Common Birds of Washington State (USA)

The iconic flagship of Pacific Northwest old-growth conservation battles — requires ancient forest with large snags; the Olympic Peninsula's rain forests are the most accessible habitat.

The only alcid that nests inland — uses the massive branches of ancient Sitka spruce and Douglas-fir as nest platforms up to 75 km from the sea; critically threatened by old-growth logging.

The most spectacular duck in the Pacific Northwest — the harlequin-patterned male rides rolling whitewater rapids; the Wenatchee River in spring is one of the USA's best sites.

Bobs incessantly on midstream boulders before diving into the current — North America's only aquatic songbird nests behind waterfalls and sings through Cascade winters.

The defining sound of Pacific Northwest rain forest — the haunting, single-note whistle echoing through misty Sitka spruce forest is unforgettable once heard.

Restricted to ponderosa pine forest on the eastern Cascades slopes — the Teanaway area and Wenas Creek are consistently productive for this bold black-and-white woodpecker.

Washington's sagebrush country east of the Cascades hosts small but persistent Sage-Grouse lek sites — the dawn display of males inflating their yellow air sacs is one of conservation's great recoveries.

Washington's mountain lakes host one of the Pacific Northwest's largest Barrow's Goldeneye breeding populations — Puget Sound winters the birds, showing their purple-glossed heads.