You might not be surprised to learn that we have several avid avian fans on staff at The Nature Conservancy! We asked a few colleagues to share their favorite birds and memories:

Jaclyn Bringuez, Associate Director of Philanthropy
American crows are my favorite bird: They are smart, beautiful, and loyal. But my favorite birding memory happens to be a very recent one. A flock of band tailed pigeons showed up in my yard a few weeks ago and haven't left! They grew from a pair of two to a flock of five! I love seeing them each day.

My favorite Washington place for birding would have to be the Hoh Rainforest. I am waiting on when I can finally catch a glimpse of the marbled murrelet! Someday...

Marsh wren. Photo by Duke Coonrad/TNC Photo Contest 2019

Debra Crespin, Associate Director of Philanthropy
I love marsh wrens. They are year-round residents, have a raspy and funny song, and are expert in hiding in tall reeds of wet marshes.

A favorite birding memory in Washington is my first Audubon trip out to the Skagit Valley. It was early winter, and we stopped counting bald eagles after a hundred or so. They were everywhere! (This was 20+ years ago).

My favorite Washington place for birding is the Union Bay Natural Area. It has incredible diversity and is close to where I live! And, of course, the Skagit Valley continues to be a wonderful spot.

Courtney Baxter, Puget Sound Conservation Coordinator
It is tough to pick a favorite; there are so many amazing birds. But if I had to pick, I'd say the northern pygmy owl because just LOOK AT THOSE CUTIES. Also, they are such fierce, tiny birds!

Pygmy owl. Photo by Amber Mathes/TNC Photo Contest 2019

They're not much bigger than a house sparrow, but they've been known to take prey up to 3x their own size, such as northern flickers and even chickens! They have a pair of spots on the back of the neck that looks like eyes, which scientists think may help fool attackers or mobbers into thinking the owl is watching them. I’ve only heard of this feature in mammals! ALSO, most owls have asymmetrically placed ears as well as flattened facial discs around their eyes to give them better hearing, but these guys DON'T—likely because they are fancy diurnal owls.

A favorite memory is when I went birding in Guyana. I saw hoatzins, which are by far the coolest birds I've seen in the wild. They're like little, feathery dinosaurs with claws on their wings.

Hoatzin. Photo by Gabriel Belloc/TNC Photo Contest 2019

For favorite birding spots, I love Union Bay for its proximity, as well as Discovery Park, but Moses Coulee probably wins. I love dry weather birds! Pretty typical coming from this desert rat! (I grew up in Phoenix, AZ). I have yet to see a sage grouse but will likely lose my mind if/when i do!

Brittany Gallagher, External Affairs Manager

My husband works at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and heard that migrating Vaux’s swifts (Chaetura vauxi) would be coming through soon. There is a regional network of watchers, and birders in Portland and Chehalis let those in south Puget Sound know to watch for them this week. They circle around chimneys (as a stand-in for the large hollow trees they prefer) and diving in as the sun sets. It was like a beautiful tornado of tiny birds.

Join us for virtual birding!