Oregon Coast Wildlife

Protect Oregon Wildlife

Species We Treat

Common Murre Uria aalge

Common Murre live off the Oregon Coast year-round and are visible sporadically throughout the year, and daily during the breeding season on offshore rocks and cliffs along the coast.

Tufted Puffin Fratercula cirrhata

Puffins remain off of the Oregon Coast year round. During the breeding season they are visible at nesting sites along the coastline with major breeding sites located in the northern part of the state.

Western Gull Larus occidentalis

Several species of gulls can be seen year-round on the Oregon Coast and further inland including Western Gulls, but Western Gulls are the only species that nest on Rocky Shores.

Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias

Great blue herons are common throughout the state. Along the coast, we see them in shallow marshes, streams, lakes, and on rocky shores hunting for fish and aquatic invertebrates. They also can be found on dry land hunting for rodents.

Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis

Northern Fulmars breed primarily in high Arctic Canada and on islands in the Bering sea. They can be found off the coast of Oregon from late fall through winter, and are most visible by boat rafting in the open ocean.

Western Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis

Western grebes commonly breed in eastern Oregon and west of the Cascades at the Fern Hill reservoir. During the winter most grebes migrate to the coast, and can be found taking refuge in sheltered estuaries and bays staying close to the shore.

Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani

Black Oystercatchers can be seen along the shoreline in groups during the winter or reliably close to their individual nest sites during the breeding season including established sites in Cannon Beach, Lincoln City, and Newport.

Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla

Black-legged kittiwakes are migratory birds, nesting alongside Northern fulmars in and around arctic regions. They regularly spend their winters off the Oregon coast during their migrations, and can easily be seen offshore by boat.

Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius

Red phalaropes can be found off the Oregon coast during spring and fall migrations, and sometimes can be seen resting onshore. They are irregularly uncommon to common off the coast during the winter, and have even been spotted as far inland as Portland.