Becoming a Birder In Portland: 7 Accessible Birds to Start With

Birding may seem like a boring pastime more at home in a grandpa’s imagination than on a Portlander’s to-do list. But once that bug strikes, your perspective will quickly change. For me, it was the legendary and wholesome birding feature film The Big Year starring the mighty triple threat of Jack Black, Steve Martin, and Owen Wilson that initially piqued my interest in the hobby. 

If you’ve never really been up close and personal with the birding world and people who do it, it can help to watch the bird movies and engage with the bird books. A personal favorite of mine is a recent, at the time of writing this, documentary called Listers, created by two brothers on a journey to do a big year (in a nutshell, a big year is an attempt to see — or even just hear — as many different types of birds as one can in a single year). 

If you’re a Portland resident or even just planning a short trip to the city, you have the world of birding at your fingertips. With a ton of nature within the city itself and plenty more in the surrounding areas, you have no shortage of places to let your birding aspirations come to life. Check out this quick little rundown of ethical birding created by the American Birding Association to make sure you’re birding in a respectful manner. 

Without further ado, here are 10 accessible birds to try and see as a birder in Portland.

1. Bushtit

We’re starting this list off with the magnificent Bushtit not only because it’s a bird you can expect to see in Oregon, but because it probably has the craziest name out of any of our feathered friends on this list (however, if you do continue to spiral down the birding rabbit hole you will find that a lot of bird names are pretty out there). These tiny songbirds are plump and typically feature white, grey, or brown feathers. They’re also known to be social creatures and can sometimes be found hanging about other songbirds native to Oregon. 

Sadly, these winged creatures aren’t known for loving feeders, so you might not catch them on yours anytime soon. However, they are known to kick it around plant matter they’re familiar with, so if you have plants, trees, or shrubs native to Oregon near your abode, you have a good chance of catching sight of a Bushtit.

Ah, the mighty house finch. These petite birds feature cone-shaped beaks, which are perfect for breaking down tough seeds and showing other tree dwellers they’re not to be messed with. While female house finches have a more nondescript appearance, covered in various shades of brown, adult male house finches have bright red bursts of color descending from their heads. 

If you have a feeder and are really itching to catch a glimpse of a house finch — you’re in luck. These cheeky little flyers absolutely love their feeders and spend a great deal of time hanging around them. But, even if you don’t have a feeder, house finches are often spotted throughout city settings, so you still have a great chance of catching sight of one as a Portlander.

If you’re in the mood for a bird with a distinct appearance that’s easy to identify, the American robin is everything you could want and more in an ornithological entity. This magnificent thrush features a signature orangey-red belly and breast, along with heads and backs that can range between grey and black. 

These critters are songbirds and absolutely love bopping around looking for worms to munch on. When they’re not looking for their favorite treats to eat, they’re also known to hit a birdfeeder, so keep your eyes peeled if you’ve got one in the backyard.

The northern flicker is a fascinating bird that, unlike many of its other woodpecker counterparts (such as Woody), has a penchant for eating on the ground instead of pecking into trees. These eye-catching creatures sport black speckles across their bellies, a black breast, and sometimes even have a yellow underside to their tail feathers. Male northern flickers can often be seen flaunting what looks to be a fancy red moustache beneath their beaks. 

If you happen to have an ant colony in your backyard, this is probably the one context in which you can consider yourself lucky. These slick little devils love munching on ants and are apt to swoop in on an anthill if it catches their eye.

Now, who doesn’t love a good old hummingbird? The rufous hummingbird is what I like to refer to as the phoenix of the hummingbird world. The males of this species’ feathers almost seem to glow like a hearth, featuring a vibrant mix of oranges, reds, greys, and browns. Conversely, female rufous hummingbirds feature spots of green. 

If you’re looking for a bird with moxy, you need look no further. This brazen bird species is known to chase away other birds all the time, almost as if for sport. And, it doesn’t hurt that these buoyant critters are speed demons known for darting and dipping their way through the air.

Affectionately referred to as “Birdyoncé” by members of the Portland Government, these winged crooners live up to their playful nickname. Male song sparrows sing in order to woo fair-feathered maidens of the song sparrow species. Sadly for those less musically inclined, female song sparrows choose their mates based on their songs. 

Oftentimes, these birds have brown streaks and decently rounded heads. If you live in a more suburban part of Portland, you have a good chance of seeing one, as these lovable birds are known to hang out in neighborhoods and even hit birdfeeders every now and again.

Listen, even though we don’t always like Californians (despite the good chance we ourselves are originally from California — which is neither here nor there), you gotta give the California scrub jay a chance. These resplendent song birds are truly a sight to behold and can be an exciting bird to spot for beginning and veteran birders alike. 

California scrub jays feature blue, white, and black feathers, along with a typically short black beak. These birds can sometimes make a racket, but their sometimes annoying noises don’t distract from their wonderful and alluring appearance.

If you live in the Portland metro and are starting to get the birding bug, having some fun little adventures to throw into the mix can make your new hobby all the more exciting. And one stop I highly recommend hitting is Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach (especially if you have binocs, because the distance from shore can be significant depending on the tide). 

When I first became interested in birding, it happened to be late summer. While it was a little late, I got wind that there may still be some puffins hanging around Haystack Rock in beautiful Cannon Beach. 

Though I didn’t see a Puffin the first time I tried, the adventure of it was fun. Despite not catching a glimpse of that whimsical, cartoon-like bird, I was able to see a cormorant — however, to this day, I’m not sure if I saw a Brandt’s cormorant or a pelagic cormorant — and a common murre. 

And, don’t even get me started on the gulls. There’s a lot, and if you’re just starting out and not necessarily in the mood to do some detective work, it’s ok to just let the gulls be gulls and not try to identify all of them. 

To leave you with some encouraging words, just get out there and bird. It’s fun, and it’s a hobby you can carry with you for the rest of your life, no matter where you find yourself in the world.