Finding the Fine Feathered Friends: Birds Right Now on Oregon Coast

Published 10/05/2026 at 8:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Newport, Oregon) – Some forms of bird activity are picking up along the Oregon coast as fall migration settles in, offering birders a wide range of viewing opportunities from Astoria to Tillamook County, the central coast and south to the California border. (Photo of bald eagles / Seaside Aquarium)

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) just released a great deal of advice for finding our fine feathered friends along the shores.

In Tillamook County, herons and egrets are frequent sights in farm fields where they hunt amphibians and small mammals. Bald eagle pairs continue to patrol estuaries and river corridors, often seen perched in tall snags or circling overhead.

Farther north in Clatsop County, ODFW said stormy weather will start pushing pelagic species closer to shore.

Seaside Aquarium

Soon you may spot skuas, jaegers, petrels, storm petrels, shearwaters, fulmars and, on rare occasions, an albatross.

“These species are best viewed from headlands (also the best spots for storm-watching) with good optics on clear days just following storm activity and high winds,” ODFW said.

Flooded pastures and fields also draw large numbers of waterfowl, while wading birds use these areas in nearly any condition. Some small shorebirds - “peeps” as they're sometimes called - remain challenging to identify due to subtle plumage differences, making a reliable field guide essential.

Brown pelican / Audoban Society

In Lincoln County and western Lane County, coastal estuaries and lakes are busy with herons, osprey, eagles, pelicans, pintails, widgeon, mallards and teal. Many of these species forage along estuary edges or roost in nearby trees as they prepare for their southbound migrations. Popular viewing spots include the mouth of the Salmon River, Devils Lake, Siletz Bay, Yaquina Bay, Alsea Bay, the Yachats River mouth, several lakes around Florence and the mouth of the Siuslaw River.

The south coast can be a strong migration corridor. Battle Rock Beach at Port Orford, Humbug Mountain State Park and Floras Lake at Boice Cope Park (Langlois) are reliable hotspots. Black oystercatchers - listed as an Oregon Species of Greatest Conservation Need - remain active and vocal along rocky shorelines near Bandon, Gold Beach and Cape Arago. Their sharp, shrill calls often give them away long before they are seen.

Courtesy Oregon's Adventure Coast

Late summer also brings notable concentrations of band-tailed pigeons. Drawn to elderberries, cascara and other low-calcium fruits, these birds seek out mineral springs and open hillsides with calcium-rich soil during nesting and molting. Hundreds may gather at once. Birders hoping to see these flocks should watch for pigeons congregating in trees near water sources, forest openings, bays, estuaries and landslide zones where mineral deposits are more common.

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