Bird Watching

Bird Guide

Wooded riparian areas and sagebrush areas provide two of the most important habitats for a diversity of songbirds in this area.

At least 60 species are known to call this area home during breeding and migration periods. The most common riparian birds include the yellow warbler, yellow-breasted chat, lazuli bunting, spotted towhee, house wren, robin, song sparrow and the California quail.

Two sensitive songbird species, the brewer's sparrow (high elevation sagebrush) and the sage sparrow (lower elevation sagebrush), as well as sage-nesting species like the lark sparrow, vesper sparrow, horned lark, Western meadowlark and sage thrasher live around the Little and Big Jacks Creeks, Battlecreek and the Owyhee Corridor areas.

The Owyhee Canyonlands also provide a great habitat for nesting raptors. Since this area is bordered by the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, species such as golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, ferruginous hawks, kestrels and prairie falcons can be seen around the steep cliffs. If you are in the lower areas of the canyons near the small ponds or reservoirs, you are likely to catch a glimpse of a green-winged teal, mallard, common merganser, spotted sandpiper avocet, black-necked stilt or white-faced ibis. The juniper habitat in this area accounts for around 10,000 acres of the area where species such as the mountain bluebird, American robin, Northern flicker and yellow-rumped warblers thrive.