Powell Butte w/ RoseCityBirdCollective

Date & Time: Saturday, October 3 · 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Location: Powell Butte Visitor Center
16160 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR 97236

Accessibility Information
Parking: Moderate (Large parking lot, but it gets busy)
Restroom Access: Standard/ADA Restrooms
Pace: Easy
Distance: 2-3 Miles
Trail Conditions: Mostly flat, gravel paths but some trails include areas of uneven natural surfaces, so comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

Join our Discord for more walk opportunities! https://discord.gg/WxVkGj8mQy

Join Trevor and Kathy for an early-October bird walk at Powell Butte Nature Park, one of Portland’s best locations for experiencing fall migration. The park’s mix of open grasslands, shrub habitat, forested slopes, and sweeping views of the surrounding region creates opportunities to see everything from sparrows and woodland birds to migrating raptors.

By early October, fall migration is well underway and the bird community is beginning to shift toward its winter lineup. White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows are returning in numbers, while Dark-eyed Juncos, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and other cool-season birds become increasingly noticeable along the wooded edges and trails. Some lingering migrants may still be passing through, and the butte’s open summit and elevated position make it an excellent place to watch for Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, American Kestrels, and other raptors moving through or hunting over the grasslands.

This beginner-friendly walk will move at a relaxed pace with frequent stops to listen for birds in the forest, search the brushy edges for sparrows and other songbirds, and scan the open skies and grasslands for raptors. We’ll talk about fall migration, identifying some of Portland’s newly arriving winter birds, and the seasonal transition taking place at Powell Butte as autumn settles into the region.