The number, variety, color, character and behavior of bird species worldwide is incredible.  Add the intriguing possibility of a dinosaurian lineage and the class of animals we call Aves are a dazzling study.  There are 8700 living species estimated throughout the world today.  Aves consists of 2 Subclasses,  the True Birds and the Ancestral (extinct) Birds.  True Birds comprise 27 living orders worldwide, just nine of which do not have at least one wildlife representative in the Northwest.  We are without Penguins, Ostriches, Rheas, Cassowaries and Emus, Kiwis, Tinamous, Mousebirds, Parrots, and the Trogons.  These species are either inhabitants of tropical, sub-tropical, or arctic regions.

A Snowy Owl (Nictea scandiaca) on the left. Normally an owl of more northern lattitudes, fluctuations in the lemming populations sometimes make this beautiful bird very common in Washington.  The well known, but seldom seen, Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) on the right. 25 inches from beak to tail feather with a 60 inch wingspan.

So what does that leave us with?  A lot.  For the purpose of NWWOL the avian wildlife referenced here includes any species, migratory, transient, or permanent.  If there is a chance that you can see it, it is listed here.  I estimate that the Northwest is home to at least 18 Orders of birds that represent over 152 species.  From the Great Grey Owl with its five foot wingspan to the tiny Rufous Hummingbird our Northwest fields and forests abound with avian wildlife.  Expansive sea coasts, deep forests, and deserts add a touch of variety to our bird life unlike any other region in the United States. 

A Rock Dove, Columba livia, more commonly recognized as the ever present city pigeon.  This is a common bird with some uncommon attributes.  Originally an inhabitant of steep cliffs this species was domesticated in Europe and introduced in America.  Note the beautiful refractive rainbow surrounding this male's neck.   Should he mate successfully he and his partner will form a lifelong bond.  Pigeons produce a type of "pigeon milk" for the first food of their young.  Tough and exceptionally adaptable, these birds have resisted numerous metropolitan eradication attempts for many years.  In another example of how beautifully they have adapted to man, recent experiments reveal that pigeons have learned to use our roads and highways as navigation aides.

Read More About Birds Here

     A bird's eye eastward journey begins over the open ocean with gulls, pelicans, and cormorants.  These masters of ocean air currents give way to the shorebirds:  oystercatchers, sandpipers, sanderlings, and plovers.  Inland, Bald Eagles soar out from Point Defiance while ibis, godwits, and stilts populate the salt marshes.  Herons, egrets, cranes, and coots populate freshwater marshes while ducks, geese, swans, loons, and falcons prefer larger bodies of fresh water.  The deep forest is home to ravens, owls, woodpeckers, and nuthatches.  They in turn concede the landscape to kestrels, sparrows, and larks.  Cities and backyards ring to the sounds of robins, mockingbirds, song sparrows, and the cackling crackling variety of crow calls. 

Even in these regretfully poor photos the differences between crow and raven are apparent.  Note the larger, bent beak and distinctive head of the raven (on right).  Ravens are also considerably larger birds than crows.

The Common Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) forms close knit families; youngsters often stay to help raise their younger brothers and sisters.  The Common Raven (Corvus corax) is a large, clever bird who has formed an established relationship with wolves; find wolves and you'll find ravens. 

     Naming and describing every species of Northwest avian wildlife is a Herculean task suited for a birder more talented than me.  But I have tried to list all the known species and and in the weeks ahead I'll describe those that you are most likely to see. 

     A caution before proceeding further.  Bird watching is contagious; a hobby that has been known to overwhelm some folks.  No other other group of terrestrial animals is so full of life, movement, color, and complexity as the birds.  Crows attempting to steal robin eggs, king fishers spearing prey in the ocean, little lighting movements of nuthatches and finches; mysterious unseen booms in the night from great horned owls, a woodpecker's machine gun echo in the forest, metallic red throat flashes as hummingbirds fight for territory - this is mesmerizing stuff.  So be careful.  You might not be able to get enough.

Can you spot the American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) on the left?  Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) in a typical swimming posture.  The name cormorant is derived from the French "Sea Crow"