As Jaime Stephens, KBO Director of Conservation, prepares to embark on this year’s journey to Brazil, we are excited to announce that registration is now open for our 2027 Brazil trip!
As we finish up another field season, we reflect upon 25 years of success with gratitude for your support. Looking back, we recognize that we truly couldn’t do this work […]
Looking for a memorable summer outing for the whole family? Join Klamath Bird Observatory for a unique, fun, and family-friendly visit to a bird banding station near beautiful Upper Klamath Lake! During this half-day field outing on August 21st, you will have the chance to learn about resident and migratory birds and see some of them up close. Participants will meet KBO scientists and bird banding interns, learn how bird banding supports conservation science, and get a behind-the-scenes look at field research in action. This is a free family friendly event.
Join Klamath Bird Observatory in Ashland, Oregon, September 24–28, 2026, for an immersive bird photography workshop featuring four guided field trips and five hands-on learning sessions. Participants will practice photographing perched birds and birds in flight, strengthen their camera and composition skills, and learn how to organize, edit, and prepare their images for sharing or printing. Whether you are an experienced photographer or hoping to build your bird photography skills, this workshop offers a supportive opportunity to learn in the field and alongside fellow bird enthusiasts.
Klamath Bird Observatory Senior Research Biologist Dr. Sarah Rockwell recently joined the Hannah and Erik Go Birding podcast to discuss the Oregon Vesper Sparrow and KBO’s efforts to better understand and conserve this imperiled bird. During the episode, Sarah introduces listeners to this modest-looking grassland sparrow and explains how its population can help us understand the health of the habitats it depends on throughout its annual cycle.
Join us on Tuesday, July 28 at 2:00 PM for a special eBird Northwest presentation exploring how the Oregon and Washington State Wildlife Action Plans, often called SWAPs, connect with bird data, community science, and on-the-ground conservation.
*NEW* Klamath Bird Observatory’s 2026–2027 Conservation Science Stamp celebrates the Rufous Hummingbird, one of the West’s most remarkable migratory pollinators and a powerful symbol of connected habitat conservation. Tiny but mighty, Rufous Hummingbirds weigh less than a nickel and can travel thousands of miles between breeding areas in the Pacific Northwest, Canada, and Alaska, and wintering areas in Mexico and the southeastern United States. Their annual journey depends on native flowers, insects, forests, meadows, riparian areas, post-fire landscapes, and safe migration stopovers across western North America. Your stamp purchase supports KBO’s mission to advance bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships.
Looking for a memorable summer outing for the whole family? Join Klamath Bird Observatory for a unique, fun, and family-friendly visit to a bird banding station near beautiful Upper Klamath Lake!
We are offering two opportunities to visit the station this summer:
Wednesday, July 15 Friday, July 24
During this half-day field outing, you will have the chance to learn about resident and migratory birds and see some of them up close. Participants will meet KBO scientists and bird banding interns, learn how bird banding supports conservation science, and get a behind-the-scenes look at field research in action.
Klamath Bird Observatory is excited to help welcome the Western Field Ornithologists’ 50th Annual Conference to Ashland, Oregon, September 17–20, 2026. This milestone gathering will bring birders, researchers, conservation practitioners, students, and field ornithology enthusiasts to the Rogue Valley for four days of birding, science, skill-building, and community.
Western Field Ornithologists hosts a multi-day annual conference each year, featuring scientific presentations, field trips, workshops, panels, a keynote address, the annual membership meeting, and community events. In 2026, WFO will celebrate five decades of field ornithology with a special anniversary conference centered in Ashland, with field trips exploring the diverse habitats of southern Oregon.
KBO is proud to partner with WFO on this important event, alongside support from the Oregon Birding Association. As a regional organization dedicated to bird conservation through science, education, and partnerships, KBO is es…
Klamath Bird Observatory’s Thomas McLaren was recently featured in a Pacific Crest Trail Association blog post exploring the fascinating relationship between Clark’s nutcrackers and whitebark pine in the Southern California Mountains.
In the article, Tom shares insights from his previous research on Clark’s nutcrackers, a bird species known for its remarkable memory and important role in dispersing whitebark pine seeds. This mutualistic relationship is especially important as whitebark pine faces serious threats from disease, insects, and changing environmental conditions.
