Reserve a Program

Intermediate Birding by Ear

Summer Camp: 3rd-5th Grade

Rio Grande Valley: The Tropical Birds of Texas

Travel to the famed Lower Rio Grande Valley, home to some of the most intriguing birds in the United States. We’ll enjoy Green Jay, Altamira and Audubon Orioles, Plain Chachalacas, and hope for some of the thrilling rarities that make this area so unique. Along the way we’ll learn about the ecological and humanitarian challenges along the border and in the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge system.

Kenya

Join Portland Audubon on the wildlife trip of a lifetime! Kenya is renowned for its remarkable diversity of landscapes, animals, and cultures. Kenya boasts over 1100 species of birds, all of Africa’s “Big 5” mammals, large herds of grazing herbivores, plus fascinating history, friendly people, and delicious food. We’ll explore a wide variety of habitats, including savanna, wetlands, semi-arid scrubland, desert Lava, highland forest, montane grasslands, and rare equatorial forest. Our trip coincides with the migration of many birds to and from Asia and Europe, and many resident species will be sporting fancy breeding plumage, so we are likely to experience an unparalleled array of avifauna. Please select whether you are a member or non-member. You will then be given the option to pay only the deposit now, or the entire cost of the trip.

PNW Trip: Steens & Alvord Desert

Steens Mountain is one of Oregon’s most spectacular natural areas and it is beautiful in the fall. Rising to almost ten thousand feet high in the southeast corner of the state it presides over alkali desert, oceans of sagebrush and the wildlife-rich marshlands of the Malheur Basin. From our base in historic Frenchglen we’ll spend three full days enjoying the birds and mammals of this diverse landscape.

PNW Ecotour: Ice Age Floods

Travel the path of the great Ice Age Floods from Missoula to Portland on this popular geology, birding, and wildlife tour. Our journey begins in western Montana, where a great lake once covered 3,000 square miles of land, before bursting through a massive ice dam and carving many of the geologic wonders we marvel at today. From the giant ripples of Camas Prairie to the astonishing channeled scablands of eastern Washington, the dizzying Grand Coulee and the awesome Columbia River Gorge, this tour keeps you in the flow throughout.

Pacific Northwest Trip: Grays Harbor Shorebirds

Early September is the perfect time to enjoy shorebird migration. Join Portland Audubon and explore the West Coast birding hotspot of Grays Harbor! From Marbled Godwit flocks in Westport to Sooty Shearwater on the horizon, this trip will excite any birdwatcher and ocean lover

Shorebirds & Boreal Birds of British Columbia

Join British Columbia expert, Stefan Schlick, on this unusual late summer trip that includes habitats as opposite as coast and mountains. Birds are no longer singing, but migration of shorebirds and passerines is already in full swing. At Boundary Bay, migration of shorebirds will be in full swing. Red Knot, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Stilt Sandpiper are all possible. At ManningProvincial Park we will look for Boreal Chickadee, Three-toed Woodpecker, Pine Grosbeak, and Spruce  
Grouse. On top of fantastic migration birding, we will spend time in the picturesque Vancouver, BC.

The New School of Birding, Module 3.

Module 3 will focus on the Wonders of Migration. We’ll delve into the mysteries of how birds stay on course, how scientists measure migration, systems of feather molt, the amazing journeys of long-distance migrants, and much more. As in all New School of Birding programs, these ornithology lessons will be combined with instruction and practice of our field craft.

Pacific Northwest Trip: Idaho’s Cassia Crossbill

See the American Birding Association’s newest species in the South Hills of Idaho! Because of the absence of red squirrels in Idaho’s South Hills, Cassia Crossbills are about 20 times more common than the Red Crossbill. We’ll take a compelling and exciting trip from Portland to Twin Falls, seeking summer specialties in various mountain and wetland habitats along the way. This is a van-based trip and complete vaccinations are required.

Pacific Northwest Trip: Birds, Plants, and Bugs of Mt. Adams

This is the time to go to Mt. Adams! While bird song is winding down, there should still be lots of singers out and about. Butterflies and dragonflies will not be ignored on this trip! We will spend time in the fabulous marshes of Trout Lake to look for Veery, Gray Catbird, Yellow-breasted Chat, and warblers. Another special treat will be the dry forest and marshes of Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge where we will be looking for Eastern Kingbird, Grasshopper Sparrow, White-headed Woodpecker, and Gray Flycatcher.

Summer Camp: 6th-8th Grade

Summer Camp: 1st and 2nd Grade

Audubon Birding Day: Birding by Ear in Wasco County

Head to Oregon’s “dryside” to practice birding by ear with brodie Cass Talbott. We’ll explore dry prairie habitats in search of birds like Townsend’s Solitaire, Vesper Sparrow, and Western Meadowlark. This trip is the companion to our “Birding by Ear: East of the Cascades” class.

Pacific Northwest Trip: Yakima

Yakima provides easy access to a variety of habitats as we search for avian highlights such as Long-billed Curlew, Burrowing Owl, Eastern Kingbird, Redhead, and Calliope Hummingbird. As we move through the region, we will also enjoy a lovely assortment of wildflowers, butterflies, and dragonflies.

PNW Trip: Okanogan

Escape the lingering pandemic and join Okanogan birding expert Stefan Schlick on this unique tour to the Okanogan. Stefan has done countless trips to the area and knows all the right spots. With its diverse habitats, it is the area in Washington State with the highest number of breeding bird species. The scenery is fabulous, even after last year’s wildfires. Boreal forest, pinelands, riparian, lush meadows, lakes and rivers, sagebrush steppe, the Okanogan has got it all! You will never forget this trip!

Audubon Birding Day: Klickitat River Butterflies & Birds

Join Stefan in the Klickitat River region of Washington state. A highlight will be searching for the rare Goldhunter's Hairstreak and birds such as Nashville Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Lewis’s Woodpecker.

Pacific Northwest Trip: Woodpeckers of Wasco

Wasco County holds the distinction of having the most breeding species of woodpecker of any county in the United States, with all 12 of Oregon’s breeding species represented. We’ll try for all 12 (with 8-9 more likely). Along the way, we’ll traverse from montane forest to oak woodland and sagebrush steppe, enjoying the changing bird life as we go.

Dragonfly Basics, Part II

A primer on dragonflies and damselflies between Eugene, Oregon and Bellingham, Washington. In part two, we will finish with darners then look at skimmers, meadowhawks, spreadwings, all damselflies, and some oddballs.

Dragonfly Basics, Part I

A primer on dragonflies and damselflies between Eugene, Oregon and Bellingham, Washington. In part one we will cover dragonfly biology basics and begin to cover darners.

Beginning Birding Field Trips

New to birding? Come spend time in the field with an experienced birder ready to help you identify birds by sight, sound, and behavior and improve your skills. Get to know each site’s birdlife in a relaxed educational setting.

Seabird Identification: Nearshore and Offshore Birds

Join seabird biologist and birder Greg Smith and learn to identify seabirds by sight, flight manner, and wing morphology. May through June is a great time to learn and practice your seabird identification. After taking this class you will be ready to identify seabirds at a distance, which is often the case for this group of birds. Whether you are birding from shore or lucky enough to land a spot on a pelagic trip, this class will get you ready by focusing on the behavior of these birds in flight, as too often we only get a fleeting glimpse before they disappear into the fog.

Birds of a Feather: Vireonidae: Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, Erporni

There are around 10,000 bird species on this planet, and this series will introduce you to some of the families that make up the class of birds known as Aves. We will review each family's evolutionary history, distribution, natural history, fun facts, and look at conservation concerns for the family as a whole. This class is intended for birders who are looking for a deeper understanding of avian taxonomy and biology. Perhaps you’ve been up on Mt. Tabor and heard the zu-wee of the Hutton’s Vireo, or the rambling call of the Warbling Vireo and thought who are these little songbirds related to? We will examine the evolutionary history, anatomy, physiology, and natural history of Vireonidae, the family of vireos, shrike-babblers, and Erpornis.

Pacific Northwest Trip: Rogue Valley

California birds -- in Oregon! On this three-day ramble through the beautiful Rogue Valley, we will search for some of Oregon’s hardest to find species, such as Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Oak Titmouse, and California Towhee.

Pacific Northwest Trip: Central Oregon

Explore the birding hotspots of central Oregon where many habitats are accessible within a short drive. Amid this region’s natural wonders up to 11 species of woodpeckers can be found, the third highest woodpecker diversity in the world.

Amazon River Cruise

Travel with Portland Audubon on a once-in-a-lifetime cruise through the heart of upper Amazonia, on the largest river in the world! The Amazonian region boasts more than 120 endemic species and may be the most biologically diverse place on the planet – a true paradise. We will bird on a variety of tropical forest walks, observe wildlife and explore canals and lagoons by watercraft, and take in the Peruvian culture and history.