Audubon Society of Portland

Kids and I had a wonderful time today, looking at the amazing owls! The volunteers were so informative and gave us such great information!

I’ve always heard detrimental things about the Audubon Society, and to be honest — I bought it without experience. Now that I’ve experienced their service, staff and knowledge — I 100% support and recommend them to anyone with a bird situation that you are unsure of.
We picked up a baby pigeon in a Lloyd Center parking garage. We were unsure if it was injured or not and security had no protocol. There were no other birds around. We called and they were up front with us — pigeons were invasive and if it needed medical care, they would humanely euthanize it without treatment. Otherwise they would guide us from there.
We got there, they did an evaluation and let us know it was a baby that was too young to fly and too young to feed itself. They would keep it, without medical treatment due to the species, and release it when it was old enough.
Completely reasonable offer and course of care. I don’t know why I was worried, but I will now recommend them to anyone who asks. They were friendly, knowledgeable, and upfront. We donated some money and signed up to get more information — great business.

Lovely spot for some short easy hikes. Also got to see a big horned owl and a sparrow hawk up close. Very nice volunteers who are eager to share their love of birds.

There are really nice, short and easy hiking trails that all basically loop back to sanctuary. The Jay Trail is the longest and connects to the shorter trails, looping back to the bird sanctuary.
Great as an introductory hike for kids which is what we did — 2 elementary school aged boys (maybe 7, 8 y.o.) they LOVED it. There’s beautiful scenery and you can hear birds all over the place! There’s also the nature center with cool stuffed birds, bathroom and gift shop. You can also check out some birds they take care of such as a turkey vulture, owl and jacktail falcons — the smallest and CUTEST falcons ever! We were lucky to run into a volunteer who was taking an owl for a stroll. He introduced us to Julio the owl and explained to us how he got to the sanctuary. The owl was raised in captivity and has imprinted onto humans so he’s not afraid of then at all.
I went back after my group left and explored some more. I felt safe going by myself since the trails are frequently marked. However, the signs can be moved so you just need to hope that no one’s a jerk and changed the directions (most likely not). There’s lots of benches, a nice pond with a gazebo and a second gazebo in the old growth forest. So even though the trails on the bird sanctuary side are short and soft, you can rest as much as you want along the way!

If you have never been here, it is worth checking out. Then head out on the Wildwood trail to Pittock Mansion. Fun for the whole family.

This place is awesome! Go take a little hike in forest park and go check out the birds that they have taken in. This place does take donations as a lot of money goes into the wildlife and property.
We ended up taking a hurt crow from University Park and they gladly took him in and gave us a number to call back to check his status. He ended up having a bad sinus infection.

What a great FREE place to go and hike, explore the wildlife center and nature center. Only downfall is that there is no public transportation anywhere near here.

I am a big fan of Nature in all her myriad forms tho’ this review is not about the hikes, the bird watching excursions, or the Nature Store. My experience with the Audubon Society is of a decidedly personal nature. You see, I share my home with a killer. He is swift, precise, and pleasure-​seeking in his blood sport. In other words, I live with Ed, a Jack Russell Terrier, known far & wide in SE Portland for his wandering tendencies which always seem to occur right about Happy Hour Time. The other day he must have been feeling peckish & went in for the kill on a large male squirrel who was hapless enough to venture into our yard. Instead of doing The Smart Thing, I intervened. The squirrel survived & I spent my time feeding him droplets of water from a syringe. It was a sad situation & my vet does not see wild animals as patients. This guy’s back legs were paralyzed & I knew he would quit eating. Couldn’t bear the thought of allowing him to starve to death, so I phoned the Audubon Society.
I packed Mr. Nutz into a towel, then placed him in a jam jar box. He didn’t resist but watched me the entire time. He allowed me to pet him so I felt even more guilty due to our ‘bonding’…The Audubon folks were incredibly kind to me, despite my blubbering. There was no fee for their vet services, tho’ I am planning on sending in a donation. It was a rough day, tho’ I am convinced this was the humane way of dealing with the whole debacle. Ed spent the rest of the day sulking… Go for the hikes & birding, but also know that they offer services of all kinds. Consider a donation — they really do good work.

Was able to see wild birds up close including an owl that was tethered to a caretakers arm. Beautiful area and trails. You will forget you’re anywhere near Portland!

Disclaimer: I am not a bird person.
This doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy or appreciate birds… I just don’t know what I’m looking at most of the time. But one of my friends regularly volunteers at The Audubon Society and when it was time to get my charity on last year, I decided to become a member.
Most places give you a thank you letter followed by tons of junk mail requesting more money. The Audubon Society invited me to a New Member Reception to introduce me to their services and «Meet the Raptors.» Take note, Mercy Corps! For the cost of some cheese and crackers, they’ve probably secured a lifetime donor.
My focus this year is to find local businesses where people are passionate about their product and services and the staff at Audubon Society (mostly volunteers) blew me away. So does their mission to «promote the understanding, enjoyment, and protection of native birds, other wildlife and their habitats.»
Donations are used to secure greenspace in the metro area and beyond, including the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge and the 150-​acre nature sanctuary nestled in Forest Park. They also installed a new furnace at Chapman Elementary School so the chimney is safe for the annual migration of Swifts (
). The wildlife care center treats over 3,000 animals a year and some birds that cannot be released back into the wild become education birds used in programs offered at the center and in local schools.
So while I still can’t tell a finch from a falcon (OK, I’m not quite that bad), I have a greater appreciation that a thriving bird population is indicative of a healthy environment. And the next time I bike along the Springwater Corridor, I will say a thank you to my new feathered friends.

Even if you’ve lived in Portland for a long time, you might not have made it to the Audubon Society of Portland, a preserve and education center within Forest Park.
Several miles of trails serve as easy loops to explore the 150 acre property, while others connect to the (much) larger Forrest Park trail system. There are some old growth groves, and a creek flows through the area. A great ecosystem for native birds. It is removed from the city, but the signs of the civilization are ever-​present — not exactly the sort of place you would want to do to get away from it all. For better or worse, dogs aren’t allowed on the trails.
Even if you aren’t lucky enough to spot a bird on your walk, you can see quite a few at the wildlife care center that is on the property. Well cared for, disabled native birds are on display when they aren’t serving as «education birds» for local presentations. Right now, they have a great-​horned owl, a northern spotted owl, a red-​tailed hawk, a kestrel, a turkey vulture, a peregrine falcon and a raven. Hazel, the spotted owl, is my personal favorite. Volunteers and staff are happy to answer questions and talk about birds.
The onsite store is great. Anything that an aspiring or experienced birder could want. Books, feeders, seed, field glasses. Its not all «bird geek» — they have a nice collection of more general outdoors/​environment books and some toys for the kiddies. Its a good place to keep in mind for gift shopping, especially for people with a connection with the outdoors.
Keep the Audubon Society in mind for when you need to get away without leaving Portland. You’ll be glad you did.

This is a great place to walk. There are several trails over 4.5 miles. Lots of beautiful mature trees, streams, and plants.