Wading birds are long-legged, long-billed birds that tend to hunt their prey in the shallows of wetlands. In our area they include herons, bitterns, egrets, cranes, rails, and coots.
Great Blue Heron – Our county’s most iconic bird, they hunt fish, frogs, rodents, and invertebrates in our waterways and meadows. (photo © Jon Hakim)
Green Heron – Less common and not as easily spotted as the Great Blue Heron, preferring to remain hidden in small trees or brush at the waterway’s edge. (photo © guyincognito )
Black-crowned Night Heron – This nocturnal heron is found across most of 5 continents, though it is rarely recorded west of the Cascades. (photo © Craig Hensley )
American Bittern – An extremely difficult bird to spot, well-camouflaged and wary in marsh vegetation, freezing in an upright position when disturbed. (photo © dpdawes )
Great Egret – Our most common egret, can be identified by its large size, yellow bill, and black feet. Closer related to Great Blue Heron than to the Snowy Egret. (photo © Peter Pearsall USFWS )
Snowy Egret – Rarely seen here, can be distinguished from Great Egret due to its smaller size, black bill and bright yellow feet. (photo © Jon Hakim)
Cattle Egret – A worldwide species, but almost never spotted here. Short yellow beak, brown breeding plumage, and small size distinguish it from other egrets. (photo © Bill Carroll )
Greater Sandhill Crane – Our tallest bird, mostly found in eastern Oregon but there is a population on Sauvie Island. Listed as a sensitive species by the ODFW. (photo © Mike Carlo USFWS )
Virginia Rail – This little wading bird hides in the thick vegetation of marshes and thus is rarely seen except by astute observers. (photo © Tom Murray )
Yellow Rail – Our smallest rail, uncommon in Oregon and virtually never goes into the open, so sightings are rare. Listed as a Sensitive Species by the ODFW. (photo © Rich Kostecke )
Sora – Larger than Yellow Rail with thicker bill and grey neck. Juveniles are brown, but have a different back pattern and are more likely than Yellow Rail to be seen in open. (photo © Reuven Martin )
American Coot – This common black bird is often mistaken for a duck, but the shape of its feet and bill betray it as a member of the crane and rail family. (photo © cgates326 )
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