CORVALLIS, Ore. — At Oregon State University’s Oak Creek Center for Urban Horticulture, signs of wildlife are everywhere.
Trees along the creek show beaver gnaw marks. A doe and her fawn browse the greenery. Skunks, raccoons and even a gray fox make appearances. Birds, including a resident red-tailed hawk, find abundant food and shelter.
“It’s a good location for juncos, finches, chickadees, sparrows, crows, starlings. I’ve also seen a great blue heron, white-throated sparrows and Hutton’s vireo.”
Al Shay, the center’s manager, and site manager Cody Buckman work with a small team of students to keep the 6.5-acre site wildlife friendly — an effort that recently earned the center Certified Wildlife Habitat status from the National Wildlife Federation.
Birds thrive at the center, particularly in a long hedgerow planted with a wide variety of shrubs and trees. Many produce seeds, berries and fruit — all food sources for birds. Insects flourish there as well, and the nearby creek provides water. With layers of native plants and open space, the center creates an inviting habitat for a diversity of species.
To get a better sense of which birds visit Oak Creek, Shay asked longtime birder and OSU professor emeritus of horticulture Bill Proebsting to conduct regular surveys. Since early October, Proebsting has walked a 20-minute loop around the center once or twice a week. By December, he had identified 47 species.
Each sighting is entered into the eBird database maintained by Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology. The platform allows citizen scientists to contribute to global bird monitoring — data that supports research, conservation and education.
“It’s the big picture of what’s happening to birds,” Proebsting said. “With climate change, you get all these species moving north, moving uphill. The habitat is changing. Birds are declining. This is useful data.”
Tracking birds across time and habitat
Proebsting, who has documented more than 2,500 bird species in his travels — including 10 trips to Bolivia — said that while Oak Creek is home to mostly common birds, the quantity and diversity are meaningful.
“It’s a good location for juncos, finches, chickadees, sparrows, crows, starlings,” he said. “I’ve also seen a great blue heron, white-throated sparrows and Hutton’s vireo.” He plans to continue monitoring throughout the year to see how the mix of species changes.
For someone with decades of birding experience, 47 species may not seem remarkable — but for Shay, the numbers represent progress. The center’s mission to support wildlife is working.
“It reflects habitat,” Proebsting said. “There’s riparian, weedy patches, hedges of mostly native plants, rototilled areas that birds love, crops with seeds. It’s a good solid place for basic birds.”
Rethinking agriculture to support wildlife
Proebsting and Shay agree that appropriate habitat is essential for attracting birds — and that everyone has a role to play in reversing population declines. They point to a growing effort to introduce bird-friendly practices in and around farms.
“Some agriculturists and environmentalists make the case that we could farm in a way that gives up a little productivity but offers good habitat for wildlife,” Proebsting said. “Is there a different way to do agriculture? We’re trying to reduce the decline.”
The work is urgent, Shay emphasized. A 2019 study published in the journal Science found that bird populations in the United States and Canada have declined by 3 billion — a 28% drop — in the last 50 years.
“Oak Creek Center for Urban Horticulture may be only 6.5 acres,” Shay said, “but we have to start somewhere. We can’t just keep talking. We have to act.”
Previously titled Birds show success of attracting wildlife at OSU urban horticulture center
