Bird Checklists of the United States Bird Checklists of the United States Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge Umatilla, Oregon Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge lies along the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington. Its 23,000 acres of open water, wetlands, cropland, riparian wood lands, and desert shrub steppe support a diverse wildlife community. It is also a migration and wintering stop for thousands of birds in the Pacific Flyway. Wintering geese number nearly 30,000 and over 200,000 ducks, mostly mallards, make the refuge their winter home.
Winter also brings bald eagles and tundra swans to the refuge.
Spring is heralded by the return of the long-billed curlew and burrowing owls. Summer is a quiet time, resident birds are raising their young and broods of California quail and ring-necked pheasants are seen. Fall migrants such as cinnamon teal begin arriving in early September to feed and rest from their journeys. This list contains 208 species of birds seen in the varied refuge habitats. The relative abundances printed in this checklist indicate how frequently you might expect to see a bird in its favored habitat.