Tumalo Reservoir
Seasons
Checklists
Location
From Bend, travel west on Highway 20 heading toward Sisters. After a few miles, you will go down a hill and go near the tiny town of Tumalo. On your left (south) look for Bailey Road. Take a left on Bailey Road. This road will wind around as it climbs out of the canyon. When it straightens out, it becomes Tumalo Reservoir Road. Take this road until it ends. Cross the bridge at the end and enter a dirt road area. Soon you will see places to park and access the reservoir. There is no access off the main road.
DirectionsHabitat and Birds
This is a small reservoir surrounded by juniper, sagebrush and ponderosa forest. Often the reservoir dries up revealing extensive mud banks good for migrating shorebirds. The surrounding area is good for Mountain Bluebirds and sparrows. Common birds here include an assortment of ducks and geese, a variety of grebes, a good mix of shorebirds and waders in season, one of the most diverse populations of gulls and terns in Central Oregon and plenty of neotropic migrants in spring and fall. Rarities reported from this location include Red-breasted Merganser, Red-necked Grebe, Clark’s Grebe, Great Egret, maybe the best location in Central Oregon for Red-shouldered Hawk, Willet, Sanderling, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, Sabine’s Gull, Short-billed Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Long-tailed Jaeger, Blue Jay, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Gray Catbird, Black-and-white Warbler and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Nearby Birding Locations
- River Walk from The Old Mill-South Loop (Bend)
- NF 430 Off Skyliners Road
- Robert W. Sawyer State Park (Bend)
- River Walk from The Old Mill-North Loop (Bend)
- Tumalo State Park
- Tumalo Falls
- Entrada/Awbrey Hall Burn (Bend)
- Drake Park (Bend)
- First Street River Trail (Bend)
- Deschutes River Trail
- Twin Bridges
- Shevlin Park
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