A smaller dimension of Portland

By Meenakshi Rao
The Portland Upside
June 2009

American Kestrel (Photo by Seth Reams)

I am perched 30 stories above the Portland Chinese Garden looking down at the Willamette as it makes its way towards the Columbia River. The beautiful arch of the Fremont Bridge and the rusty-orange of the Broadway Bridge spread out before me.

A buzz of conversation fills the air at the Portland City Grill, where a group of us celebrates a friend’s birthday. Suddenly a hush descends. All eyes focus outside on a bird, wings outspread, effortless and graceful, soaring, dipping, and riding the thermals high above the river and the city.

Questions arise that cannot be answered by the group. What kind of bird is it? Is it common or is it rare? Is it a year-round inhabitant of Portland or just visiting? Where does it nest? What does it eat?

We learn from a waiter that the bird is a red-tailed hawk that nests nearby. And yes, red-tailed hawks are very common in Portland.

As we leave, I think to myself, “Wouldn’t it be nice to able to identify the birds of Portland just as I can readily identify its important landmarks?”

So when I get home I consult Metro’s “Portland Metropolitan Area Bird Checklist,” and make myself the following short list of about 25 common year-round birds from the full list of about 200 birds.

And now I’m on my way to appreciating another – smaller – dimension of Portland.

American Crow
American Kestrel
American Robin
Black-capped Chickadee
Brewer’s Blackbird
Bushtit
Canada Goose
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Downy Wookpecker
European Starling (introduced)
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Great Blue Heron
House Finch
House Sparrow (introduced)
Killdeer
Mallard
Northern Flicker
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-winged Blackbird
Rock pigeon (introduced)
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Steller’s Jay
Western Scrub Jay
White-crowned Sparrow