon bandings were from Malheur NWR, Harney County.
Mallard • (Anas platyrhynchos)
Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope)
Common breeder throughout the county. Common to abundant
spring and fall migrant and winter resident. Found in almost any
body of water at low to moderate elevations.
The map shows where Mallards recovered in Malheur County
were banded.
Very rare. The only records of which the authors are aware are
of 2 birds on March 6, 1993 at Farewell Bend (OB 19(4); Paul
Sullivan p.c.) and two males at Antelope Res. on March 25, 1995
(John Gatchet, p.c.). Rare but regular in Harney County, rare in
southwestern Idaho.
Northern Pintail • (Anas acuta)
American Wigeon •
Breeds locally in some years, mainly in the south-central part of
the county. Abundant spring and fall migrant, uncommon winter
resident. Found on ponds, lakes, marshes, usually at low elevations.
The map at right shows where Pintail recovered in Malheur
County were banded.
Pintail banded in Malheur County have been recovered
throughout the west and the prairie provinces of Canada.
Blue-winged Teal • (Anas discors)
Canvasback • (Aythya valisineria)
Breeds locally in small numbers. Common spring and fall
migrant, lingering until early October. Found on shallow lakes,
marshes, flooded fields. A hybrid Blue-winged X Cinnamon Teal
was photographed along the Owyhee River west of Adrian on April
30, 1987 by Merrill Jensen (AB 41(3): 464.
Uncommon breeder at Batch Lake and Bogus Lakes in most
years. Uncommon spring and especially fall migrant, occasional
summer and winter resident. Found on larger bodies of water, large
ponds.
A bird banded in Montana on August 19, 1956 was recovered
near Nyssa on December 15 of the same year.
Cinnamon Teal • (Anas cyanoptera)
Widespread common breeder in almost all still water habitats.
Common to locally abundant spring and fall migrant. Found on
lakes, marshes, flooded fields.
Northern Shoveler •
(Anas americana)
Common breeder at Batch Lake and Bogus Lakes. Breeds
locally elsewhere in the county when water levels permit, including
Cow Lakes, Beulah Res. and Bully Creek Res. Common spring and
fall migrant, uncommon winter resident. Usually found on lakes,
ponds, flooded fields, and similar sites.
The map at right shows the origin of banded Wigeon recovered
in Malheur County.
Redhead • (Aythya americana)
Common breeder at Batch Lake and Bogus Lakes. Breeds some
years at Cow Lakes, Big Grassy Res. southwest of Antelope Res.,
Love Res. near Farewell Bend and Crooked Creek Res. south of
Burns Junction. Bred in 1975 at a flooded gravel pit near the Ontario
Fairgrounds (W. E. Hoffman, p.c.). Uncommon but visible spring
and fall migrant, occasional winter resident. Found on rivers, lakes,
larger ponds, sloughs.
The origin of banded birds recovered in the county shows an
interesting pattern. Two Oregon birds were both banded at Malheur
NWR, Harney County in early fall and recovered in eastern Malheur
County later the same fall; two California birds, banded in the
(Anas clypeata)
Breeds locally. Common spring and fall migrant, rare winter
resident. Found on lakes, ponds, sloughs. One bird recovered on
January 30, 1960 near Ontario had been banded July 20, 1957 in
Saskatchewan.
Gadwall • (Anas strepera)
12
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
northeastern part of the state in early autumn, were also recovered in
the county in early winter of the same year. The Alberta and British
Columbia birds followed the same pattern. This pattern indicates that
eastern Malheur County valleys may provide an early winter
destination for birds from colder areas, irrespective of direction of
origin.
Ring-necked Duck •
Wanderer, not yet reported from the county but likely to occur
eventually. Has occurred elsewhere in eastern Oregon and
southwestern Idaho, mainly in fall and early winter.
Common Goldeneye
(Bucephala clangula)
Common to locally abundant spring and fall migrant and winter
visitor. Locally abundant on Snake River in winter, also uses
reservoirs and sometimes smaller rivers. Numbers of fifty or more
have been reported at Farewell Bend, December 11, 1987 (Jamie
Simmons, pc) and March 6, 1993 (Paul Sullivan, pc). Thirty were
counted along the Snake River on April 18, 1991 (Keister et al.,
1991). A stunning concentration of about 5000 birds (groups of up
to 750 birds together) was present in a three mile stretch of the Snake
River between Farewell Bend and Annex on January 8, 1995 (John
Gatchet, p.c.)
A bird banded in Alberta on October 16, 1947 was recovered
near Rome on December 9, 1954. Another Alberta bird banded
August 14, 1964 was recovered December 26, 1966 near Warm
Springs Reservoir, probably in Malheur County.
(Aythya collaris)
Occasional breeder at lakes with emergent vegetation.
Uncommon spring and fall migrant, occasional winter resident.
Birds have been seen in summer at Batch Lake, Beulah Res.
(fledglings seen in 1995, John Gatchet, p.c.), Love Res., Bully Creek
Res., seasonal lakes in the south-central part of the county, and at
other sites. Breeding is believed to have occurred at most of these
sites. Habitat preference similar to that of Redhead.
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
Vagrant fromAsia or western Alaska. There is one record for
the county, a female found by John Gatchet at Antelope Res. on
October 28, 1995. As of the date this book went to press, the record
had not been reviewed by the OBRC. This record is the only one for
Oregon east of the Cascades; there are about twenty records west of
the mountains.
Barrow’s Goldeneye • (Bucephala islandica)
Breeds locally in the Bogus Lakes area when water levels
permit; probably breeds at Batch Lake. The species has bred in this
area since at least the mid-1980s, apparently using ground nests as it
does at some sites in more northern latitudes (see Bellrose, 1976;
Madge and Burn, 1988).
Uncommon spring and fall migrant and winter resident. The
largest concentration reported in the region is 200 at Brownlee Dam,
Baker County, in January 1980. Wintering locations include the
Snake River and Owyhee River; reservoirs can be used when water is
open.
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)
Occasional spring and rare late fall migrant. Could winter on the
Snake River or major reservoirs, but not yet reported. Three pair
were seen in April, 1988 on the Ontario sewage ponds (Jamie
Simmons, pc). Birds were also reported from the Bogus Lakes on
April 2, 1986, and from Batch Lake on May 28, 1961 (one of the
latest records for the state) and October 26, 1983. Six were with 1600
Lesser Scaup on Antelope Res. March 25, 1995 and one was there on
October 28, 1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.). May be seen in company of
Lesser Scaup.
Bufflehead
°
(Bucephala albeola)
Common spring and fall migrant, uncommon winter visitor.
Found on large bodies of water. A male seen next to flooded
cottonwoods at upper Bully Creek Res. June 16, 1995 may indicate
breeding, which would be the first breeding in the eastern half of
Oregon.
Lesser Scaup • (Aythya affinis)
Breeds regularly at Batch Lake and Bogus Lakes. Bred in 1995
at Beulah Res. Probably breeds at Love Res. and Bully Creek
Reservoirs. Common spring and fall migrant on major bodies of
water, occasional winter resident. Habitat preference similar to that
of Redhead.
Hooded Merganser
(Lophodytes cucullatus)
Occasional to uncommon spring and fall migrant, occasional
winter resident. Prefers large ponds, marshes or wooded bodies of
water at low elevations. A concentration of 45 birds at Farewell
[Oldsquaw (Clangula hyemalis)]
13
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Bend on December 28, 1994 (John Gatchet, p.c.) is the largest
number reported for the county and is among the largest flocks ever
reported in the state.
in fall 1984, at Unity Reservoir, Baker County (AB 39(1): 79). It is
likely to be seen in Malheur County eventually.
ORDER: GALLIFORMES
Family: Phasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, Quail)
Common Merganser • (Mergus merganser)
Breeds locally along rivers and large creeks. Common spring
and fall migrant, common during winter along the Snake River
(especially) and on major bodies of water. Can be seen on almost
any still or moving water large enough to hold it, except for small
ponds.
Ring-necked Pheasant • (Phasianus colchicus)
Locally common introduced resident at low to moderate
elevations; new stock was formerly added by ODFW, but this
practice has been discontinued. Severe winters deplete or eradicate
populations at higher elevations; this species has not occurred at the
Batch Lake or Bogus Lake area, which is over 4000 feet in elevation,
since the hard winter of 1983-84. Numbers have ranged from 5 to 50
on the Adrian BBS route.
Found in farmland and brushy areas, but farming practices have
changed in ways detrimental to this species, which requires
significant cover and access to food grains. First introduced to
Malheur County in the late 1880s.
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
Rare in migration. A pair were on the Ontario sewage ponds on
May 3, 1988 (Jamie Simmons, OB 14(4)). Kindschy has seen the
species in spring migration near Vale.
Ruddy Duck • (Oxyura jamaicensis)
Breeds in small numbers at Batch Lake and Bogus Lakes. May
breed occasionally at other lakes. Uncommon spring and fall
migrant. Found on larger bodies of water during migration and
marshy ponds and lakes in the breeding season.
Gray Partridge • (Perdix perdix)
Uncommon to occasional, and declining. Local introduced
resident in grassy areas and farmland at low elevations. Most often
reported from the Treasure Valley area northward, very rare in the
western and southern parts of the county, except occasional in the
upper Malheur River valley. First introduced in the 1920s.
Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus)
Rare wanderer, one record. One bird at Batch Lake on August
17, 1978 (BK) is the only record for southeastern Oregon known to
the compiler. This species has occurred as a rare transient in
southwestern Idaho (interestingly also in fall, 1978 at Marsing), and
could be seen in Malheur County again. Breeds in the northern
Cascade Range, locally in the n. Coast Range of Oregon, possibly in
the Blue and Wallowa Mtns., and in the Rocky Mtns south to
northern Wyoming. Winters in rocky coastal waters. Prefers fast
mountain streams in the breeding season, but can potentially appear
anywhere in migration.
Chukar • (Alectoris chukar)
Common introduced resident of rocky dry country, especially on
open hillsides and canyons. Most common in the Succor Creek,
Owyhee and Malheur River canyons and other areas with talus slopes
near water. Populations peaked in the 1960s and crashed in the
1970s, with that cycle continuing. Numbers on the Adrian BBS route
have ranged from 4 in 1984 to 112 in 1988. The reasons for these
changes are unclear, but spring weather conditions or Golden Eagle
predation when black-tailed jackrabbits are scarce may be a factor.
Introduced in the 1950s.
[Surf Scoter (Melanitta nigra)]
This rare overland migrant has not yet been reported from
Malheur County, but in fall 1984, birds were seen at both Phillips
Res., Baker County and Fairchild Res. near Weiser, Idaho (AB 39(1):
79). There are additional records for southwestern Idaho.
Blue Grouse • (Dendragapus obscurus)
Common but hard to see in forested areas in the northwest
corner of the county, south to Castle Rock. Found in coniferous
forest at moderate to high elevations; some move to lower elevations
during winter.
[White-winged Scoter (Melanitta fusca)]
This species has not occurred in the county, but has been seen at
several locations in southwestern Idaho (Taylor and Trost, 1987) and,
14
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Ruffed Grouse • (Bonasa umbellus)
originated from introductions in the lower Boise River valley in the
early 1980s.
Uncommon to common resident of coniferous forest and mixed
woodland at low to moderate elevations. Status unclear. Some move
to lower elevations during winter months.
California Quail • (Lophortyx californicus)
Very common introduced resident at low to moderate elevations
in brushy open country. Some movement to lower elevations during
winter months. Away from the Treasure Valley area, most birds are
found in riparian zones. Hard winters reduce most populations,
especially at higher elevations. First introduced about 1914.
NOTE: Gambel’s Quail (Lophortyx gambelii) has been
introduced in Idaho, and although most records are from further
north and east, there is a record from Parma, Idaho in spring, 1984
(AB 38(5): 937.
Sharp-tailed Grouse (extirpated)
(Tympanuchus phasianellus)
Former resident of the northern edge of the county, no longer
present. Recorded near Ironside in 1911 (Anthony, 1913). Although
Gabrielson and Jewett did not mention the species from southern
Malheur County, populations near Nampa, Idaho persisted into the
mid-1970s. Native populations in Oregon were mostly extirpated by
the 1950s, but have been reintroduced in Wallowa and Umatilla Cos.
in the 1990s. The last wild population in Oregon is said to have been
near Little Lookout Mountain, Baker Co. in 1969, with extirpation
generally credited to loss of native bunchgrass (Evanich, 1983).
Linsdale (1936, 1951) notes that the species was once common
in northeastern Nevada in Elko County and on the upper reaches of
the Humboldt River. The last report for Nevada of which he was
aware was in 1939, but Alcorn (1988) notes that there were sight
records on September 14, 1952 in the Capitol range 26 miles
northeast of Golconda, and in 1960 near Lamoille. Since that time it
has been considered extirpated from Nevada.
It may have occurred in southern Malheur County at one time,
but despite the historical presence of grasslands in some areas, early
biologists working in the area never reported the species, thus its
historic status south of the upper Willow Creek valley is speculative.
Mountain Quail • (Oreortyx pictus)
Rare and local resident in riparian areas and nearby hills in the
central and extreme southern part of the county. Occurred
historically in the northwestern part of the county, but there are no
recent records from this area.
The only recent records of which the authors are aware are of a
small population in the Disaster Peak area of the Trout Creek
Mountains (BK) and four adults and 16 young seen on Mahogany
Mountain on July 13, 1981 (Richard Palmer, in AB 35(6):961).
There were unconfirmed reports from the Succor Creek Campground
area in 1993 and 1994 (Bonnie Jakubos, p.c.). David B. Marshall
found one bird at a spring in Leslie Gulch on June 14, 1948.
According to A. W. Anthony (1912), this species was
“rather common and nesting 15 miles above Vale along
Bully Creek..., also they were reported rather common at Skull
Springs some 50 miles southwest of Vale. A flock of young was
seen at Willow Creek a few miles above Ironside at the base of
the Burnt River Mtns. Reports of the presence of the species
have been received from several of the tributaries of the Malheur
River....”
Sage Grouse • (Centrocercus urophasianus)
Locally common resident throughout the county. Preferred
habitat is a mixture of low sagebrush and Wyoming big sagebrush,
usually at elevations of 4000 feet or higher. Shallow-soiled ridges
provide forbs for chicks and hens in spring, while riparian areas and
irrigated meadows, especially alfalfa, are preferred in late summer
and fall. Taller sagebrush, both Wyoming and Basin, afford winter
habitat.
In 1992 biologists estimated that 6,805 birds were in the county.
In that year 112 leks were known. For further information see Sage
Grouse in Oregon, Wildlife Research Report No. 18, ODFW 1993.
Anthony notes that the species had not been regular in these
areas ten years earlier, and that it might be a recent invader, or appear
on a cycle based partly on the severity of winters. In the severe winter
of 1909-1910, a flock occurred at Vale, where the species was not
normally present (A. W. Anthony, 1911). The species appears on the
list of birds found along Willow Creek near Ironside (H. E. Anthony,
1913). One collected in the county December 17, 1919 is in the
UCLA museum.
Wild Turkey • (Meleagris gallopavo)
Uncommon introduced resident. Populations are probably not
self-sustaining. Some birds in the lower Owyhee valley may have
15
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
The species is rare in the county today, perhaps owing to
elimination of varied riparian growth due to agricultural practices and
grazing (Ken Durbin, p.c.) and/or possible competition from
introduced Chukar and California Quail, or to natural range
contraction.
Leonard Brennan comments that in addition to upland riparian
habitat loss as noted above, the species may also have been affected
by the elimination of low-elevation riparian wintering grounds along
the Snake River. Hells Canyon and Brownlee Dams have flooded
those areas and produced lower winter temperatures and an
impassable water barrier (Brennan, 1994, 1990.)
This species breeds locally in southwestern Idaho (Stephens and
Sturts, 1991) and is a rare resident on the western slopes of Steens
Mountain, Harney County (Littlefield, 1990). Its modern status in
the region is poorly known.
Northern Bobwhite
Uncommon migrant, mainly in spring. May winter rarely on
larger reservoirs and the Snake River, but no records to date.
Occasional in early summer but does not breed. Usually seen singly
but as many as three have been seen on one reservoir at the same
time.
[Yellow-billed Loon
(Gavia adamsii)]
Has not been reported in the county, and future occurrence is
extremely unlikely. However, one was seen on the Snake River 1.5
miles north of Marsing, Idaho on September 23, 1979 (AB
34(2):182). Arctic species, most winter on northern coasts.
ORDER: PODICIPEDIFORMES
Family: Podicipedidae (Grebes)
° (Colinus virginianus)
Pied-billed Grebe •
Breeds locally in the northeastern part of the county. It was
originally introduced via release in Boise Valley, Idaho about 1875,
and Gabrielson and Jewett considered the species “abundant” in
agricultural valleys in the first third of the twentieth century. It may
have been reintroduced later.
The current status of the species in the county is not clear, but
some birds are still reported, mainly from the Treasure Valley area
and nearby agricultural valleys. Birds were occasionally found
around Nyssa and Adrian as recently as 1970, and near Ontario in
1990. Rare today in southwestern Idaho.
(Podilymbus podiceps)
Breeds where emergent vegetation is available along marshes,
ponds, small lakes; migrates and winters on large bodies of water.
Uncommon spring and fall migrant, occasional winter resident.
Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)
Occasional spring and fall migrant, usually absent in summer
and winter. Usually found on open bodies of water during migration.
Not known to breed, but has bred occasionally in Harney County.
The highest count reported from the county is 100 birds at Antelope
Res. on October 25, 1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.).
ORDER: GAVIIFORMES
[Red-necked Grebe
(Podiceps grisegena)]
Has not yet been reported in Malheur County, but is likely to
occur in the future. Probably a very rare spring and fall migrant on
large open bodies of water. Has occurred in southwestern Idaho.
Family: Gaviidae (Loons)
Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica)
The only record of this species in the county came when a bird
was found on January 6, 1996 at Bully Creek Res. (John Gatchet,
p.c.). It should be expected as a rare migrant.
Eared Grebe • (Podiceps nigricollis)
Breeds locally where there is sufficient emergent vegetation
along lakes, wet fields. Most common in the Cow Lakes-Jordan
Valley area. Uncommon spring and fall migrant, potentially a rare
winter resident, but no records to date. Habitat preference similar to
that of Horned Grebe.
[Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata)]
Has not been reported yet, but should be looked for on any large
body of water in migration. Has occurred in southwestern Idaho.
Western Grebe • (Aechmophorus occidentalis)
Common Loon (Gavia immer)
16
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Common spring and fall migrant and summer visitor; breeds in
small numbers along major bodies of water where emergent
vegetation is available, such as the upper end of Beulah and Bully
Creek Reservoirs and at the Cow Lakes. Fairly common in migration
on the Snake River and major lakes, winter status uncertain, but
probably rare.
on August 27, 1994. The Cow Lakes region tends to attract young
adults, and may represent an “outlet” for such non-breeders for the
northern Great Basin and Snake River populations.
It is less common in spring; 18 were counted along the Snake
River on April 18, 1991 (Keister et al., 1991).
Clark’s Grebe • (Aechmophorus clarkii)
Family: Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants)
Uncommon. Breeds locally at lakes with emergent vegetation.
The only confirmed breeding to date is of young birds present at
Bully Creek Res. on Aug. 12, 1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.) Seen from
spring through fall, and one winter report from Bully Creek Res. (Jon
Sadowski, p.c.). Most often seen on large reservoirs (especially
Bully Creek) and the Snake River. To be looked for alone, with
others or in flocks of Western Grebes. The largest number reported to
date was 8 on Bully Creek Res. on July 7, 1994. Only recently split
from Western Grebe as a full species; status is currently unclear.
Double-crested Cormorant • (Phalacrocorax auritus)
Breeds along the Snake River and locally elsewhere in the
county where large snags are available. Feeds widely along major
rivers and reservoirs. Nests were found south of Nyssa on Gold
Island in the Snake River, Payette County, Idaho on a survey April
18, 1991 (Keister et al., 1991). Eighteen cormorants were counted
on that survey. A small population breeds near Rome. Twenty-two
were at Bully Creek Res. on Aug. 12, 1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.).
Migrant along the Snake River and occasionally at larger
reservoirs. One bird banded as a young bird in Alberta on July 23,
1981 was recovered on October 25, 1981 near Ontario. Some winter
along the Snake and lower Owyhee Rivers.
ORDER: PELECANIFORMES
Family: Pelecanidae (Pelicans)
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
Common migrant and nonbreeding summer visitor along the
Snake River and at major lakes and reservoirs throughout the county;
most records are from summer and early fall. Birds can be present
even in small areas of water and at low pool of reservoirs, such as the
16 in shallows at Beulah Dam on September 3, 1994.
These birds apparently come from multiple sources. One young
bird banded in the Warner Valley, Lake County on July 10, 1973 was
recovered in November, 1974 south of Adrian. Another banded June
29, 1942 in Montana was recovered near Nyssa on April 13, 1951. A
third banded June 26, 1934 in California was recovered May 5, 1938,
also near Nyssa.
This species has apparently expanded into Malheur County
since the early 20th century, as it is not mentioned in Gabrielson and
Jewett (1940). The earliest record for the county of which we are
aware other than the banding recovery noted above is of two seen
flying over Owyhee Reservoir on June 17, 1947 (David Marshall,
p.c.). Marshall noted 10 over Succor Creek Canyon on June 13,
1948.
High numbers include 200 at Bully Creek Res. on August 27,
1994, 163 at the same site on June 13, 1991, up to 200 at the Cow
Lakes-Batch Lake area in summer and fall, and 100 at Farewell Bend
ORDER: CICONIIFORMES
Family: Ardeidae (Herons, Bitterns, Egrets)
American Bittern •
(Botaurus lentiginosus)
Rare spring and fall migrant. Breeds occasionally where
marshes of sufficient size exist. Regular in summer during most
years from 1972 through 1983 at Batch Lake, but absent before and
since then for reasons that are not clear. May have bred east of
Brogan in 1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.) No known winter records.
Great Blue Heron •
(Ardea herodias)
Common resident in wetland areas at low to moderate
elevations; some withdrawal in winter. A survey in 1991 (Keister et
al., 1991) found about 8 nests (some of which may have been of
Double-crested Cormorant) on Gold Island, Payette County, Idaho
and about 30 nests (some of which may have been of Black-crowned
Night-heron) on Crow Island, Oregon between Nyssa and Ontario in
the Snake River. Twenty-five birds were seen on that survey. Some
birds have bred on cliffs in Cow Creek Canyon near the Cow Lakes
17
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
since at least 1958 (Bob Kindschy, George Keister, p.c.). Seven
active nests were found in cottonwoods two miles downstream from
Rome in 1995 (Al Bammann, p.c.), and Bill Olson found a colony on
the Malheur River near Harper in 1992.
Family: Threskiornithidae (Ibises)
Great Egret • (Casmerodius albus)
White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi)
Migrant through the county where habitat is available. Reported
most often in the Cow Lakes to Antelope Res. area. A flock of about
900 birds at Antelope Res. on Aug. 24, 1995 is by far the largest
concentration reported in the county (John Gatchet, p.c.). It has also
been reported at Whitehorse Ranch near McDermitt (Jon Sadowski,
p.c.). Birds have been reported in migration along the Snake and
lower Malheur Rivers (Jon Sadowski, John Gatchet, p.c.). Prefers
wet grassy areas, marsh edges, sometimes flooded fields.
Uncommon but highly visible late spring, summer and fall
visitor, mainly along major rivers and reservoirs. One pair bred on
Crow Island, Oregon north of Nyssa in 1991. It may breed there
irregularly, but some birds may be visitors from breeding sites in
Idaho or in Harney County. Can be present in numbers in late
summer and fall, such as the 17 birds near Nyssa on Sep. 10, 1995
(John Gatchet, p.c.).
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
Occasional in late spring through early fall, mainly in the
Treasure Valley area along major waterways. Not thought to breed in
the county, birds are probably visitors from breeding populations in
Idaho or at Malheur NWR. One was near Burns Junction on May 18,
1995 (Al Bammann, p.c.).
ORDER: FALCONIFORMES
Family: Cathartidae (New World Vultures)
Turkey Vulture • (Cathartes aura)
Uncommon spring and fall migrant, locally common summer
resident. Nests very locally, often in rocky open cliff areas. Usually
seen over open country. Arrives in late March or early April and
generally departs in October.
This species often uses regular staging areas. Two such areas
known for the county are at Juntura in spring and summer and near
Rockville in late summer and fall.
Cattle Egret (Bulbulcus ibis)
The only record is of three near the Cow Lakes on July 4, 1993
(OB 20(1)). The species has bred recently at Malheur NWR and in
southern Idaho, and may occur again in Malheur County.
Green Heron (Butorides striatus)
One record along the Malheur River south of Riverside on
October 5, 1979 (AB 34(2): 182, OB 6(1):47). This species is very
rare in eastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho but could occur in
Malheur County again at any season. One was at Marsing, Idaho on
January 21, 1978.
Family: Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, etc.)
Osprey •
(Pandion haliaetus)
Nests very locally at sites with tall trees or snags near water. All
confirmed nests to date have been along or near the Snake River.
Uncommon spring and fall migrant, no winter records.
Although Henny et al. (1978) stated that “to our knowledge no
nesting Ospreys have ever been reported” from the Harney-Malheur
County region, the species does nest locally in both counties today,
with at least three active nests in Harney County (George Keister,
p.c.), and several in Malheur County, mainly along the Snake River.
Haas (1986) reported breeding along the Snake River in 1986.
George Keister noted four nests along the Snake in 1990, three in
Idaho and one in Malheur County. A Snake River survey conducted
on April 18, 1991 by Oregon and Idaho fish and wildlife agency staff
Black-crowned Night Heron • (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Breeds locally in dense riparian growth. Known colonies are
near Vale since the mid-1980s, near Westfall, and in the Batch Lake
complex, where several dozen pair breed in dense marshes. It also
breeds along the Snake River on Crow Island, Oregon north of Nyssa
(Keister et al., 1991). The April 18, 1991 survey of the Snake River
islands found 35 birds. Most common in the northeastern part of the
county and in the Cow Lakes-Jordan Valley area, but there are
records from throughout the county. Can be seen at any season,
although most depart in winter.
18
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Northern Harrier •
found active nests on the Oregon mainland adjacent to Gold Island
south of Nyssa, and across from McPherson Island in the Snake
River south of Ontario (Keister et al., 1991). The survey also found
two unoccupied nests in the same area (both in Idaho), and counted
nine Ospreys along the river in the Nyssa-to-Weiser area.
Pairs were found near Nyssa in 1993 and near Vale in 1994, and
a bird near Juntura July 3, 1994 was at a location and season
indicative of possible nesting (all Paul Sullivan, pc). Birds have been
reported near Harper and at Bully Creek Res. in summer, and nesting
is suspected in both areas.
A bird banded at Killarney Lake in northern Idaho was
recovered near Adrian on October 16, 1988.
(Circus cyaneus)
Breeds locally. Seen at all seasons in marsh and grassland areas
at low to moderate elevations; less numerous but more conspicuous
during winter.
Sharp-shinned Hawk • (Accipiter striatus)
Uncommon resident, found in forests at moderate to high
elevations during summer; many move to lower elevations during
winter in open or wooded country and residential areas. Limited as a
breeder to the northwestern part of the county and possibly in dense
riparian growth elsewhere. Birds have been seen in summer along
the lower Owyhee Canyon near the BLM Watchable Wildlife Area,
and a pair spent the summer and probably bred in 1991 at the Birch
Creek Ranch a few miles upstream from the southern end of Owyhee
Reservoir (BK).
White-tailed Kite (Elanus caeruleus)
Rare wanderer from the south or west; there appear to be at least
four valid records for the county. Kindschy found one along Jackson
Creek north of McDermitt in September, 1987 (AB 42(1):105); he
noted another the following fall about 25 miles to the northeast.
Birds were reported by John Haas “from Harper to Parma” in
April and possibly later in spring, 1982 (AB 36(5): 875), but
“Harper” in that report may have referred to the Harper Study Area
south of Vale; see also Haas (1986).
There is also a published record of a bird seen April 21, 1978
along the Owyhee River northwest of Rome by Bradford D. Price
(AB 33(2): 197).
An additional record for “northern Malheur County” during a
raptor survey is also undocumented and may be referable to the
Northern Harrier, which that survey did not mention (Haro, 1983).
This species has been expanding throughout its western range,
has occurred in southwestern Idaho and is likely to occur in the
county again. Most movement takes place from late summer to late
fall, and involves post-breeding dispersal of both adults and young
birds.
Cooper’s Hawk
° (Accipiter cooperii)
Uncommon resident; very local as a nesting species, probably
limited to the northwestern part of the county. Breeding status is
conjectural and needs confirmation. Habitat preference similar to
that of Sharp-shinned Hawk, but generally less common near
residential areas and more common in open country with some trees.
Some migrants through the county may come from more
northern populations en route to wintering grounds in Mexico
(Henny, 1990).
Northern Goshawk • (Accipiter gentilis)
Occasional, mainly in migration and winter. Breeds locally in
small numbers in high elevation forests and riparian areas in the
northwestern part of the county. Breeding status not well known.
[Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)]
Has not yet been reported from Malheur County, but its range is
expanding in western Oregon and it has been reported as far east as
Malheur NWR and in s. Idaho. May occur in Malheur County in the
future.
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Regular winter visitor in small numbers, but highly visible.
Rare in summer but occasionally “play nests” before leaving to breed
elsewhere. Regular along Snake, Malheur, and Owyhee Rivers and
major lakes in the county in winter. Often seen at Farewell Bend in
winter. Prefers open country or semi-open woodland at low to
moderate elevations, usually near water.
Banded birds from Montana and Wyoming have been recovered
in the county.
Red-tailed Hawk • (Buteo jamaicensis)
Common, highly visible and widespread breeder and resident in
open land and open forest. Numbers may increase somewhat during
summer. See Lardy (1980), Haro (1983) and Haas (1986) for further
information. The dark phase known as “Harlan’s Hawk” has also
19
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
been reported in the county. Two were near Ontario on March 6,
1993 (Paul Sullivan, pc).
A young bird banded on April 10, 1979 in southern California
was recovered on December 1, 1980 west of Vale. Another banded
July 13, 1990 in central California was recovered July 25, 1991 near
Juntura.
Swainson’s Hawk •
Common resident in grasslands, sagebrush flats, and rimrock,
but because pairs prefer to nest at least four miles apart, large
numbers are usually not seen together. Most common where
suitable rimrock areas for nesting are present, especially in the
Owyhee River canyon. See Lardy (1980), Haro (1983) and Haas
(1986) for further information.
Isaacs and Opp (1991) reported sixty-two nests in the county
between 1965 and 1982, behind only Harney (162) and Lake (64)
counties. George Keister (p.c.) considers the species as common in
Malheur as in Harney County today.
Eats mainly black-tailed jackrabbits but will also take ground
squirrels and other rodents. During deep snow conditions, will attack
Chukars and even Sage Grouse. Productivity appears linked to
fluctuations in jackrabbit population.
Birds do move about the region somewhat, as there have been
three band recoveries from Idaho birds and one from a bird banded
near Madras, Jefferson County.
(Buteo swainsoni)
Locally common breeder and spring and fall migrant; no winter
records. Found in valleys, open meadows and irrigated farmland
where some trees are available. Breeds later in spring than most
other hawks, and eats more insects than most buteos, but abundance
tends to be cyclic, depending on the availability of prey, especially
Townsend’s ground squirrels. Eleven were tallied on the April 18,
1991 Snake River survey from Nyssa to Weiser (Keister et al.,
1991). See Lardy (1980), Haro (1983) and Haas (1986) for further
information on the species in Malheur County. For information on
the status of the species elsewhere in eastern Oregon, see Janes
(1987). An excellent overview of the species’ habitat needs appears
in Sharp (1986).
Ferruginous Hawk •
Family: Falconidae (Falcons)
(Buteo regalis)
[Crested Caracara (Polyborus plancus)]
Breeds locally throughout the county where shrub steppe
vegetation is available. Less likely than Red-tailed or Swainson’s
Hawks in agricultural border areas, but sometimes forages in alfalfa.
Very rare winter resident; absent in some years. Found in open
grassland and sagebrush flats with sufficient soil depth to support
ground squirrels. Nests mainly on junipers or in large ground nests
of dead sagebrush, especially on south and west exposures of low
hills when trees are absent. See Lardy (1980), Haro (1983) and Haas
(1986) for further information. Abundance tends to be cyclic,
depending on the availability of prey, especially Townsend’s ground
squirrels. Eats mainly Townsend ground squirrels (unlike
populations elsewhere in the west, see Lardy), although rabbits and
other mammals are occasionally taken.
Rough-legged Hawk
The single report, of a bird at Owyhee Lake about May 3, 1978
(AB 33(3): 300), is, if correctly identified, probably referable to an
escaped bird, as the species does not normally occur north of
southern Arizona. Neither Linsdale (1936, 1951) nor Alcorn (1988)
list the species as ever having occurred in Nevada; nor has it been
reported from Idaho.
American Kestrel •
(Falco sparverius)
Common to abundant spring and fall migrant and summer
resident, uncommon winter resident. Prefers open grassland,
sagebrush flats, farmland, and open forest at low to moderate
elevations. Like most raptors, this species is subject to fluctuations
in abundance and breeding success depending largely on prey
abundance.
The Adrian BBS route recorded a steady decline from 1984 (13
birds) to 1989 and 1990 (one bird each year), which then began to
increase, with six birds in 1993. Given that the species is one of the
most obvious and easy to identify birds likely to be encountered,
these changes probably reflect genuine changes in abundance rather
than observer bias. See Lardy (1980), Haro (1983) and Haas (1986)
for further information.
(Buteo lagopus)
Common late fall migrant and winter visitor. Found in
grasslands, farmland, open woodland, and sagebrush flats at low to
moderate elevations. Feeds mainly on rodents, but known to attack
California Quail during deep snow conditions.
Golden Eagle • (Aquila chrysaetos)
20
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Merlin
(Falco columbarius)
Sora •
Occasional spring and fall migrant and winter visitor. Found in
open or semi-open country, often in residential areas, at low to
moderate elevations.
(Porzana carolina)
Breeds in marshes and wet meadows, occasionally seen in
migration and more often heard. No winter records. Habitat
preference similar to that of Virginia Rail, but not as limited to
marshy areas, occurring sometimes in wet meadows, especially in
migration.
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
Rare winter visitor and spring and fall migrant. May breed in
Hell’s Canyon or at high elevations in the Blue and Wallowa Mtns.
Breeding has been reported but not confirmed in southern Malheur
County, and birds are occasionally seen in summer. Haro (1983)
reported three in summer in the northern part of the county, but these
cannot be confirmed. Found in grasslands, open woodland,
farmland, etc. during winter and migration, usually near water, where
its preferred diet of waterfowl can be found.
[Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis)]
Although the species has not been reported from Malheur
County, Idaho’s only record was from Ft. Boise Wildlife Area near
Parma on May 6, 1978 (Jim Heckathorn, AB 32(5): 1034). This
sight record is considered insufficient for inclusion on the state list by
the Idaho Rare Birds Committee, but Taylor and Trost (1987)
consider it an acceptable sight record.
The species breeds in south-central Oregon, possibly in central
Washington, and from eastern Montana eastward. A bird was
reported from Malheur NWR in May, 1995. For these reasons it may
occur as a rare migrant through the county and should be looked for
in very wet grassy areas in migration. The best habitat in the county
is probably the wet meadows and “sedge fields” near Jordan Valley.
See Stern et al. (1993) and Contreras (1993) for further information
about the status of this species in Oregon.
[Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)]
No records to date, but has occurred in central and northeastern
Oregon and in southwestern Idaho. Wanderer from the north in
winter.
Prairie Falcon • (Falco mexicanus)
Uncommon but widespread and noticeable resident in grassland
and open woodland, especially about rimrock areas, at low to
moderate elevations. Present in low densities; does not concentrate.
May move into valleys during winter. See Lardy (1980), Haro
(1983) and Haas (1986) for further information.
A bird banded in southwestern Idaho was recovered near Vale in
1993.
American Coot • (Fulica americana)
Breeds locally in large ponds and marshes, especially at Batch
Lake and Bogus Lakes. Common to abundant spring and fall
migrant; occasional winter resident. Habitat includes almost any
body of water. Less common on moving water, preferring still coves
and backwaters.
Family: Gruidae (Cranes)
ORDER: GRUIFORMES
Sandhill Crane • (Grus canadensis)
Breeds locally in the southern part of the county. Pairs have
been reported from marshes in the Jordan Craters area near Batch
Lake, the Danner Meadows area south of Lower Cow Lake, along
Cow Creek west of Sheaville, and from sites near Rome. Up to three
pair have bred along McDermitt Cr. on the Zimmerman ranch (Jon
Sadowski. p.c.). Two were below Beulah Res. in June, 1995 (John
Gatchet, p.c.). Not all of these sites are in use every year. Occasional
to uncommon spring and fall migrant that can potentially be seen
anywhere in the county.
Family: Rallidae (Rails & Coots)
Virginia Rail • (Rallus limicola)
Breeds locally in marshes. Uncommon spring and fall migrant,
not reported in winter except for two birds on the 1995 Lower
Owyhee CBC but may remain in mild years where water does not
freeze, e.g. in backwaters along rivers. Found mostly in cattail and
bulrush marshes.
21
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Family: Recurvirostridae (Avocets & Stilts)
ORDER: CHARADRIIFORMES
Black-necked Stilt •
NOTE: For an excellent overview of the status and migration
timing of shorebirds in Idaho, see Taylor et al., 1992.
Breeds at Batch Lake and locally elsewhere. Uncommon spring
and early fall migrant in wet fields, ponds, playa lakes and mudflats
at low elevations. Has nested when water conditions permit at
lakebeds and ponds, mainly in the south-central part of the county.
Also breeds locally along the Snake River.
Family: Charadriidae (Plovers)
American Avocet • (Recurvirostra americana)
[American Golden-plover (Pluvialis dominica)]
Breeds along ponds, playa lakes and muddy edges of marshes.
Uncommon but widespread spring and fall migrant and summer
resident; nests locally, with the greatest numbers most years in the
south-central and southwestern part of the county. Abundance and
local breeding status varies depending on water conditions. May
breed anywhere in the county under appropriate conditions. Arrives
in the first week of April. Most leave in September but five were at
Antelope Res. October 28, 1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.).
Has not yet been reported from the county, but has been seen in
fall in Harney County, and occasionally along the Columbia River.
May occur in the future along mud margins of lakes, or in flooded
fields. This species has recently been found to be a regular migrant
in very small numbers in southwestern Idaho (John Gatchet, p.c.).
Black-bellied Plover
(Himantopus mexicanus)
(Pluvialis squatarola)
Occasional or rare fall migrant to muddy lake margins, sewage
ponds, wet fields whether plowed or grassy, and seasonal playa lakes.
Its status is not clear. Not yet reported in spring, but may occur.
Family: Scolopacidae (Sandpipers, etc)
Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)
Greater Yellowlegs
Rare wanderer to the southern part of the county, with a single
record June 1, 1977 at Batch Lake. Extensive surveys have not
revealed the species breeding in the county (George Keister, p.c.),
although there may be small amounts of appropriate habitat available.
Prefers the margins of alkaline lakes.
(Tringa melanoleuca)
Uncommon spring and fall migrant. No breeding or mid-winter
records. Found in wet fields, ponds, mudflats, lake shores, etc. at low
to moderate elevations. Has nested at Downy Lk. in Wallowa Co.
(four times) for the only known nesting records south of Canada, but
appropriate breeding habitat is not available in Malheur County.
Has been found into early December along the Malheur River,
and could occur elsewhere in the county in early winter.
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)
Occasional spring and fall migrant to similar habitats as the
Black-bellied Plover. Occurs along the Snake River and locally at
lakes and reservoirs where muddy edges are available.
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
Uncommon spring and fall migrant in similar habitat as the
Greater Yellowlegs. One very late record was December 7, 1984
along the Malheur River near Riverside (Dave Paullin, AB 39(2):
190).
Killdeer • (Charadrius vociferous)
Common to locally abundant spring and fall migrant, common
summer resident, locally uncommon winter resident. Found in open
fields and pastures, often far from water, at low to moderate
elevations. Easy to locate along the mud margins of major rivers and
reservoirs except in mid-winter.
Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)
Occasional spring and late summer and fall migrant in wet
fields, ponds, mudflats, and shallow lake edges. Particularly fond of
small ponds, whether permanent or seasonal, with or without
significant mud edges.
22
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Sanderling (Calidris alba)
Willet •
Rare but regular fall migrant on mudflats, lake shores, and
similar habitat. Usually reported singly, but two were at Bully Creek
Res. on Sep. 10, 1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.).
(Catoptrophorus semipalmatus)
Common breeder and spring and fall migrant in the southern
part of the county in seasonally wet fields and lakebeds, and around
Jordan Valley. Has bred at the Cow Lakes since at least 1930
(Gabrielson and Jewett, 1940). Less common but regular spring and
early fall migrant in the northern part of the county. Away from
regular breeding areas, most often reported from large reservoirs with
mud margins.
Spotted Sandpiper •
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)
Very rare mid-summer through early fall migrant. Most likely
to be found in concentrations of Western Sandpipers, from which it is
difficult to distinguish. One was at Antelope Res. Aug. 5, 1995
(Michael Willison, p.c.). There are additional records for which
details are not currently available.
(Actitis macularia)
Common breeder along rivers and lakes with exposed mud or
gravel. Common spring and fall migrant; no winter records. Along
the Owyhee River above the lake they are present at about 1/4 mile
intervals in the breeding season (Al Bammann, p.c.).
Western Sandpiper
(Calidris mauri)
Not yet reported from Malheur County. Breeds very locally in
central Grant County and northern Union County. The species could
occur here as a migrant, although appropriate breeding habitat is not
apparent.
Common spring and fall migrant, uncommon transient during
summer. Found along lake margins, in playa lakes, occasionally at
small ponds. Generally avoids grassy areas and wet fields. Has used
Cow Lakes since at least 1915 (Gabrielson and Jewett, 1940). Not
reported in winter, but two that probably wintered were with Least
Sandpipers at Dry Lakes Wildlife Management Area in Canyon Co.,
ID on Feb. 10, 1995 (AFN 49:2 170). This species should not be
expected in winter except under unusual circumstances.
Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)
Occasional migrant in spring and fall. Could occur at any
location with mudflats or flooded pastures in migration. Thirty-one
were reported near Nyssa on June 26, 1980 (OB 6(4)). Another
report was from Batch Lake on May 28, 1989 (BK). Two were seen
at Antelope Res. on Aug. 5, 1995 (Michael Willison, p.c.) and six on
August 24, 1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.).
Uncommon to common spring and fall migrant, uncommon
transient during summer. The latest spring record was June 1, 1977,
and the earliest fall record June 28, 1977, both at Batch Lake. Found
in similar habitat as the Western Sandpiper, but more likely to be in
drier areas, wet fields, grassy edges. Not reported in winter, but eight
that probably wintered were at Dry Lakes Wildlife Management Area
in Canyon Co., ID on Feb. 10, 1995 (AFN 49:2 170). This species
winters rarely in very small numbers locally in the lake basins of
south-central Oregon and could occur in the Treasure Valley area in a
mild winter.
[Upland Sandpiper
(Bartramia longicauda)]
Long-billed Curlew • (Numenius americanus)
Breeds locally throughout the county where suitable habitat is
available. Breeds in early to mid-successional sagebrush rangeland
dominated by annual plants such as cheatgrass, especially adjacent to
the Malheur River and Willow Creek in northern Malheur County.
Avoids steep terrain and rocky surfaces, but will use relatively small
patches of grassland in shallow gulches. Abundance of ground
beetles and other insects may be the reason for selection of these
sites, such as Alkali Springs northeast of Vale, Love Reservoir, and
Sand Hollow south of Little Valley.
Uncommon spring and fall migrant throughout the county.
Departs from breeding grounds by mid-summer.
Baird’s Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii)
Uncommon to common late summer and fall migrant. Habitat
preference similar to that of Least Sandpiper.
Pectoral Sandpiper
(Calidris melanotos)
Uncommon fall migrant in similar habitat as the Least
Sandpiper, often feeding is grass or washed-up material. Seen mainly
along larger bodies of water, although it can occur in flooded fields
and similar situations. Could occur in spring.
23
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Uncommon spring and fall migrant to larger bodies of water.
Often reported from the western end of Bully Creek Reservoir, Cow
Lakes, Batch Lake, and other playa lakes and reservoirs.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata)
Rare vagrant. One record, October 7-12, 1995 at Bully Creek
Res. by John Gatchet and others. This species occurs almost
annually along the Pacific coast of Oregon, but is very rare inland.
The Bully Creek record is the fifth known from Oregon east of the
Cascades. This species is usually found with Pectoral Sandpipers;
the Bully Creek bird accompanied two of that species.
Common Snipe • (Gallinago gallinago)
Common spring and fall migrant and summer resident,
occasional winter resident. Found in wet fields, boggy areas, grassy
lake margins, etc. at low to moderate elevations.
Wilson’s Phalarope • (Phalaropus tricolor)
[Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) ]
The species has not been reported from the county. However,
one was photographed at Parma, Idaho on April 28, 1981 (Redmond,
1982). Coastal species in the U.S., rare inland.
Dunlin
Locally common breeder, most common in the south-central
part of the county. Can appear anywhere in migration. Breeds in the
south-central part of the county where Cow Lakes, seasonal lakes and
wet fields provide a combination of some open water and bulrushes
or dense grasses in which to nest. May breed locally in the northern
part of the county where such habitat exists. Summer reports have
come from Bully Creek Reservoir, Love Reservoir, Beulah Reservoir,
and smaller marshes.
(Calidris alpina)
Rare spring and occasional fall migrant in similar habitat as the
Least or Western Sandpiper; fall migrants are later than most other
shorebirds. The largest number reported for the county is 38 at
Antelope Res. on October 28, 1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.). Two were
at Nyssa on May 6, 1995 and two were at Bully Creek Res. Oct. 25,
1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.). Two at Farewell Bend (Baker County
side) on November 1, 1994 are the latest reported in fall (AC).
Occasional but reported more often in recent years in Idaho.
Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)
Uncommon to locally abundant spring and fall migrant in
flooded fields, ponds, shallow waters, etc. at low elevations. The
largest number reported is 103 on August 30 at the Cow Lakes (John
Gatchet, p.c.). The earliest record is by Peck (1911) who found a
migrant flock in the Willow Creek Valley.
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)
One record on August 24, 1995 at Antelope Reservoir (John
Gatchet, p.c.). Rare in eastern Oregon in fall migration. Has also
occurred in Baker and Harney Counties and in southwestern Idaho.
[Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicaria)]
No reports from Malheur County, but possible in the future.
Rare in eastern Oregon.
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)
A rare or occasional spring and fall migrant to mudflats along
larger bodies of water. The only reports to date are of a single bird at
the Cow Lakes on August 11, 1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.) and a small
flock at Bully Creek Res. on October 9, 1995 (John Gatchet and
Dave Lawrence, p.c.). Status is not clear because of difficulty of
distinguishing this species from Long-billed Dowitcher. Prefers
areas with deep mud or wet dirt to feed in. This species is rare in
southwestern Idaho, but has been reported more often from the
panhandle and in most counties in eastern Oregon.
Family: Laridae (Jaegers, Gulls, Terns)
[Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus)]
No reports for Malheur County but could occur in the future.
Rare in eastern Oregon. Has occurred at Deer Flat NWR in
southwestern Idaho in the fall of 1992, 1993, and 1994 (John
Gatchet, p.c.).
Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus)
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)
Very rare migrant. An immature male was found in an emaciated
condition and collected south of Burns Junction along Whitehorse
24
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Rd. about six miles west of Hwy. 78 on August 14, 1976. It is now
specimen number 2169 in the Slater museum at the University of
Puget Sound, and constitutes the first record of the species for
Oregon east of the Cascades. There have been two subsequent eastside records, in Umatilla and Jefferson Counties. See Grayson and
Maser (1978) for details of the Malheur County record. Note: this
record was incorrectly attributed to Harney County in Gilligan et al.
(1994).
map at right shows the origin of banded California Gulls recovered in
Malheur County.
Birds banded in Malheur County show a different pattern,
dispersing mainly to the west, as shown on the map below right.
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
Occasional migrant and winter visitor. Two were at Malheur
Reservoir July 4, 1994 (Paul Sullivan, pc), and two were at Owyhee
Res. June 24, 1995, suggesting that this species may begin dispersing
south and west relatively early in the summer, or that non-breeding
birds may summer in the area.
Franklin’s Gull (Larus pipixican)
Uncommon spring and late summer and fall migrant; most
records are from Bully Creek Reservoir. Most Malheur County birds
are probably visitors from breeding colonies in Idaho or possibly
from Malheur NWR in Harney County. Usually found on larger
bodies of water at low elevations, often with other gull species.
For information on the status of the species in Idaho see Taylor,
1992.
Thayer’s Gull (Larus thayeri)
Rare migrant. Three records to date, May 10, 1992 at Farewell
Bend, fall 1994 (location?) and Sep. 30, 1995 (Bully Creek Res.) all
by John Gatchet.
Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens).
Bonaparte’s Gull (Larus philadelphia)
Uncommon to common spring and fall migrant. Most records
are from larger bodies of water.
Very rare. One record from Farewell Bend on November 16,
1987 (Corder, 1989). This species is regular in small numbers on the
Columbia River and is likely to occur in the county again.
[Mew Gull (Larus canus)]
[Sabine’s Gull (Xema sabini)]
No records to date, but has occurred in neighboring counties and
could occur in Malheur County. Rare in eastern Oregon.
No records for Malheur County but could be reported in the
future. Rare in eastern Oregon. It has occurred in southwestern
Idaho.
Ring-billed Gull • (Larus delawarensis)
Breeds on Smith Island, Washington County, Idaho in the Snake
River near Weiser. The April 18, 1991 Snake River survey estimated
the gull colony to contain about 2000 birds, with California and
Ring-billed Gulls not estimated separately. Common spring and fall
migrant and summer visitor, uncommon to common winter visitor
along the Snake River.
There is apparently some movement of birds from Malheur
NWR to the Snake River after breeding, as a bird banded July 6,
1938 at Malheur NWR, Harney County was recovered on August 15
of that year north of Ontario. Prefers wet fields, lakes, rivers, ponds.
Caspian Tern • (Sterna caspia)
Bred on Larson Island, Oregon in the Snake River five miles
south of Weiser in 1958 (E. M. Brooks, cited in Marshall, 1969).
Bred on an island near Nyssa in 1980 (Don Johnson, AB 34(5): 799).
Common to uncommon spring and fall migrant and summer visitor;
most common along the Snake River and other major watercourses
and reservoirs during migration and in summer.
Some birds may come from colonies in Idaho or Malheur NWR,
as they are often seen along the western stretches of the Malheur
River as well as at the major reservoirs from Idaho to the Harney
County line. A regular summer visitor at Batch Lake. Has arrived as
early as April 12 at Malheur Reservoir (OB 13(4)), departure dates
are unclear.
This species has apparently expanded into Malheur County in
the latter part of the twentieth century, as it was not mentioned for the
California Gull • (Larus californicus)
Breeds on Smith Island, Washington County, Idaho in the Snake
River near Weiser. See discussion under Ring-billed Gull. Common
spring and fall migrant and summer visitor, occasional to uncommon
winter visitor. Found in similar habitat as the Ring-billed Gull. The
25
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
area by Gabrielson and Jewett. For information on the status of the
species in Idaho see Taylor, 1990.
southwestern Idaho and from northeastern Oregon, so the species is
likely to occur again.
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)
Mourning Dove • (Zenaida macroura)
Rare migrant; two records known. Gabrielson (1921) and
Gabrielson and Jewett (1940) report “several birds,” two collected,
on October 3-4, 1920 at Ontario. One bird was reported May 28-29,
1994, at Bully Creek Reservoir (Paul Sullivan, pc).
Common to abundant spring and fall migrant and summer
resident, locally uncommon winter resident. Malheur County is a
major population center for this species. Every BBS route in the
county reports the species, with Adrian ranging from 22 to 65 birds
(with an average of 39) in the period 1983-1993. Found in very open
forest, sagebrush, grasslands and agricultural areas at low to
moderate elevations.
A bird banded on April 27, 1963 in Arizona was recovered in
August of the same year near Ontario. Birds banded in Nevada have
also been recovered in the county, as has one banded near Plush,
Lake County on May 15, 1968 and recovered during hunting season
in fall of that year near Farewell Bend.
Forster’s Tern
°(Sterna forsteri)
May nest locally at Batch Lake. Has been seen in summer at
Beulah Res. and Bully Creek Res. Common spring and fall migrant
on lakes, large ponds, wet meadows, etc. at low elevations. Two
recently-fledged immature birds were with an adult at Antelope Res.
on August 4, 1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.).
Gabrielson and Jewett (1940) do not mention this species from
the county as a breeding bird.
ORDER: CUCULIFORMES
Family: Cuculidae (Cuckoos)
Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)
Occasional spring and summer visitor in similar habitat as the
Forster’s Tern. Not known to breed in the county, but could in the
future. Only two records from the Batch Lake marshes, June 2, 1977
and June 15, 1982. One was at Bully Creek Reservoir on June 16,
1995.
Black-billed Cuckoo
(Coccyzus erythropthalmus)
There is one record of a possible Black-billed Cuckoo heard
along the Owyhee River July 5, 1980 by Terry Morgan (OB 6(3)).
This record has not been reviewed by the OBRC. There is also a
report from Baker County that was accepted, then rejected by the
OBRC. There are no confirmed records of the species for Oregon,
although it has bred in southwestern Idaho, where there are as many
reports of this species as of Yellow-billed Cuckoo.
ORDER: COLUMBIFORMES
Family: Columbidae (Pigeons & Doves)
Yellow-billed Cuckoo •h (Coccyzus americanus)
Rock Dove • (Columba livia)
Rare, but bred once in 1876 and possibly in the early 1980s.
The latter records constitute one of few probable nestings of the
species in Oregon since the 1930s (Littlefield, 1988).
Bendire reported a pair feeding young at Keeney’s Ferry on the
Oregon side of the Snake River on August 2, 1876. This site is
between the present cities of Nyssa and Adrian, near the mouth of the
Owyhee River (Map of the Department of the Columbia, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Revised Edition 1885).
Peck (1911) reported one from the willow grove at Brogan on
July 10, 1910. From June 7 through at least September 12, 1980 at
least one cuckoo was present at the Owyhee River bridge near
Adrian. Two birds were reported there occasionally through 1983,
Common to abundant introduced resident around buildings and
other structures in settled areas; locally common in rimrock and cliff
areas away from human habitation, but may leave these areas in
winter. Some rimrock populations travel up to ten miles each way in
order to utilize food sources in agricultural areas; the diet of these
birds consists of 95 percent domestic grains (Kindschy, 1964).
Impossible to determine dates of original introductions.
Band-tailed Pigeon
(Columba fasciata)
Rare wanderer to the county. One record, May 13, 1987 at
Burns Junction (OB 13(4):442). There are records from
26
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
and the species may have bred. An additional report came from near
Vale in 1980 (ONHP database).
Littlefield (1988) considered the riparian areas along the lower
Owyhee and adjacent stretches of the Snake River to be “the best ...
Yellow-billed Cuckoo habitat in Oregon.” Although birds have not
been seen there in recent years, the habitat remains largely intact and
the species could occur there again.
The species has probably bred in southwestern Idaho, and two
birds were at Ft. Boise in the summer of 1978 (AB 32(5): 1034).
(Peromyscus maniculatus) and harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys
megalotis).
Family: Strigidae (True Owls)
Flammulated Owl •
(Otus flammeolus)
The only site where the species has been reported in summer in
the county is at Ironside Mountain. Breeds in pine forests with ample
undergrowth, but may occur in other habitats in migration. Migrants
are occasionally reported elsewhere in the county. Extensive
coverage of the Batch Lake area has found the species six times in
migration in dense willow groves, with an early date of March 25 and
a late date of May 29. Does not winter because it subsists on large
insects and moths, unlike most owls.
ORDER: STRIGIFORMES
Family: Tytonidae (Barn Owls and allies)
Barn Owl • (Tyto alba)
Local uncommon resident, found about old buildings and barns
in open and semi-wooded country at low elevations. May nest and
roost in cliffs near feeding areas. Found in agricultural areas as well.
May also nest in hollow trees and ground burrows.
Maser (1980) noted that on a three-year survey of the county,
the species could only be found near Vale, where one pair was
studied. However, Haas (1986) found three active nests and two
road-killed birds in a relatively small study area in the northeastern
part of the county, roughly from Vale to Owyhee Dam to the Snake
River. Three were found in riverbank cavities near Little Banks
Island north of Ontario during a bird survey conducted on April 18,
1991 (Keister et al., 1991).
Kindschy has seen the species near Vale, and Contreras saw the
species around a barn complex west of Nyssa in 1969 and 1970.
Haro (1983) noted it in “northern Malheur County” in 1983, Mike
Lundstrom found it in Ontario in 1993, and one was found on the
Adrian BBS route in 1987. John Gatchet found three on February 6,
1993 in the lower Owyhee Valley, and Bonnie Jakubos noted one at a
cliff roost south of Vale in 1994.
According to Littlefield (1990) the species has been increasing
in the northern Great Basin, limited primarily by severe winters with
deep snow. Stephens and Sturts (1991) indicate that it breeds and
winters in southwestern Idaho, and Stephens and Reynolds treat the
species as “common” in that region. It is probably more common
today than the limited number of Malheur County records would
indicate.
Information on Barn Owl diet in Malheur County can be found
in Maser et al. (1980). That study showed that the principal prey
species were the montane vole (Microtus montanus), deer mouse
Western Screech-Owl • (Otus kennicottii)
Uncommon breeder and resident in deciduous and mixed
woodland, riparian areas, and residential areas at low to moderate
elevations throughout the county. Found occasionally in canyons,
where it uses cliffs and buildings when tree roosts are not available.
Some birds use abandoned farmhouses (Jon Sadowski, p.c.) or Wood
Duck boxes along the Snake River for roosting (Bill Olson, p.c.)
Status is unclear because of nocturnal habits, but probably occurs
throughout the county in riparian areas and mixed forests with
meadow openings. Not usually found in pure pine or fir stands.
Takes a wide variety of prey, mainly small rodents and beetles.
See Brown et al. (1986) for more information on food habits in the
county.
Great Horned Owl •
(Bubo virginianus)
Common resident in all types of woodland; less common in
open areas with rimrock outcroppings. Also uses buildings. This
species has probably benefitted (for roosting and nesting) from the
proliferation in agricultural lowlands of large introduced trees such as
cottonwood and Chinese elm.
[Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandiaca)]
No records from Malheur County but it could occur in the
future. Rare cyclical winter visitor in open country at low to
moderate elevations in eastern Oregon and Idaho.
27
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Northern Pygmy-Owl • (Glaucidium gnoma)
Studies done in central Oregon (Barss, 1985) showed that
principal prey species were montane voles (Microtus montanus),
sagebrush voles (Langurus curtatus), northern pocket gophers
(Thomomys talpoides) deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), and
Great Basin pocket mice (Perognathus parvus). Prey varies
somewhat by season and habitat.
See the above and Lardy (1980), Haro (1983) and Haas (1986)
for more information.
Breeds locally in the northwestern corner of the county. May
move into lowlands in winter. Calling birds have been reported at
Ironside Mtn. in summer, and Gabrielson and Jewett (1940) reported
the species from “northern Malheur County.”
Burrowing Owl • (Athene cunicularia)
Locally common summer resident in sagebrush flats at low to
moderate elevations; restricted as a nesting bird to the more desert
regions of the county, and absent from some areas. Sometimes nests
in loose colonies. Badger diggings and unoccupied dens are
principal nesting burrows for this species. Abundance in any given
area is dependent on prey abundance.
One study found that the Ord kangaroo rat and the Great Basin
pocket gopher were the most important prey items in the county
(Brown et al, 1986), although other rodents and beetles were also
frequently taken. See Lardy (1980), Haro (1983) and Haas (1986)
for more information.
Short-eared Owl • (Asio flammeus)
Breeds locally in small numbers. Uncommon migrant and
resident in playas, open fields, agricultural land, and marshes at low
to moderate elevations. Said to concentrate in the Malheur River
Valley in winter (Gabrielson and Jewett, 1940), but status may have
changed since then.
A bird banded on June 21, 1938 in North Dakota was recovered
near Nyssa on November 27 of the same year, indicating that some
migrants through the county are not of nearby origin.
[Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus)]
[Barred Owl (Strix varia)]
No records in the county to date. Discovered in 1987-88 during
late summer, fall, and winter in high elevation coniferous forests
(especially spruce and subalpine fir) of Wallowa and Union Counties.
Now known to occur in the Cascades south to Waldo Lake, and west
in the Blue Mountains to the highest elevations in the Ochoco range.
There are unconfirmed reports of birds as far south as the Anthony
Lakes, Baker Co., so the species might occur occasionally to high
elevations in northwestern Malheur County.
Not yet reported from Malheur County, but could be found in
the northwestern corner of the state, or in dense timber along major
watercourses. Rare and local resident in coniferous and mixed forest
areas at low to moderate elevations. First recorded in Oregon in
Wallowa Co. in May of 1974; has spread throughout the forested
areas of the state since then, and has become regular in some areas of
the Blue and Cascade Mountains and nearby lowlands.
Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa)
Northern Saw-whet Owl ° (Aegolius acadius)
One was reported to Kindschy in the 1970s by a BLM fire crew
stationed near Castle Rock. Occurs locally in the Blue Mountains,
and could occur south to northern Malheur County, especially in
winter in valleys in the northern part of the county.
Uncommon resident of coniferous or mixed forests at low to
moderate elevations; very few records in the county. The status of
this species is not well known anywhere in Oregon except in areas
where studies have been conducted. The Malheur County records of
which we are aware add data but not clarity to the picture.
John Gatchet noted one bird south of Adrian along the Snake
River on February 6, 1995, where it was probably wintering.
However, two probable birds were in the same area on May 13, 1995,
well into the breeding season. On that same date he found a bird
south of Nyssa, also along the Snake. We are unaware of any other
locale in Oregon or Idaho where this species is present in the
breeding season in bottomlands far from its favored coniferous
forests. However, the dense riparian vegetation in this area may
serve as adequate habitat.
Long-eared Owl • (Asio otus)
Not often seen but widespread resident, mainly of riparian
zones; probably uncommon in most of the county. Breeds, mainly in
dense willow, Russian-olive and juniper groves, throughout the
county. Broods have been found at Kane Spring, Twin Springs,
McDowell Spring and Willow Camp Spring (Bill Olson, p.c.). Often
uses old magpie nests. This species sometimes forms roosts of many
birds in dense lowland willow or juniper groves in winter.
28
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
One was found February 14, 1987 near Juntura (OB 13(4)).
We are aware of one summer record from Ironside Mountain,
July 3, 1994, where the species probably breeds (Paul Sullivan, pc).
Other records include those of Haas, who found the species but no
evidence of breeding in northeastern Malheur County during his
study of that area; and in October, 1916 (Gabrielson and Jewett,
1940, location not stated).
Vaux’s Swift ° (Chaetura vauxi)
Uncommon spring and fall migrant and irregular summer
resident in the northwestern corner of the county in forests. Breeding
is possible but unconfirmed.
Three birds at Owyhee Dam on June 11, 1995 (Mike and
Merrylynn Denny, p.c.) are not easily classified. This site is 75 miles
south of the nearest known breeding range in Oregon or Idaho,
although local breeding in a hollow tree is possible. The species has
been seen in summer in the Owyhee Mountains, Idaho (Larrison et
al., 1967) and sometimes spends the summer without breeding.
The possibility that these birds were vagrant Chimney Swifts
(Chaetura pelagica) from east of the Rockies cannot be ruled out.
This species has occurred several times in summer as far west as the
northern California coast.
ORDER: CAPRIMULGIFORMES
Family: Caprimulgidae (Goatsuckers)
Common Nighthawk • (Chordeiles minor)
Common summer migrant and breeder. Typically arrives very
late, from late May into early June. Prefers open country, most often
observed over towns, grasslands, sagebrush flats, etc. at low to
moderate elevations. Latest report in fall from the Batch Lake area is
September 6.
Common Poorwill •
White-throated Swift • (Aeronautes saxatalis)
Breeds along Succor Creek Canyon and cliff areas of the
Owyhee River canyon and tributaries. Also found at other sizable
cliffs and canyons, mainly in the central part of the county, and
locally in the Malheur River canyon. Migrants return in the first
week of April. The Adrian BBS route, which extends into Succor
Creek Canyon, has found between ten and 90 birds between 1983
and 1993, with an average of 60 birds.
The first records for Oregon were in Malheur County in 1915 at
Mahogany Mtn. and at Watson, and in 1930 “30 miles north of the
California (sic) line on the old Battle Creek ranch, directly north of
McDermott (sic), Nevada” (Gabrielson and Jewett, 1930).
(Phalaenoptilus nuttallii)
Common summer resident; most common away from
agricultural areas in sagebrush with rimrock outcroppings at low to
moderate elevations. John Gatchet noted 13 birds in the road where
sagebrush habitat existed between Adrian and Succor Creek S. P. on
May 13, 1995, and 14 on a stretch of road south of Juntura on August
12, 1995. Nocturnal.
ORDER: APODIFORMES
Family: Apodidae (Swifts)
Family: Trochilidae (Hummingbirds)
Black Swift (Cypseloides niger)
Black-chinned Hummingbird •
This species is rare in eastern Oregon and has only been
reported once from Malheur County. Three birds were with a flock
of White-throated Swifts along the Owyhee River downstream from
Rome on May 27, 1984 (Barbara North, AB 38(5): 938).
There are three summer records from the Wallowa Mtns. and a
few records elsewhere in the Blue Mtn. complex. George Keister
saw this species in the Warner Valley, Lake Co. on one occasion.
One was found dead at Frenchglen, Harney County on September 11,
1985, and it has occurred in southwestern Idaho, so the species
should be looked for again in migration in Malheur County.
(Archilochus
alexandri)
Uncommon spring and fall migrant and summer resident in
canyons, juniper woodlands and desert riparian zones. Probably
nests locally throughout the county; but breeding status is not well
known. Immature birds have been seen at feeders near Ironside. Has
probably nested in Ontario, Vale, near Adrian, and near Huntington,
Baker Co.
Calliope Hummingbird • (Stellula calliope)
29
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Uncommon spring and fall migrant and summer resident.
Found in meadows, open woodland, and riparian areas at higher
elevations; also migrates through residential areas. Most regular in
the northern part of the county and in desert canyons with significant
riparian growth.
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
ORDER: CORACIIFORMES
Family: Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)
Belted Kingfisher •
(Megaceryle alcyon)
Common resident near streams and lakes where fish are
available. Less numerous and more local during winter.
° (Selasphorus
platycercus)
Occasional spring and fall migrant and summer resident;
probably breeds in the county at least occasionally. This species is
reported fairly often from southeastern Oregon (especially Steens
Mountain) and occasionally from the Wallowa Mountains, but
nesting has never been proven in the state. Found in mountain
canyons with riparian vegetation, subalpine meadows.
One was seen at a feeder in Ironside on August 18, 1991 (Paul
Sullivan, pc) Another was feeding on flowers eight miles above
Brogan in Willow Creek Canyon on June 2, 1993 (OB 20(1). Two
males were seen on Mahogany Mtn. on June 16-17, 1978 (Gilligan
and Smith, 1978). The species has been reported in small numbers in
the Little Blitzen Canyon on Steens Mtn., Harney Co. (Gilligan et al.,
1994) and on Hart Mtn. (Ron Lange fide Rich Hoyer).
Preble noted the species at various localities in southern
Malheur County between June 9 and July 25, 1915 (Gabrielson and
Jewett, 1940). Marshall (1987) did not find this species in the
Oregon Canyon Mountains, but he noted that that range has few
flowers to attract hummingbirds.
Breeds in southwestern Idaho.
Rufous Hummingbird
ORDER: PICIFORMES
Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Lewis’ Woodpecker • (Melanerpes lewis)
Breeds locally throughout the county where large enough trees
are available, thus most records are from the northern part of the
county. Often seen in migration, but rare in winter. Found in open
woodland and riparian growth at low to moderate elevations.
Populations have been high in northwest Malheur County in the mid1990s (Bonnie Jakubos, p.c.). Numbers fluctuate from year to year at
most locations.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)
A n imm. male was found in Adrian on 17 January 2002 (Tim
Shelmerdine via OBOL). Eastern species, similar to the Red-naped
Sapsucker of the west.
Red-naped Sapsucker • (Sphyrapicus nuchalis)
° (Selasphorus rufus)
Breeds throughout the county where trees of sufficient size are
available, mainly in pine forests, aspen stands, and cottonwood
groves. Migrants can appear anywhere in the county. Absent in
winter. In the central and southern part of the county, seen mainly in
riparian aspen stands.
Migrant and probable local breeder. Probably breeds at higher
elevations in the northwestern part of the county. May breed south to
Vale. Breeding status is not clear, in part because some males are
southbound migrants as early as June. Migrant throughout the
county.
[Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber)]
[Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna)]
Has not yet occurred in Malheur County but probably will.
Breeds in western and south-central Oregon to eastern Lake Co.
Extremely rare fall and early winter visitor to northeastern Oregon,
with two records for Wallowa Co. and four for Union County
(Evanich, 1992). Has also been seen as far east as Malheur NWR,
Harney Co.
This species has not yet been reported from Malheur County,
but is continuing to expand its breeding and wintering range, and has
occurred elsewhere in eastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho. It
should be expected in the county eventually.
30
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Williamson’s Sapsucker • (Sphyrapicus thyroideus)
Northern Flicker • (Colaptes auratus)
Breeds in pine forest in the northwestern part of the county. Has
nested near Ironside Mountain (AC, John Gatchet, Paul Sullivan, pc)
and is regular there in summer. Most depart during winter. Can be
seen as an occasional migrant elsewhere in the county.
Common resident in coniferous and deciduous woodland, semiopen country, residential areas, and parks at low to high elevations.
The “Red-shafted Flicker” (C. a. cafer) is the common form in
Oregon. The eastern “Yellow-shafted Flicker” (C. a. auratus) may
occur occasionally in fall and winter, but has not yet been reported.
Loose concentrations of more than one hundred migrant birds
are regular in lowland areas of northern and central Malheur County
from September through January. This phenomenon has increased in
recent years to the point that flickers can be abundant in lowland
areas in fall.
Downy Woodpecker • (Picoides pubescens)
Uncommon resident in deciduous and mixed woodland and
riparian growth at low to moderate elevations. Status is not clear;
this species may be quite local. Probably more common than the
Hairy Woodpecker except in high elevation forests.
Pileated Woodpecker •(Dryocopus pileatus)
Hairy Woodpecker • (Picoides villosus)
Occasional resident and local breeder in mature forests in the
extreme northwestern corner of the county around Ironside
Mountain.
Uncommon resident in forested areas, mainly in the
northwestern corner of the county. Common in burned areas at
Ironside Mtn. in 1995 (Bonnie Jakubos, p.c.). Some move
downslope in winter and are then seen more often in towns.
White-headed Woodpecker • (Picoides albolarvatus)
ORDER: PASSERIFORMES
Family: Tyrannidae (New World Flycatchers)
Locally uncommon resident of open pine forests in the
northwestern corner of the county. Some may leave in winter.
Olive-sided Flycatcher
[Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) ]
°
(Contopus borealis)
May breed in open coniferous forests in the northwestern corner
of the county. Rare and local in summer. Migrates throughout the
county in small numbers.
We are aware of no reports to date, but the species is likely to
occur in the Ironside Mountain area as a consequence of the fires
there in 1994.
Western Wood-Pewee • (Contopus sordidulus)
Black-backed Woodpecker • (Picoides arcticus)
Common spring and fall migrant and local summer resident.
Prefers semi-open deciduous or coniferous woodland, riparian
growth, and residential areas at low to moderate elevations.
Normally rare but invades occasionally in the extreme
northwestern corner of the county. One was found at Rail Canyon
southeast of Ironside Mtn. in August, 1993 in an aspen-juniper
riparian area adjacent to pine-fir pockets by Bonnie Jakubos. The
species is attracted to recent burns and moved into the Ironside
Mountain area as a consequence of the fires there in 1994; John
Gatchet noted three birds there on July 8, 1995 and breeding was
confirmed in June, 1995 (Bonnie Jakubos, p.c.).
A specimen was collected in “Malheur County” by Stanley
Jewett on August 10, 1944; it is now in the museum at the University
of Puget Sound. The specimen tag indicates that the bird was
collected in the Malheur National Forest along the North Fork of the
Malheur River, which places the point of collection more likely in
extreme eastern Grant County.
Willow Flycatcher •
(Empidonax traillii)
Uncommon breeder, spring and fall migrant. Found in open
deciduous woodland with brushy growth and in riparian areas at low
elevations. Not present in all apparently usable habitat. Absent from
lowland areas without significant streamside vegetation.
Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)
Vagrant, one record: a singing bird found on June 13, 1993
north of the BLM Watchable Wildlife area in the Owyhee Canyon
between Adrian and Owyhee Dam. Accepted by the OBRC. This
eastern species occurs annually in eastern Oregon and breeds near
31
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
John Day, Grant County. It is likely to occur again in Malheur
County.
Anthony (1913) reported the species probably breeding near
Ironside. This report is probably referable to Willow Flycatcher,
which Anthony did not mention.
breeding grounds. Migrants can be encountered anywhere in the
county, and are best labeled as “Western-type” Flycatchers.
Pacific-Slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis)
The only report known to the authors is of one near Brogan on
June 2, 1993 (Barbara Combs, OB 20(1)). Part of the “Western
Flycatcher” complex; see comments under Cordilleran Flycatcher.
Status in the county essentially unknown, but probably a rare
migrant.
Hammond’s Flycatcher • (Empidonax hammondii)
Common breeder in pine-fir forests around Ironside Mountain.
Uncommon spring and fall migrant throughout the county. It
migrates through any wooded or riparian areas at lower elevations
(including residential yards and parks).
Say’s Phoebe • (Sayornis saya)
Locally common early spring and fall migrant and summer
resident. The authors are aware of no winter records, but the species
has wintered during mild winters elsewhere in eastern Oregon, and
should be expected occasionally in winter. Prefers open and usually
semi-arid areas at low elevations, as well as riparian zones within
such dry habitats. Often found around ranch buildings. Arrives very
early in spring (late February). Has been known to raise as many as
three broods in a season at Rome (John Shipp, fide Al Bammann).
Dusky Flycatcher •(Empidonax oberholseri)
Breeds in open pine forests, juniper stands, and mountain
mahogany, or combinations of these, often at high elevations. This
species and the Gray Flycatcher both occur in open juniper stands.
Absent as a breeder from pure big sagebrush. Can appear in other
habitats in migration.
Gray Flycatcher • (Empidonax wrightii)
Ash-throated Flycatcher • (Myiarchus cinerescens)
Common breeder throughout the county where there is enough
big sagebrush, mountain mahogany, and other large brushy species,
whether or not junipers are present. However, the habitat
requirements of this species remain somewhat unclear. Prefers edges
of juniper stands or mixtures of juniper, pine and big sagebrush.
Does not use low sagebrush.
Most common in the southern part of the county, where it is
often the only lowland breeding empidonax, but reported north to the
south fork of Willow Creek near Ironside. Most regular and common
on the Crowley, Battle Mountain and Lookout Lake BBS routes; not
reported every year on the Adrian route. Said to occur mainly below
5500 feet (Marshall, 1987).
Breeds in the western and southern part of the county in areas
with significant stands of juniper in canyons and along hillsides.
Most often reported in the Beulah Reservoir and Castle Rock areas.
An adult was feeding young 14 miles south of Juntura on Aug. 12,
1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.). Has been reported from Jordan Valley.
May occur elsewhere in the northwestern and southern parts of the
county where appropriate habitat is available.
Western Kingbird •
(Tyrannus verticalis)
Common spring and fall migrant and summer resident in
farmland, open areas in towns, open woodland, desert areas, riparian
zones at low to moderate elevations. Does not winter.
Cordilleran Flycatcher ° (Empidonax occidentalis)
Eastern Kingbird •(Tyrannus tyrannus)
May breed in small numbers in the northwestern corner of the
county in riparian areas with large timber and in high elevation fir
forests. May breed in riparian areas, as Peck found a nest at Brogan
in 1911. A bird at Bogus Lakes on June 19, 1984 was probably a late
migrant. The actual status of the species in the county is not clear.
Identical in the field to the Pacific-slope Flycatcher, which
probably does not occur regularly in Malheur County. Both species
were formerly combined as the Western Flycatcher. These two
species can be differentiated only by the males’ vocalizations on
Local breeder in the northern and western part of the county and
in the Jordan Valley area. Most records are from the Willow Creek,
lower Owyhee and western Malheur River valleys. Found in riparian
areas, open woodland, farmland. Less likely than the Western
Kingbird to be found in arid areas.
The relative abundance of this species in different parts of the
county is not clear, although it appears to be most common in the
western Malheur River valley. Found locally in the agricultural parts
32
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
of the county where sufficient riparian vegetation remains, but its
breeding range and status is not clear. May be absent from most of
the southern part of the county, and may be less common than earlier
in the century.
Cassin’s Vireo • (Vireo solitarius)
Breeds in pine and mixed forests in the northwestern corner of
the county. Not proven to breed elsewhere in the county, but may
breed occasionally in the Owyhee Valley below Owyhee Dam. Has
been found in migration throughout the county.
Family: Alaudidae (True Larks)
(Plumbeous Vireo (Vireo plumbeous))
The Plumbeous Vireo replaces the Cassin’s Vireo from montane
Nevada southward. It is a rare migrant to southern Harney and Lake
Cos. and attempted to breed at Hart Mtn. It is likely that this species
occurs at least occasionally as a migrant to s. Malheur Co. oasis sites
and possibly to the Trout Creek and Oregon Canyon Mtns.
Horned Lark • (Eremophilia alpestris)
Abundant resident. Most nesting birds are found in grassy areas
or mixed grass and sagebrush desert. Perhaps the most common
native breeding bird in the county, with current ODFW estimates of
as many as 300,000 birds in the county in summer based on
extrapolated BBS data. BBS counts are highest on the Crowley
route, with peaks at 336 and 311 birds in 1983 and 1984. Numbers
on every route but Adrian often exceed 100 birds, and Adrian is
occasionally in that range.
Forms large flocks in winter, and many move to lower
elevations and agricultural lands. Birds sometimes concentrate in
winter, sometimes gathering to eat seeds from hay fed to livestock.
Warbling Vireo • (Vireo gilvus)
Common spring and fall migrant and common to occasional
summer resident in deciduous and mixed woodlands, residential
areas, and riparian growth at low to moderate elevations. Absent or
rare in some areas where habitat seems adequate.
Red-eyed Vireo
°
(Vireo olivaceus)
Rare and local, possible local breeder in the northern part of the
county. Usually found near water, particularly fond of cottonwoods
and large aspen and alder with undergrowth. Reported to breed
occasionally in small numbers in the Owyhee Valley between Adrian
and Owyhee Dam (Harry Nehls, pc), but absent there in 1994 and
1995. May breed locally elsewhere in the northeastern part of the
county, but status is unclear. Breeds locally in southwestern Idaho.
Arrives very late in spring.
Family: Lanidae (Shrikes)
Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor)
Uncommon winter visitor in open country, generally at low to
moderate elevations where some small trees are available; breeds in
the subarctic.
Loggerhead Shrike • (Lanius ludovicianus)
Common spring and fall migrant and breeder, occasional winter
resident. At least 50 were found on a 1993 Burrowing Owl survey
route (Bill Olson, fide George Keister). Found in similar habitat as
described for the Northern Shrike, but is more willing to stay in open
sagebrush and does not seem to require as many trees. Partial to
areas containing the tall shrub squawapple (Peraphyllum
ramosissimum) and mixed shrub communities containing greasewood
and sagebrush. Rarely seen in dense juniper stands. Not as regular
in agricultural areas.
Family: Corvidae (Crows & Jays)
Gray Jay • (Perisoreus canadensis)
Common resident at high elevations on Ironside Mountain,
where it probably breeds; not reported elsewhere in the county.
Steller’s Jay • (Cyanocitta stelleri)
Common resident in pine and fir forests in the extreme
northwestern corner of the county. A few move to lower elevations
in winter, using orchards and other trees in agricultural lands along
the Snake, Malheur and Owyhee Rivers.
Family: Vireonidae (Vireos)
33
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Blue Jay
American Crow • (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
(Cyanocitta cristata)
Rare wanderer to the county, presumably from the northeast, in
fall and winter. Two birds were seen December 29, 1973 at Ontario
(W. E. Hoffman et al. OBRC; also Hoffman, 1980). These were
reported as the first for Oregon, but a bird was seen a few weeks
earlier near Halfway, Baker Co. Three to five were in Vale on
November 10, 1990 (OB 17(2)). One was at Crooked Creek Res.
southwest of Burns Junction for several days in 1990 (Bill Olson,
p.c.).
Does not occur every year. Has bred in Union County, and any
birds that remain for the summer should be watched for breeding
behavior.
Western Scrub-Jay
Common breeder in agricultural areas including the Jordan
Valley area, occasional to rare in desert areas, locally abundant
winter resident, especially along the Snake River. Prefers similar
habitat as the Black-billed Magpie, but more often found in
residential areas and parks.
Common Raven • (Corvus corax)
Common resident in open areas and open forests at all
elevations; may move into lowland areas in greater numbers in
winter.
Some movement within the region is shown by banding data.
One bird banded on February 28, 1977 at Malheur NWR, Harney
County, was recovered near Jordan Valley on April 23 of that year.
A young bird banded in Idaho southeast of Adrian on June 4, 1985
was recovered near Upper Cow Lake on June 12.
(Aphelocoma coerulescens)
Rare wanderer to Malheur County from breeding populations to
the south and west. Has occurred near Castle Rock; one was at Vale
November 16, 1987 (Corder, 1989). Another was near Westfall in
June, 1991 (Jon Sadowski). May be more regular in the future, as it
is expanding its range in central and south-central Oregon, and is
being seen more often as a wanderer north and east of its traditional
range.
Family: Hirundinidae (Swallows)
Purple Martin
Piñon Jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus)
No modern records, but may have occurred in the juniper belt in
the western or northwestern part of the county earlier in the century.
Gabrielson and Jewett (1940) list the species as having occurred in
the county, but do not give a source for the record. The only source
they cite for the species is Braly (1931), which does not mention the
occurrence of the species in Malheur County. Very rare historically
in late summer and fall in southern Baker and Grant Counties, but
may not occur there today. To be looked for in juniper woodlands.
Clark’s Nutcracker
°
(Progne subis)
Very rare; one pair was near Vale in summer 2000 and 2001 but
did not breed (Esther Marple p.c.).
Tree Swallow • (Tachycineta bicolor)
Uncommon to common spring and fall migrant and summer
resident. Does not winter. Found in open country and open
woodlands about towns, farmland, open woodlands. Nests in snags,
nest boxes, other cavities, usually near water.
Violet-green Swallow • (Tachycineta thalassina)
Common to locally abundant spring and fall migrant, common
summer resident. Does not winter. Found in similar habitat as Tree
Swallow; more likely to nest in buildings and urban areas than the
preceding species. Also common to locally abundant along cliffs,
where it uses similar habitat as the White-throated Swift and can
often be found feeding in loose flocks with that species.
(Nucifraga columbiana)
Locally common resident and probable breeder from the
Ironside Mountain area south to Castle Rock. Probably occurs
occasionally in lowlands in winter, but no records to date.
Am. Black-billed Magpie • (Pica hudsonia)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow • (Stelgidopteryx
ruficollis)
Common to abundant resident in open country (especially
farmland, brushy riparian areas, sagebrush flats, open juniper stands)
at low to moderate elevations. Old magpie nests are reused by Longeared Owls and woodrats.
34
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Uncommon spring and fall migrant and summer resident in open
areas near water at low elevations; nests as lone pairs or in small
concentrations in river bank holes, old rock pits, and similar sites.
Locally uncommon resident in parts of the Blue Mountains, but
has not yet been reported as far south as Malheur County. It may
occur in the Ironside Mtn. area at some time.
Bank Swallow • (Riparia riparia)
[Plain Titmouse (Parus inornatus)]
Although this species has not yet been reported in Malheur
County, one was observed just across the border in McDermitt,
Nevada on Dec. 3, 1992 (John Gatchet, p.c.), and it breeds locally in
southern Lake Co. and in southeastern Idaho as well as throughout
Nevada. It will probably occur in the county in the future.
Locally common spring and fall migrant and summer resident in
large colonies in suitable nesting banks. Most common along the
Snake River. The April 19, 1991 survey along the Snake from
Adrian to Weiser found three colonies, the largest of which, on the
mainland near Little Banks Island north of Ontario, was estimated to
contain 500 birds. Found in similar habitat as the Northern Roughwinged Swallow, but colonial.
Family: Aegithalidae (Bushtits)
Cliff Swallow • (Hirundo pyrrhonota)
Locally common spring and fall migrant and summer resident.
Nests around buildings and bridges in open country at low to
moderate elevations. Common on cliffs in the Owyhee Canyon and
tributaries, and along the Malheur River where cliffs are available.
Bushtit •
(Psaltriparus minimus)
Uncommon resident in riparian areas and some juniper and
mountain mahogany stands throughout the county, but local. Less
common in the northern part of the county.
Barn Swallow • (Hirundo rustica)
Common to abundant spring and fall migrant and summer
resident in similar habitat as the Tree Swallow, but usually uses
buildings or other structures for nesting.
Family: Sittidae (Nuthatches)
Red-breasted Nuthatch •(Sitta canadensis)
Breeds in open coniferous and mixed woodlands in the
northwestern part of the county, where it is locally abundant, and
may breed locally elsewhere in the county, where its breeding status
is not clear. Can be seen in any wooded area in migration; many
move into lowlands in some winters. In some years downslope
movement begins by August.
Family: Paridae (Titmice)
Black-capped Chickadee • (Parus atricapillus)
Common resident in deciduous woods and riparian areas at low
to moderate elevations; frequents residential yards and parks
throughout the year. Occurs in riparian areas south at least to Jordan
Valley.
White-breasted Nuthatch • (Sitta carolinensis)
Uncommon resident of open coniferous and mixed woodlands in
the northwestern part of the county. Local wanderer elsewhere in the
county, such as in aspen stands in mountain canyons. Breeding has
not been confirmed away from the forests in the northwestern corner
of the county.
Mountain Chickadee • (Parus gambeli)
Breeds throughout the county in two principal habitats, mainly
at higher elevations. Common resident in pine and mixed forests in
the northwestern corner of the county; also breeds in aspen on basin
mountains and in riparian zones in desert canyons. May move into
lowlands in winter.
Pygmy Nuthatch • (Sitta pygmaea)
Uncommon to rare resident in pine forests in the northwestern
corner of the county. The least common of the nuthatches in pine
forests in the county, unlike other parts of eastern Oregon where it
can be quite common. Likely to be seriously affected by the 1994
[Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Parus rufescens)]
35
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
burn that destroyed much pine habitat in the northwestern corner of
the county.
the area was of one at Bogus Lakes on September 29, 1983. Another
was at Batch Lake on October 26 of that year, and further fall records
were obtained at Bogus Lakes on August 20, 1985, August 27, 1987
and at Batch Lake on September 12, 1986. The only spring record
for the county was of one seen on May 12, 1986 at Bogus Lakes (all
records BK).
The Malheur County records follow quite closely the changes in
the species’ status in southeastern Oregon. Bewick’s Wren has been
expanding in Oregon eastward along the Columbia River, into the
Bend area, and in south-central Oregon where the subspecies T. b.
drymoecus is fairly common in the Warner Valley, so it is likely to
occur in Malheur County again.
Bewick’s Wren had not been reported at Malheur NWR (except
for Bendire’s records from the 1870s at Camp Harney) until 1982.
Today it occurs there in small numbers and may breed. It is a rare
vagrant to Union County (Evanich, 1992) and has also been reported
as a vagrant to southwestern Idaho fewer than three times, according
to Stephens and Reynolds.
When found in southeastern Oregon it appears to prefer dense
riparian growth.
Family: Certhidae (Creepers)
Brown Creeper • (Certhia americana)
Common but not easy to find breeder in coniferous forests in the
northwest corner of the county. Some move to lowlands in winter,
and migrants can be found in wooded areas anywhere in the county.
Family: Troglodytidae (Wrens)
Rock Wren • (Salpinctes obsoletus)
Abundant spring and fall migrant and summer resident,
occasional winter resident. Prefers rocky areas (e.g., cliffs, rock
outcroppings, canyons). Easy to find in such areas as Succor Creek
Canyon, the Owyhee Canyon and other areas with rimrock or talus
slopes. Also occurs in lava flows in the Jordan Craters area.
Current ODFW population estimates are of about 23,000 birds
in the county, extrapolated from BBS data. The Adrian BBS route
contains considerable Rock Wren habitat and reports an average of
16 birds.
Winter status is unclear. Most depart in winter, but a few may
remain.
House Wren • (Troglodytes aedon)
Common spring and fall migrant and summer resident
throughout the county; does not winter. Nests in tree cavities,
preferring brushy habitats and residential yards, aspen groves and
other riparian growth.
Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Status in the county is not clear; may breed locally at a few
moist wooded sites north and west of Ironside Mountain. Winters
locally, but status uncertain, probably occasional. Migrates
throughout the county where dense riparian growth is available.
Breeds in dense understory of coniferous forests (especially fir and
spruce) in the Blue Mountains.
Canyon Wren • (Catherpes mexicanus)
Locally uncommon resident in canyons. Some leave during
winter, but many remain even in severe winters. The hard winter of
1983-84 resulted in significantly decreased populations, supporting
the hypothesis that most of the population is non-migratory.
Generally found in areas with steep-walled canyons; not as likely as
the Rock Wren to use rocky slopes and small outcroppings.
Marsh Wren • (Cistothorus palustris)
Breeds locally throughout the county in marshy areas. Locally
common spring and fall migrant, rare to occasional winter resident.
Prefers cattail or bulrush marshes and wet meadows with tall grass.
Bewick’s Wren (Thyromanes bewickii)
One between May 30-June 2, 1992, at an unspecified site
between Burns Junction and Jordan Valley (Barbara Combs, pc)
(erroneously reported elsewhere as being at Ontario) and six records
at Batch and Bogus Lakes are the only records to date.
The Batch Lake and Bogus Lakes areas have been well covered
by observers for decades, and the first record of Bewick’s Wren in
Family: Cinclidae (Dippers)
36
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
American Dipper • (Cinclus mexicanus)
Locally common breeder in aspen and juniper groves of desert
canyons and hillsides. Also found in fields on forest edges at
moderate to high elevations during summer. Found in open foothill
areas at low to moderate elevations during migration and winter.
Often flocks with Western Bluebirds during migration. Occasional in
winter.
Locally uncommon resident along swift creeks. One was found
in Succor Creek Canyon on the 1987 Adrian BBS route, and it has
been reported at creeks near Mahogany Mtn., along the Owyhee
River south of the reservoir, and along the West Little Owyhee River
in Louse Canyon northeast of McDermitt, Nevada (BK). Breeding
has been confirmed at a number of sites along the upper Owyhee (Al
Bammann, p.c.). Probably occurs along creeks in the northwestern
part of the county as well.
Some move to lower elevations during winter and can be found
along rocky streams.
Townsend’s Solitaire • (Myadestes townsendi)
Family: Muscicapidae (Kinglets, Thrushes, etc)
Uncommon breeder in pine and mixed forests of the
northwestern corner of the county. Many move to open foothill
country and residential areas at lower elevations during winter.
Particularly fond of juniper woodlands in migration and winter,
where it can be locally abundant feeding on berries.
Golden-crowned Kinglet • (Regulus satrapa)
Veery
Uncommon resident in high elevation forests in the
northwestern corner of the county; also found in deciduous woods
and residential areas at lower elevations during migration and winter.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet • (Regulus calendula)
A common breeder high on Ironside Mountain, but probably
nowhere else in the county. Migrates through woodlands, riparian
growth, and residential areas at lower elevations throughout the
county. Can be briefly abundant in migration. A few may winter.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerules)
A single sight record at Burns Junction in the late 1980s was
reported to Jeff Gilligan. The species is regular in dense mountain
mahogany groves and some juniper stands in southern Lake County,
and is reported locally east to Steens Mountain. A pair bred at
Frenchglen, Harney Co. in 1995 (Mike and Merrylynn Denny, p.c.).
It also breeds locally in similar habitat in southern Idaho, so it will
likely be reported in Malheur County again in the future.
Western Bluebird •
(Catharus fuscescens)
Rare wanderer to the county in migration. Reported on June 6,
1975 at Bogus Lakes, June 13, 1983 at Batch Lake, and possibly in
early summer during other years.
A specimen was collected on June 30, 1910 in the Willow Creek
valley near Brogan by Morton E. Peck. This specimen was not
mentioned by Peck in his published work (Peck, 1911) and it appears
that he collected the bird in the belief that it was a Swainson’s
Thrush. The specimen is now CM-36142 in the Carnegie Museum in
Pittsburgh, and the identification as a Veery of the western race
salicicola has been confirmed by Dr. Kenneth Parkes of that museum
(Contreras and Parkes, 1995).
A record on June 10, 1915 at Disaster Peak by Preble
(Gabrielson and Jewett, 1940) may have been in Nevada, and the
location and identification cannot be checked today. That record is
best treated as unproven for the county, although the location and
date are similar to others for the county.
Breeds in Oregon only in riparian areas of the Blue and
Wallowa Mountains, east locally to the Ochoco Mountains, and
south locally to the Burnt River below Unity Reservoir, Baker
County, and to Canyon Creek, Grant County.
Given the propensity of this species to arrive on the breeding
grounds in Oregon in early June from the east, the pattern of records
for Malheur County may represent occasional overshoots from
breeding populations in the Rocky Mountains of Idaho and northern
Utah.
(Sialia mexicana)
Breeds locally, mainly in the northwestern part of the county.
Also breeds locally in the Oregon Canyon Mountains. Uncommon
spring and fall migrant, rare winter resident. Prefers open and lightly
wooded foothill areas at low to moderate elevations. Also occurs in
aspen groves, but generally prefers denser forested areas than does
the Mountain Bluebird.
Swainson’s Thrush • (Catharus ustulatus)
Breeds locally in forests in the northwestern part of the county,
and along major watercourses where sufficient cover (typically
Mountain Bluebird • (Sialia currucoides)
37
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Gray Catbird •H (Dumatella carolinensis)
extensive stands of dense willow or moist forest undergrowth) is
available. May breed locally in the southern part of the county, but
status there is unclear. Uncommon spring and fall migrant in
coniferous and mixed forests; also migrates through deciduous
woodlands, residential areas, and riparian growth.
Bred at Brogan in 1910 (Peck, 1911), but does not breed there
now. Bred at Weiser, Idaho in the early 1970s (W.E. Hoffman, p.c.),
status there unknown now. Was not found along Willow Creek
between Vale and the Huntington junction by observers specifically
seeking it with tapes in 1993. It was not found during a survey with
tapes along Durbin Creek west of Huntington, Baker Co. in June,
1993 although the habitat seems sufficient and very similar to that
used in Baker Co.. Has been seen at Ontario (Evanich, 1989) but date
and details uncertain.
Breeds in riparian areas of the Wallowa and eastern Blue
Mountains south locally to the Burnt River between Bridgeport and
Hereford, Baker Co.
Hermit Thrush • (Catharus guttatus)
Breeds locally in dense coniferous forests at Ironside Mountain,
and possibly along other high ridges in the extreme northern and
northwestern parts of the county. Has also been found singing in
summer at the head of creeks in the Oregon Canyon Mountains
(David Marshall, p.c.), and may breed in small numbers in high
elevation juniper, aspen or mountain mahogany groves elsewhere in
the county. Breeds along some juniper and mountain mahogany
covered ridges in eastern Harney County (Littlefield, 1991).
Migrates in deciduous woodlands, residential areas, and riparian
growth. May winter occasionally, but no records available.
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
Rare but regular wanderer, reported most often from the
southern part of the county. A pair may have attempted to breed at
Burns Junction in 1991 (OB 17(4)). Two were at Crowley in
summer, 1993 and 1994. Other reports are from Ontario in 1994
(Mike Lundstrom, p.c.), Basque Station in 1994 (John Sadowski,
p.c.), at Gordon Gulch on Owyhee Res. on June 24, 1995 (John
Gatchet, p.c.), and at Basque Station north of McDermitt. One was
near Bully Creek Res. on January 6, 1996 (John Gatchet, p.c.).
This species has never been proven to breed in Oregon, and
Malheur County observers should be alert for successful breeding.
Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)
Vagrant from east of the Rocky Mountains. One record, May
21, 1980 at Mahogany Mountain (Tad Finnell, Tom Mickel) accepted
by the OBRC.
American Robin • (Turdus migratorius)
Common to abundant spring and fall migrant and summer
resident wherever there are trees large enough to permit nesting.
Abundant winter resident where food is available, especially in
juniper groves at lower elevations. Found in open and semi-open
country, especially around residential areas at low to moderate
elevations.
Sage Thrasher • (Oreoscoptes montanus)
Abundant breeder throughout the county wherever expanses of
big sagebrush occur. Consistently abundant on the Crowley, Battle
Mountain and Lookout Lake BBS routes, present in small numbers
on the Adrian route. Crowley route numbers have peaked at 180,
Lookout Lake at 170 and Battle Mountain at 122.
Usually absent from pure stands of low sagebrush, agricultural
fringes and where junipers form dense stands. Arrives on territory in
late March, and is common by the first week of April. May winter
occasionally in mild years, but no records are available.
Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius)
Breeding status not clear, but could breed on Ironside Mountain.
Status in migration is not clear, but some move through the county.
John Gatchet noted one dead and one living bird in the Jordan Valley
cemetery on March 25, 1995, the southernmost report for the county.
Further research on this species in the county is necessary to
determine its true status. Uncommon summer resident in the Blue
Mountains.
Family: Motacillidae (Pipits & Wagtails)
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)
Common to locally abundant spring and fall migrant, occasional
winter resident at low elevations in mild winters. Found in open
country at low to moderate elevations during winter and migration.
Family: Mimidae (Mockingbirds & Thrashers)
38
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Often seen on plowed fields and along muddy margins of reservoirs
and larger rivers.
Found in deciduous woods with dense undergrowth, riparian
growth, brush patches, and residential areas at low to moderate
elevations.
Family: Bombycillidae (Waxwings)
Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla)
Occasional winter visitor to open woodland and residential areas
at low to moderate elevations; no summer records. Not present
every year.
Uncommon in migration (most often reported in spring) and
may breed occasionally in montane riparian zones in the northern
part of the county or at high elevations further south. However,
breeding has yet to be proven and records are few.
Cedar Waxwing • (Bombycilla cedrorum)
Yellow Warbler • (Dendroica petechia)
Bohemian Waxwing
(Bombycilla garrulus)
Common spring and fall migrant. Common to locally abundant
breeder, most common in dense riparian willows, but also in
deciduous or mixed woods and residential areas at low to moderate
elevations.
Common to abundant spring and fall migrant and breeder,
uncommon winter resident. Found in open woodland and residential
areas. Forms flocks, especially in winter, when it can be locally
abundant in trees with berries, while absent elsewhere.
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica)
Vagrant from east of the Rocky Mountains. One record, a male
found at Jordan Valley on May 30, 1992 by John Gatchet and still
present on June 20 (AB 46(5): 1172; OB 19(1).
Family: Sturnidae (Starlings)
European Starling •
(Sturnus vulgaris)
Magnolia Warbler (Dendroica magnolia)
Abundant introduced resident in residential areas and farmland
at low to moderate elevations. Generally absent from other habitats
such as desert and rimrock areas.
Banding has shown that many Malheur County Starlings winter
in California, but that a significant number of those that winter in the
county are local birds. Thousands of birds enter the agricultural
valleys in autumn, using Russian-olives and cattle feedlots as primary
food sources.
Vagrant from east of the Rocky Mountains. One record, a male
found at Cottonwood Creek southwest of Crowley by David
Anderson and Donna Lusthoff on September 28, 1991. One was
found October 1, 1978 at Ft. Boise Wildlife Area on the Idaho side of
the Snake River (AB 33: 198).
Black-throated Gray Warbler •
nigrescens)
(Dendroica
Breeds locally in extensive stands of juniper and/or mountain
mahogany at Mahogany Mountain, Leslie Gulch, and probably
southward where such habitat exists. Has been reported in summer
in the Owyhee Canyon between Rome and Owyhee Reservoir.
Reported above the head of Little Whitehorse Creek in the Oregon
Canyon Mtns. by David Marshall. David Bailey noted birds singing
in mountain mahogany in the Trout Creek Mountains (Harney Co.)
on June 13, 1995.
An historic record at Ironside (Anthony, 1913) represents one of
the northernmost records for the Oregon counties bordering Idaho, as
the species is extremely rare in Baker County and has not been
reported from Union or Wallowa County.
Family: Emberizidae (Warblers, Blackbirds,
Sparrows, etc.)
Orange-crowned Warbler • (Vermivora celata)
Uncommon to locally common spring and fall migrant and
summer resident; no winter records until 1995, when two were found
on the Lower Owyhee CBC. Breeding range not well known, but
reported from Mahogany Mountain and the Trout Creek Mountains
as well as from a number of locations in the northern part of the
county.
39
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Common spring and fall migrant and summer resident
throughout the county in marshes, along lake and river margins, and
in wet meadows. Especially common in wet meadows in the Juntura
area. Among the earliest warblers to arrive in spring, with some birds
present by late April.
Yellow-rumped Warbler • (Dendroica coronata)
Breeds in high elevation coniferous forests in the northwestern
part of the county. Has also been found in aspen at the summit of the
Oregon Canyon Mountains (July 2, 1972, David Marshall, p.c.), but
breeding there is not proven. The breeding race here is the
“Audubon’s Warbler” (D. c. auduboni). Migrates in woodlands,
riparian areas, residential yards, parks. A few winter in mild years.
Townsend’s Warbler
°
Wilson’s Warbler
°
(Wilsonia pusilla)
May breed locally in the northern part of the county where
sufficient riparian growth is available. Most reports of probable
breeders are from the Malheur River northward, in the northwest
quarter of the county. Can be seen in riparian growth anywhere in
the county in migration. Some birds migrate very late (into early
June), which makes determination of breeding more difficult.
(Dendroica townsendi)
Uncommon spring and fall migrant and local summer resident;
no winter records. May breed in coniferous forests in the northwest
corner of the county, but not proven. Migrates through woodlands
and residential areas, can be seen anywhere in the county in
migration.
Yellow-breasted Chat • (Icteria virens)
Uncommon to locally common breeder in dense, mature riparian
growth and other brushy areas at low elevations. Most common in
Willow Creek canyon north of Brogan, along the Malheur and
Owyhee rivers, locally along Succor Creek, in riparian areas in the
Oregon Canyon Mountains, and in similar areas with dense, mature
willows and other growth along stream courses and adjacent moist
hillsides.
Arrives very late in spring; fall movements not well known.
One was at Adrian on August 30, 1987 (OB 14(2)). Generally not
seen in migration except in habitat suitable for breeding. Does not
winter.
[Black-and-White Warbler (Mniotila varia)]
Not reported in the county yet, but is a regular vagrant at
Malheur NWR and has occurred in fall migration once at the mouth
of the Weiser River, Idaho (AB 35(2): 208). Vagrant from east of the
Rocky Mountains.
American Redstart •H (Setophaga ruticilla)
Occasional migrant and possible local breeder in the
northwestern part of the county. Modern records include a migrant
female at a ranch near Rockville on May 30, 1994 (Paul Sullivan,
p.c.), one along Crowley Rd. June 1, 1993 (OB 20(1): 32 and birds
seen in May of two different years in the Owyhee canyon between
Rome and the reservoir (Dan Gleason, p.c.).
A pair were found at Brogan on June 30, 1910 (Peck, 1911).
On July 14 the female was seen feeding a young cowbird, so nesting
has at least been attempted in the county. Anthony (1913) reported
the species in summer near Ironside.
Western Tanager • (Piranga ludoviciana)
Breeds in coniferous forests and probably locally in riparian
areas in the northwestern corner of the county, and also locally in
high elevation aspen groves elsewhere in the county. Found in
summer in aspen groves near the summit ridge of the Oregon Canyon
Mountains (Marshall, 1987). Not reported as a breeder in juniper
forests. Migrates at lower elevations through deciduous woods,
riparian growth, residential areas.
MacGillivray’s Warbler • (Oporornis tolmiei)
Breeds locally in brushy and riparian areas, especially where
dense willows are available. Uncommon spring and fall migrant in
riparian growth and other brushy habitats at low to moderate
elevations. Has been reported in summer (presumably breeding)
from sites throughout the county, but appears to be somewhat local.
[Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)]
No records yet, but to be expected in Malheur County as a rare
vagrant. This eastern species is found as a vagrant throughout
Oregon, and occurs annually in Harney County.
Common Yellowthroat • (Geothlypis trichas)
40
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Black-headed Grosbeak • (Pheucticus
melanocephalus)
[Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)]
The record noted in Anthony (1913) from Ironside is probably
in error, given that he did not mention Brewer’s Sparrow. However,
the species has occurred several times in Oregon, mainly in winter,
and could occur in Malheur County in the future. It has occurred
once in fall at Deer Flat NWR, Idaho (John Gatchet, p.c.).
Uncommon spring and fall migrant and breeder in deciduous
woodlands and riparian growth. Abundance varies from year to year,
and breeding status is not clear. This species is reported less often in
summer in the county than the available habitat would seem able to
support.
Brewer’s Sparrow •
Lazuli Bunting • (Passerina amoena)
Uncommon to common spring and fall migrant and summer
resident. Prefers riparian growth and brushy areas at low to moderate
elevations. Locally abundant in excellent habitat such as along
Willow Creek Canyon north of Brogan.
Green-tailed Towhee • (Pipilo chlorurus)
Common breeding species wherever there are significant stands
of mountain mahogany. Present but less common in big sagebrush,
especially where some juniper or mountain mahogany is also present.
Partial to rim and canyon areas where adequate vegetation is present.
Absent from most agricultural fringe areas, and more local in the
northern part of the county, where numbers can nonetheless be high
in good habitat. Abundant in ranges such as the Oregon Canyon
mountains, Mahogany Mountain, and other basin ridges.
Vesper Sparrow • (Pooecetes gramineus)
Locally common breeder, especially in the northern and
southern parts of the county where there are hillsides with significant
grass cover. Also uses low sage areas where bushes are less than
about 18 inches tall. Most common on the Battle Mtn. BBS route,
with counts from 18 to 72 birds and a nine-year average of 35. Does
not usually winter.
Rufous-sided Towhee • (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
Breeds locally in riparian brushy areas in the northern part of the
county and locally further south. Breeds at Batch Lake. Sometimes
uses areas where sagebrush meets lava flows. Some winter, mainly in
lowland riparian areas and towns, and most leave higher elevation
areas in winter.
Lark Sparrow • (Chondestes grammacus)
Uncommon to common breeder in open sage and steppe areas
throughout the county. May be somewhat less selective in habitat
requirements than the Vesper Sparrow. Most common on the Adrian
BBS route, with numbers from 6 to 72 birds and an average of 23.
American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea)
Occasional to uncommon winter visitor in northern half of the
county. Status south of the lower Owyhee valley unknown. Found
in brushy fence rows, hedges, and riparian areas (especially willows)
at low elevations.
Chipping Sparrow •
(Spizella breweri)
Abundant breeder throughout all big sagebrush-dominated
habitats. Most common species found on BBS routes in sagebrush
areas in the central and southern part of the county (although Horned
Lark is more common in areas with grass and open ground). Counts
at Crowley and Lookout Lake are often above 100 birds with a peak
at Crowley of 252. Battle Mountain numbers are somewhat lower and
only small numbers (from one to 25) have been counted on the
Adrian route. ODFW currently estimates 189,000 birds in the county
in summer, extrapolated from BBS data. Migrates through sagebrush
habitats throughout the county. Does not winter.
Black-throated Sparrow • (Amphispiza bilineata)
Breeds locally in the southern half of the county. Prefers sagecovered slopes with a few rocky outcroppings. Regular breeder south
of Jordan Valley; breeds in some years north to Succor Creek canyon
(BBS) and the South Fork of the Malheur River south of Warm
Springs Reservoir (Paul Sullivan, pc). Has occurred north to Vale.
It is not known to breed in Baker or Grant Counties, so central
Malheur County represents the northernmost edge of the regular
breeding range in Oregon, although a few have bred in the Crooked
River - John Day River region north to Washington.
(Spizella passerina)
Common to abundant spring and fall migrant and summer
resident; no acceptable winter records. Breeds in open coniferous
forests, juniper groves, and mountain mahogany stands at any
elevation. Can appear anywhere in migration.
41
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
The status of this species is not well known. See also Marks et
al. (1980) for status in southwestern Idaho.
A bird at Bogus Lakes on June 21, 1985 defies easy
categorization. It could have been a very late migrant, a nonbreeding bird or even attempting to breed in the area.
Sage Sparrow • (Amphispiza belli)
Song Sparrow • (Melospiza melodia)
Locally common to abundant breeder in big sagebrush areas in
the southern half of the county, breeds locally further north where
habitat exists. Breeds at Rhinehart Butte near Vale (Jon Sadowski,
p.c.). By far the highest numbers are reported on the Lookout Lake
BBS route, with numbers from 13 to 96 and a six-year average of 37.
Somewhat hardy, returns to the state by late March or early
April. Some winter in mild years, based on Harney County CBC data
and information from Malheur NWR staff.
Common breeding resident in brushy habitats, most often near
water, at low to moderate elevations. Winters in smaller numbers,
mainly in lowland riparian and brushy areas.
Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)
Breeding status unknown. Could breed locally in the
northwestern corner of the county, but not proven. Reported from
the Ironside area as a breeder in 1912 (Anthony, 1913). Found as a
spring and fall migrant in lowland locations, usually in brushy areas
with a lot of tall grass nearby. A few may winter, but status is
uncertain. Three were reported on the 1995 Lower Owyhee CBC.
Savannah Sparrow • (Passerculus sandwichensis)
Uncommon breeder throughout the county in wet grassy areas.
Absent from dry areas, more likely than most “grassland” sparrows to
breed along the edges of agricultural areas and marshes.
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)
Grasshopper Sparrow • (Ammodramus savannarum)
Two records to date, a bird found north of Nyssa on March 8,
1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.) and one found on the 1995 Lower Owyhee
CBC. Probably a rare migrant through the county annually, as it has
become regular in winter in western Oregon and California.
Local breeder. Status not clear. This species forms loose
colonies in favored areas, but often moves on after a few years. In
1995 there was a small colony five miles south of Vale (Mike and
Merrylynn Denny, p.c.) where two fledglings were observed on July
18 (John Gatchet, p.c.), two singing birds were found on the Adrian
BBS route (John Gatchet, p.c.) and a singing bird was found one mile
west of Jordan Valley on June 18 (AC).
A colony was found north of Succor Creek Campground in 1987
by Craig Corder. A singing bird was found between Crowley and
Shumway on June 28, 1983 (OB 9(3)). The only colony sites in
regular use over a period of years in Oregon are in Morrow and
Umatilla Counties.
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
Two records, one of a bird with a large flock of White-crowned
Sparrows on April 8, 1995 north of Nyssa, and another near Ontario
October 30, 1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.). It has also occurred in Idaho
at Ft. Boise wildlife area south of Nyssa. Probably occurs as a rare
migrant and winterer.
Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)
Fox Sparrow • (Passerella iliaca)
Rare migrant and winter resident. Malheur County represents
the eastern edge of the species’ winter range. One was in the lower
Owyhee valley on April 1, 1991 (Jon Sadowski, BLM). Three were
at Cottonwood Creek south of Crowley on September 29, 1991 (Paul
Sullivan, pc). One was seen May 5, 1993 at Pole Creek near Brogan
(Vicki Saab, Jon Dudley, p.c.). One was near Ontario State Park on
March 22, 1995 (John Gatchet, p.c.). Two were with thousands of
migrant White-crowned Sparrows at Ironside Mtn. on Sep. 30, 1995
(John Gatchet, p.c.). One was collected at Vale on January 18, 1917
by Stanley Jewett (Gabrielson and Jewett, 1940). Kindschy has
found the species as a rare migrant near Vale in fall.
Breeds locally in dense shrubs in the northwestern part of the
county, and also in mountain mahogany stands south to Mahogany
Mountain and the Oregon Canyon Mountains. These are probably
the race P. i. schistacea which winters in California and the
southwest, according to the 5th Edition of the AOU Checklist (1957).
Bred at Brogan in 1910 (Peck) and was found June 12, 1946 at
Three Forks, a date and location that could represent breeding (David
Marshall, p.c.). Can be found in lowland brushy areas in migration.
Absent in winter.
42
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
White-crowned Sparrow • (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
observed on the 1994 CBC. Gabrielson and Jewett (1940) state that
they had seen it in Malheur County and that the earliest date of its
arrival in Malheur County as of 1935 was November 17.
Breeds locally in aspen in the Oregon Canyon Mountains (John
Sadowski, p.c.), and may breed elsewhere in the county at high
elevations. Can be found in migration anywhere in the county.
Winters in brushy lowland areas, where it forms large flocks and can
be locally abundant. These flocks are probably made up primarily of
the subspecies gambelii, while local breeders are probably of the race
oriantha and leave the state in winter. The status of the species in the
county needs further study.
Bobolink • (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)
Breeds locally in a few agricultural areas where moist grassy
areas with some willows or other brushy vegetation occur. Was
present west of Juntura from 1989 through 1994, and has bred in
some years near Adrian and near Jordan Valley. None of these small
colonies contain very many birds, and breeding status may change
from year to year. This species could also breed in moist agricultural
areas elsewhere in the county.
A pair with young was found near Brogan on July 10, 1910
(Peck, 1911). Gabrielson and Jewett (1940) incorrectly stated that
these birds were found at Ironside. Two or three pair nested at
Ironside in 1911 (Anthony, 1912). This was reported as the first
breeding record for Oregon, but there were records of birds breeding
at Malheur Lake in 1906, and a pair were collected at Union, Union
County, in 1903 (Jobanek, 1994).
Harris’ Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula)
One May 23, 1998 at Pole Creek Res. near Brogan was the first
county record and the latest record known from Oregon (E. Marple
p.c.). Five were near Vale Jan-Feb 2002 (E. Marple p.c.). Occurs
every winter in northeastern Oregon from Wallowa to Umatilla
County, and has been found in Baker County, so additional reports
from Malheur Co. are likely.
Dark-eyed Junco • (Junco hyemalis)
The “Oregon” form (J. h. oreganus) is an abundant breeder in
coniferous forests in the northwestern corner of the county, may
breed locally elsewhere. This form has been seen in summer along
the summit ridge of the Oregon Canyon Mountains (Marshall, 1987),
and could breed in high-elevation riparian zones in desert ranges.
The “Gray-headed Junco” (J. h. caniceps), a distinctive orangebacked gray subspecies, has recently been found breeding in the
Oregon Canyon Mtns. (Denny, 2000).
Common to abundant in flocks in lowlands in winter. The
“Slate-colored Junco” (J. h. hyemalis) is a rare winter visitor that has
occurred at Ontario and Nyssa (Gabrielson and Jewett, 1940), and
probably elsewhere in the county.
Red-winged Blackbird • (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Common to abundant spring and fall migrant and summer
resident, uncommon winter resident. Found in open country near
water at low to moderate elevations.
Two birds banded as young on June 8, 1970 and June 10, 1971
near Ontario were recovered in the same area on May 17, 1974.
Western Meadowlark • (Sturnella neglecta)
Common to abundant spring and fall migrant and summer
resident, uncommon winter resident. Found in sagebrush, open
farmland, and other areas of low shrub steppe vegetation. ODFW
population estimate for Malheur County is 157,000. BBS routes find
this species throughout the county, with the Crowley and Adrian
routes reporting over 200 birds in some years.
Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus)
A male was at Pole Creek Res. near Brogan May 28, 1998
(Esther Marple, p.c.), a very late record. Uses open habitats similar to
those favored by Horned Lark and American Pipit. It has been
reported from Baker and Harney Counties, and is rare in southern
Idaho.
Yellow-headed Blackbird • (Xanthocephalus
xanthocephalus)
Uncommon but widespread breeder. Appears to be increasing.
Can be seen in migration anywhere in the county where there is water
and some adjacent vegetation. Breeds mainly in cattail marshes at
low elevations throughout the county, arriving about a month later
than Red-winged Blackbirds and perhaps as a consequence using less
desirable habitat. In summer, 1995 it was found using flooded
willows at Beulah Reservoir. Sizable colonies exist at Batch Lake
Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis)
Occasional winter visitor. Uses open habitats similar to those
favored by Horned Lark and American Pipit. This species has been
seen near Vale in winter by Kindschy and others. Three were 20
miles south of Vale on November 6, 1983 (OB 9(4)), and it was
43
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
The “Bullock’s Oriole” (I. g. bullocki) is the race normally
occurring in Oregon, but the “Baltimore” Oriole has been reported
occasionally in Harney County. It is likely that the Baltimore Oriole
will once again be split from the Bullock’s by the AOU at some
time.
and Bogus Lakes; smaller colonies can be found near Vale and
Adrian. Sometimes flocks with other blackbirds, especially in fall.
Brewer’s Blackbird • (Euphagus cyanocephalus)
Common to locally abundant spring and fall migrant and
summer resident, uncommon winter resident. Prefers riparian areas
and adjacent open country such as farmland, grassland, pastures,
roadsides, etc. at low to moderate elevations.
A young bird banded in central California on October 9, 1929
was recovered on April 12, 1931 near Arock.
Family: Fringillidae (Finches & allies)
Gray-crowned Rosy Finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis)
Rare winter visitor, recorded only from the northern part of the
county. Gabrielson and Jewett collected the species in the county.
Fifty were near Ironside on April 12, 1987 (OB 13(4)).
Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
This species was reported for the first time in the county on May
13, 1995 along the Leslie Gulch road (John Gatchet, p.c). The
breeding range has expanded from the southwest into the southern
Great Basin, and a few birds are now seen annually at oasis sites in
the Alvord Desert and at Malheur NWR, where Oregon’s first
breeding occurred in 1994. Birds have also been reported from
elsewhere in eastern Oregon and from southwestern Idaho, where the
species bred in 1995.
[Black Rosy Finch (Leucosticte atrata)]
Status unclear. May occur in flocks of Gray-crowned Rosy
Finch. Black Rosy Finch breeds on Steens Mountain, Harney
County, and sometimes in the Wallowa Mountains. It has been
found in winter in the Alvord desert, Harne County. Flocks of Rosy
Finches should be checked for both species. This species was
considered conspecific with the Gray-crowned Rosy Finch for several
years but has recently been split from it again by the AOU.
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
The only record of this species from Malheur County (except for
a record of two to three birds at Ontario State Park on May 4, 1988
not accepted by the OBRC) is of a bird seen near Vale on June 3,
1995. It now breeds in eastern Idaho and occurs annually at Deer
Flat NWR. Wanderers are becoming more regular in Oregon. It has
also occurred in Baker and Harney Counties.
Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator)
Has been found near Ironside in winter. Alex Walker collected
“a number” in northern Malheur County in the winter of 1919-20.
One of these specimens, collected in December, 1919, is in the
collection at Oregon State University. Breeds in the Wallowa
Mountains; presumed to breed in the Blue Mountains, but the
southern limit of breeding is not known. Probably does not breed
regularly in Malheur County.
Brown-headed Cowbird • (Molothrus ater)
Common spring and fall migrant and summer resident, absent in
winter. Found in riparian areas, open forests and nearby open
country, especially around pastures and cattle feedlots, generally at
low elevations. Parasitizes other passerines’ nests, especially
warblers.
[Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus)]
This species has not been reliably reported from the county, but
has occurred as a rare migrant in northeastern Oregon and in Harney
County, so it may be reported eventually.
Northern Oriole • (Icterus galbula)
Uncommon but highly visible breeder. Locally common, as in
the Owyhee valley. Can appear anywhere in migration. Found in
deciduous woodlands and groves, especially cottonwoods near water,
at low elevations. Also breeds in towns and in trees around ranch
houses.
Cassin’s Finch • (Carpodacus cassinii)
Common breeder in pine forests and large juniper stands in the
northwestern part of the county south at least to Chukar Park
Campground. Found locally in mountain mahogany, aspen and
high-elevation juniper stands further south in the county. Breeding
has been confirmed in all of these areas.
44
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
20, 1916 by Sheldon (Gabrielson and Jewett, 1940). Barbara Combs
noted one between Burns Junction and Jordan Valley in late spring,
1992, and saw a small flock at Chukar Park campground along the
Malheur River near Juntura in spring, 1993. John Gatchet noted
three at Chukar Park on May 29, 1995. It prefers drier habitats than
the American Goldfinch, especially juniper woodlands. Occasional
in southwestern Idaho.
House Finch • (Carpodacus mexicanus)
Locally common to abundant resident. Prefers residential areas,
farmland, and open woodland at low to moderate elevations. Forms
flocks in migration and winter.
Red Crossbill • (Loxia curvirostra)
Uncommon to common resident; numbers can be highly
irregular and fluctuate greatly from year to year. Breeds in
coniferous forests in the northwestern corner of the county. Has also
been seen in summer at Mahogany Mountain and in the Trout Creek
Mountains in Harney Co. (David Bailey, p.c.).
Evening Grosbeak •
(Coccothraustes vespertinus)
Breeds locally in the Ironside Mountain area. At all seasons
prefers larger trees bearing seeds. Sometimes reported into June even
in the southern part of the county, probably representing late
migrants or non-breeders. Can be seen in migration anywhere in the
county. Winter range varies depending on seed crops and the
severity of weather, but can appear anywhere in the county.
[White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera)]
This species has not been reported from the county, but has
occurred in northeastern Oregon, mainly with Red Crossbills. It
could occur at some time.
Family: Passeridae (Weaver Finches)
[Common Redpoll (Carduelis flammea)]
House Sparrow • (Passer domesticus)
Has not yet been reported from Malheur County, but probably
will be. Rare to occasional winter visitor south to Baker County and
to southwestern Idaho; highly variable in numbers from year to year.
Found in open brushy country such as fields, farmland, and foothills
at low to moderate elevations. Occurred at Weiser, Idaho in the
winter of 1983-84 (AB 39(2): 191).
Locally abundant introduced resident; found around human
habitations such as cities, towns, farms, etc., generally at low to
moderate elevations.
Pine Siskin • (Carduelis pinus)
Common breeder in coniferous forests in the northwestern
corner of the county, south locally to the Castle Rock area. Has been
seen in summer at Mahogany Mountain. Breeding status away from
the northwest is not clear. Seen in migration throughout the county.
Winters in lowland areas in a variety of habitats.
American Goldfinch • (Carduelis tristus)
Uncommon breeder throughout the county in open wooded and
brushy areas, can be common where there is extensive vegetation
large enough for nesting. Seen in migration throughout the county.
Winters mainly in lowland areas.
Lesser Goldfinch •? (Carduelis psaltria)
A rare wanderer to the county from the south and west, its
breeding status is unknown. One was collected at Riverside on July
45
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Checklist of Birds
This list is intended as a handy way of keeping track of the birds
that you have seen in the county. Species marked with a “•” are
breeders. Those with a “°” in the breeding status column are possible
but unconfirmed breeders. An “h” in the breeding column after the
bullet means that the species bred historically but does not appear to
do so today. Those marked with a “?” after the name of the bird are
likely to occur in the county but have not been reported yet. Birds in
italic are vagrants or irruptives that do not occur in the county
annually.
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Pacific Loon
Common Loon
• Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
• Eared Grebe
• Western Grebe
• Clark’s Grebe
American White Pelican
• Double-crested Corm.
• American Bittern
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
• Black-cr. Night-Heron
White-faced Ibis
Tundra Swan
Trumpeter Swan
Gr.White-fronted Goose
Snow Goose
Ross’ Goose
• Canada Goose
• Wood Duck
• Green-winged Teal
• Mallard
American Black Duck
• Northern Pintail
• Blue-winged Teal
• Cinnamon Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
• American Wigeon
• Canvasback
• Redhead
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Tufted Duck
• Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
• Lesser Scaup
Harlequin Duck
Common Goldeneye
• Barrow’s Goldeneye
? Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
• Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
• Ruddy Duck
• Turkey Vulture
• Osprey
White-tailed Kite
Bald Eagle
• Northern Harrier
• Sharp-shinned Hawk
° Cooper’s Hawk
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• Northern Goshawk
• Swainson’s Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Ferruginous Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
• Golden Eagle
• American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
• Prairie Falcon
• Gray Partridge
• Chukar
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Blue Grouse
• Ruffed Grouse
• Sage Grouse
° Wild Turkey
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•h Northern Bobwhite
• California Quail
• Mountain Quail
• Virginia Rail
• Sora
• American Coot
• Sandhill Crane
Black-bellied Plover
Lesser Golden-Plover ?
Snowy Plover
Semipalmated Plover
• Killdeer
• Black-necked Stilt
• American Avocet
Greater Yellowlegs
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
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Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
• Willet
• Spotted Sandpiper
• Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Sanderling
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Baird’s Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
• Common Snipe
• Wilson’s Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope
Long-tailed Jaeger
Franklin’s Gull
Bonaparte’s Gull
• Ring-billed Gull
• California Gull
Herring Gull
Thayer’s Gull
Western Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
• Caspian Tern
Common Tern
• Forster’s Tern
? Black Tern
• Rock Dove
Band-tailed Pigeon
• Mourning Dove
•h Yellow-billed Cuckoo
• Common Barn-Owl
• Flammulated Owl
• Western Screech-Owl
• Great Horned Owl
Snowy Owl
• Northern Pygmy-Owl
• Burrowing Owl
Barred Owl ?
Great Gray Owl
• Long-eared Owl
• Short-eared Owl
Boreal Owl ?
• Northern Saw-whet Owl
• Common Nighthawk
• Common Poorwill
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Black Swift
• Vaux’s Swift
• White-throated Swift
• Black-ch. Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird ?
• Calliope Hummingbird
° Broad-t. Hummingbird
___ ° Rufous Hummingbird
___ • Belted Kingfisher
___ • Lewis’ Woodpecker
___ *Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1)
___ • Red-naped Sapsucker
___ • Williamson’s Sapsucker
___ • Downy Woodpecker
___ • Hairy Woodpecker
___ • White-h. Woodpecker
___ Three-td. Woodpecker ?
___ • Black-b. Woodpecker
___ • Northern Flicker
___ • Pileated Woodpecker
___ ° Olive-sided Flycatcher
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47
• Western Wood-Pewee
• Willow Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
• Hammond’s Flycatcher
• Dusky Flycatcher
• Gray Flycatcher
“Western” Flycatcher
• Say’s Phoebe
• Ash-throated Flycatcher
• Western Kingbird
• Eastern Kingbird
• Horned Lark
• Tree Swallow
• Violet-green Swallow
• N. Rough-w. Swallow
• Bank Swallow
• Cliff Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• Gray Jay
• Steller’s Jay
Blue Jay
Scrub Jay
Pinyon Jay
• Clark’s Nutcracker
• Black-billed Magpie
• American Crow
• Common Raven
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Mountain Chickadee
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
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• Bushtit
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• White-br. Nuthatch
• Pygmy Nuthatch
• Brown Creeper
• Rock Wren
• Canyon Wren
Bewick’s Wren
• House Wren
Winter Wren
• Marsh Wren
• American Dipper
• Golden-crowned Kinglet
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
• Western Bluebird
• Mountain Bluebird
• Townsend’s Solitaire
Veery
• Swainson’s Thrush
• Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
• American Robin
Varied Thrush
•h Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
• Sage Thrasher
American Pipit
Bohemian Waxwing
• Cedar Waxwing
Northern Shrike
• Loggerhead Shrike
• European Starling
• Cassin’s Vireo
• Warbling Vireo
° Red-eyed Vireo
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
• Orange-cr. Warbler
Nashville Warbler
• Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Black-thr. Gray Warbler
° Townsend’s Warbler
___
___
___
___
•h American Redstart
• MacGillivray’s Warbler
• Common Yellowthroat
° Wilson’s Warbler
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___ • Yellow-breasted Chat
___ • Western Tanager
48
• Black-headed Grosbeak
• Green-tailed Towhee
• Rufous-sided Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
• Chipping Sparrow
• Brewer’s Sparrow
• Vesper Sparrow
• Lark Sparrow
• Black-throated Sparrow
• Sage Sparrow
• Savannah Sparrow
• Grasshopper Sparrow
• Fox Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-thr. Sparrow
Golden-cr. Sparrow
• White-crowned Sparrow
Harris’ Sparrow ?
• Dark-eyed Junco
Lapland Longspur ?
Snow Bunting
• Bobolink
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Western Meadowlark
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Brewer’s Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Common Grackle
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Northern Oriole
Gray-crowned Rosy Finch
Pine Grosbeak
Purple Finch ?
• Cassin’s Finch
• House Finch
• Red Crossbill
Common Redpoll
• Pine Siskin
? Lesser Goldfinch
• American Goldfinch
• Evening Grosbeak
• House Sparrow
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
49
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Eltzroth, M. E. 1987. Checklist of the Birds of Oregon.
Audubon Society of Corvallis
Evanich, J. 1983. Distribution: Columbian Sharp-tailed
Grouse. Oregon Birds 9(4): 147
Evanich, J. 1989. A Birder’s Guide to Oregon. Portland
Audubon Society
Franklin, J. and Dyrness C. 1973. Natural Vegetation of Oregon
and Washington. Oregon State University press
Gabrielson, I. 1921. An addition to the Oregon list of birds.
Condor 23:96
Gabrielson, I. and Jewett, S. 1930. White-throated Swift in
Oregon. Murrelet 11:74
Gabrielson, I. and Jewett, S. 1940. Birds of Oregon. Oregon
State College
Gilligan, J. and Smith, M. 1978. An ornithological visit to
Mahogany Mountain, Malheur County, Oregon. Oregon
Birds 6(2): 64
Gilligan, J., Smith, M., Rogers, D. and Contreras, A., Eds.
1994. Birds of Oregon: Status and Distribution. Cinclus
Publications
Grayson, D. and Maser, C. 1978. First record for the Longtailed Jaeger in eastern Oregon. Murrelet 59:75
Haas, John. 1986. Raptor nesting survey in northern Malheur
County, Oregon. From miscellaneous BLM papers,
unpublished paper from Boise State University class
Hansen, C. 1956. An ecological survey of the vertebrate
animals of Steens Mountain, Harney County, Oregon.
Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Oregon State University
Haro, Wendy. 1983. A Raptor Density Survey in Northern
Malheur County, Oregon, from miscellaneous BLM papers;
unpublished paper from Nyssa High School class.
Henny, C. 1990. Wintering localities of Cooper’s Hawks
nesting in northeastern Oregon. Journal of Field Ornithology
61(1): 104
Henny, C., Collins, J. and Deibert, W. Osprey distribution,
abundance and status in western North America: II: the
Oregon population. Murrelet 59:14
Hoffman, W. 1980. Detailed Field Notes: Blue Jay. Oregon
Birds 6(4): 187.
Isaacs, F. and Opp, R. 1991. Distribution and productivity of
Golden Eagles in Oregon, 1965-1982. Oregon Birds 17(2):
40)
Janes, S. 1987. Status and decline of Swainson’s Hawks in
Oregon: the role of habitat and interspecific competition.
Oregon Birds 13(2): 165
References
Alcorn, G. 1988. The Birds of Nevada. Fairview West Publishing,
Fallon Nevada.
Anthony, A. W. 1912. Eastern Oregon Notes. Auk 29:253
Anthony, A. W. 1921. The English Sparrow and the Motor Vehicle. Auk
38:605
Anthony, A.W. 1911. Notes on some species from eastern Oregon. Auk
28:274
Anthony, H. E. 1913. Mammals of northern Malheur County, Oregon.
Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 22:1
Bailey, V. 1936. Mammals and Life Zones of Oregon. North American
Fauna No. 55, U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey
Barss, J. 1985. Diets of Long-eared Owls from three habitats in northcentral Oregon. ODFW Technical Report No. 82-3-08B.
Bellrose, F. 1976. Ducks, Geese and Swans of North America.
Stackpole.
Braly, J. C. 1931. Nesting of the Pinyon Jay in Oregon. Condor 33: 29
Brennan, L. 1990. What happened to the Mountain Quail in Idaho?
Quail Unlimited 9(4): 42.
Brennan, L. 1994. Broad-scale population declines in four species of
North American quail: an examination of possible causes. Pages 44-50
in Sustainable ecological systems: implementing an ecological approach
to land management. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report
RM-247, Fort Collins, Colorado Rocky Mountain Forest and Range
Experiment Station.
Brown, B., Whitaker, J., French, T. and Maser, C. 1986. Note on food
habits of the Screech Owl and the Burrowing Owl of Southeastern
Oregon. Great Basin Naturalist 46(3): 421
Brown, J. 1983. Flowering Shrubs Native to Oregon. Oregon
Department of Forestry
Contreras, A. 1992. Cumulative Index to Oregon Birds Volumes 1-17
(1975-1991). Privately published, available through OFO.
Contreras, A. 1993. The Yellow Rail in Oregon. Oregon Birds 19(2): 40
Contreras, A. and Parkes, K. 1995. First confirmed record of the Veery in
Malheur County, Oregon. Oregon Birds 21(3): 77
Corder, C. 1989. Malheur County: a year’s list. Oregon Birds 15(4):
272
Denny, M. 2000. Gray-headed Junco (Junco hyemalis caniceps) found
nesting in Oregon Canyon, Malheur County, Oregon. Oregon Birds 26:
128-129.
Egger, M. 1980. Bibliography of Oregon Ornithology: An updating for
the years 1971-1977, with a revised, cross-referenced list of the birds of
Oregon. OFO Special Publication No. 1
50
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
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Extension Service and Oregon Department of Forestry.
Jobanek, G. 1994. History of the Bobolink in Oregon. Oregon Birds
20(2): 50.
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Oregon State University Press.
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Press.
Keister, G. 1991. Unpublished survey of birds along the Snake River.
Kindschy, R. 1964. Ecological studies on the Rock Dove in southeastern
Oregon. Northwest Science 38(4): 138.
Lardy, M. E. 1980. Raptor inventory and Ferruginous Hawk breeding
biology in southeastern Oregon. Unpublished master’s thesis,
University of Idaho
Larrison, E., Tucker, J., and Jollie, M. 1967. Guide to Idaho Birds.
Comprises volume V of the Journal of the Idaho Academy of Science.
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Cooper Ornithological Society.
Linsdale, J. 1951. A List of the Birds of Nevada. Condor 53:228
Littlefield, C. 1990. Birds of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Oregon
State University Press
Littlefield, C. 1988. Status of the California Yellow-billed Cuckoo in
Klamath County and eastern Oregon. ODFW Nongame Technical
Report No. 89-5-01
Littlefield, C. 1991. Steens Mountain, Oregon, Bird List. BLM
Madge, J. and Burn, H. Waterfowl: an identification guide to the ducks,
geese and swans of the world. 1988. Houghton-Mifflin.
Marks, J., Doremus, J. and Bammann, A. 1980. Black-throated Sparrows
breeding in Idaho. Murrelet 61:112
Marshall, D. 1969. Endangered Plants and Animals of Oregon, Part III,
Birds. Special Report 278 of the Agricultural Experiment Station,
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Marshall, D. 1987. Comparative Bird Observations from Steens, Pueblo,
Trout Creek and Oregon Canyon Mountains. Oregon Birds 13(2): 193
Maser, C., Shaver, C., Shaver, S. and Price, B. 1980. A note on the food
habits of the Barn Owl in Malheur County, Oregon. Murrelet 61: 78
Peck, M.E. 1911. Summer birds of Willow Creek valley, Malheur
County, Oregon. Condor 13(63)
Redmond, R. 1982. Photographic record of a Whimbrel in Idaho.
Murrelet 63: 68
Scott, J., Haislip, T. and Thompson, M. 1972. A bibliography of Oregon
ornithology (1935-1970), with a cross-referenced list of the birds of
Oregon. Northwest Science 46(2): 122
Sharp, B. 1986. Management Guidelines for the Swainson’s Hawk.
USFWS Region 1 report
Stephens, D. and Reynolds, T. A Checklist for the Birds of
Southwestern Idaho, undated, probably late 1980s or early
1990s. Golden Eagle Audubon Society, Boise.
Stephens, D. and Sturts, S. 1991. Idaho Bird Distribution.
Special Publication No. 11, Idaho Museum of Natural History
Stern, M., Morawski, J. and Rosenberg, G. 1993. Rediscovery
and status of a disjunct population of breeding Yellow Rails
in southern Oregon. Condor 95: 1024
Taylor, D. 1990. The Caspian Tern in Idaho. Western Birds
21:78
Taylor, D. 1992. The status of the Franklin’s Gull in Idaho.
Western Birds 23:39
Taylor, D. and Trost, C. 1987. The status of rare birds in Idaho.
Murrelet 68:69
Taylor, D., Trost, C. and Jamison, B. 1992. Abundance and
chronology of migrant shorebirds in Idaho. Western Birds
23(2): 49
Watson, C. 1982. Index to Oregon bird reports in Audubon
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Weinmann, F. et al. 1984. Wetland Plants of the Pacific
Northwest. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
51
Birds of Malheur County, Oregon
Alan Contreras is administrator of the Office of Degree Authorization for
the Oregon Student Assistance Commission in Eugene. He is co-editor of
Birds of Oregon: a General Reference (OSU Press, 2003) and editor of
Birds of Lane County, Oregon (OSU Press, 2006).
Bob Kindschy recently retired after 30 years as a biologist with the Vale
District, Bureau of Land Management and is now ranching near Vale. In
addition to maintaining thirty years of data for sites such as Batch Lake
and Bogus Lakes, he has written extensively about the ecology of
southeastern Oregon, including journal articles and chapters in Wildlife
Habitats in Managed Rangelands: the Great Basin of Southeastern
Oregon.
Oregon Field Ornithologists
Oregon Field Ornithologists (OFO) is an organization dedicated to
advancing the knowledge and enjoyment of Oregon’s birds. OFO
publishes Oregon Birds quarterly, operates the Oregon Bird Records
Committee and issues occasional special publications. The first edition of
this publication was publication Number 8 in the special publication
series. This revised edition is Special Publication No. ____ .
Oregon Field Ornithologists
PO Box 10373
Eugene OR 97440
52