Crooked River Hwy 27

Habitat and Birds

The road runs through farmland, juniper forest, sage flats, and canyons.  In the farmland, watch for Western Meadowlark, Western Kingbird, plenty of raptors in the winter.  The canyon can produce Canyon Wren, Chukar, and Rock Wren. The riparian areas along this river can be very productive during migration. Lazuli Bunting, Bullock’s Oriole, and Yellow-breasted Chat nest in these areas and Golden Eagles nest on the cliffs above. Prairie Falcons and Western Screech-Owls also nest here. In winter, the canyon is a good place to find Northern Saw-Whet Owls that use the canyon for shelter. Yellow Warblers are everywhere in the summer months. Prineville Reservoir can be seen from the dam producing views of waterfowl. Once you climb out of the canyon, you will enter sagebrush-juniper steppe. Gray Flycatchers, Black-throated Gray Warblers, and Ash-throated Flycatchers are here in summer. Townsend’s Solitaires and American Robins are the dominate birds in winter. Near the junction of Hwy 20, look and listen for sagebrush-associated species like Sage Thrasher and Sagebrush Sparrow. Be mindful of the Deschutes County border if you are county birding.  It’s unmarked and about 2 miles north of Hwy 20.