THE KLAMATH BASIN
BIRDING IN OREGON
If an outstanding, diverse, productive bird watching trip is what you are after, Running Y Ranch is definitely the right place for you. Situated near the Southern Oregon/Northern California state line, the Klamath Basin Birding Trail includes 47 birding locations where birding enthusiasts can spot more than 350 species among the mountains and marshes of the area.
It is estimated that three-quarters of the waterfowl on the Pacific Flyway stop in the Klamath Basin surrounding The Ranch each year. This means 1 to 2 million ducks and geese, plus songbirds, owls, hawks and more, call the Klamath Basin home at least part of the year. For good reason, the Klamath Basin has been rated #1 on Sunset Magazine's list of Fantastic Five Birding Destinations in the West, and it truly is a bird watching destination not to be missed.
The Klamath Basin sits between the Cascade Mountains to the west and the high desert and the Great Basin to the east. A wide variety of habitats converge here, providing for incredible biodiversity, including open water, marshes, meadows, coniferous forests, juniper woodlands, sagebrush grasslands, oak-chaparral, and rocky cliffs. These rich ecosystems plus serviceberry, sage, juniper, ponderosa, oak, bitter cherry, bitterbrush, and dozens more species of plants and shrubs attract and support a wide range of wildlife.
Crater Lake National Park
Mountainous areas in the Basin include Crater Lake and its surrounding National Park, reaching to nearly 9,000 feet, and vast areas of National Forest. The forests provide habitat for Mountain Quail, Black-backed Woodpecker, Gray Jay, Northern Goshawk, and eleven owl species.
Lava Beds National Monument
The strongly contrasting landscape of Lava Beds National Monument in the south borders the sage grasslands of the Great Basin and provides habitat for characteristic species such as Sage Thrasher, Brewer's Sparrow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and Gray Flycatcher.
History of the Klamath Basin
Historically, the Klamath Basin was dominated by approximately 185,000 acres of shallow lakes and freshwater marshes. These extensive wetlands attracted peak fall concentrations of over six million waterfowl and supported abundant populations of other water birds, including the American white pelican, double crested cormorant, and several heron species. In 1905, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation initiated the Klamath Reclamation Project to convert the lakes and marshes of the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake areas to agricultural lands. As these wetlands receded, the reclaimed lands were open to agricultural development and settlement. Today, less than 25% of the historic wetlands remain.
Six National Wildlife refuges were established to conserve much of the Basin’s remaining wetland habitat. These are the Lower Klamath, Tule Lake, and Clear Lake Refuges in northern California, and Bear Valley, Upper Klamath and Klamath Marsh Refuges in southern Oregon. Today these refuges continue to boast a huge diversity of wildlife and birds, and attract thousands of visitors a year to view this wildlife and the beautiful natural world.
Running Y Ranch is located on Upper Klamath Lake.
