SUN & SAGE LOOP BIRDING TRAIL MAP
The Sun and Sage Loop features more than 200 of Washington’s 346 annually recorded bird species. Read more
This varied Eastern Washington landscape – sculpted by ice-age floods, weather, and human design – nurtures Pacific Flyway travelers and avian residents of sage hillside, wildflower meadow, and leafy forest. Hundreds of bird species – warbler to woodpecker, kinglet to kingfisher – thrive amid wide valleys, intimate canyons, and waterways large and small. During migration, hawks soar through mountain passes and shorebirds traverse river lowlands. Winter brings snow to high-country plateaus, and gathers waterbirds onto natural wetlands and lakes formed by dams on the Columbia River.
Here, irrigation channels and seasonal ponds transform desert into orchard and vineyard beneath lofty basalt cliffs. Find abundant wildlife in protected places: Wild and Scenic rivers, national wildlife refuges, national parks and state parks, plus the natural and cultural history of the Yakama Nation. Here are myriad opportunities to bird by foot, by bike, and by boat – all in the heart of Washington’s wine country.