Generally clear. Areas of smoke and haze are possible, reducing visibility at times. Low 56F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..
Generally clear. Areas of smoke and haze are possible, reducing visibility at times. Low 56F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: August 8, 2026 @ 4:21 pm
A wood duck paddles through the Oregon Zoo’s Cascade Stream and Pond area. The zoo temporarily moved most of its feathered residents off-view last week to protect them from a highly contagious avian flu that has been detected in neighboring areas.
A wood duck paddles through the Oregon Zoo’s Cascade Stream and Pond area. The zoo temporarily moved most of its feathered residents off-view last week to protect them from a highly contagious avian flu that has been detected in neighboring areas.
Photo by Michael Durham, courtesy of the Oregon ZooBirds temporarily moved off-view as safety measure against virus
PORTLAND — The Oregon Zoo temporarily moved most of its feathered residents off-view last week to protect them from a highly contagious avian influenza that has spread across the country this year and was recently reported in nearby Multnomah and Clackamas counties, according to an Oregon Zoo press release.
The virus, also known as bird flu, is typically spread by wild birds during seasonal migrations. To date, no cases have been detected at the zoo.
“We’ve brought most of our birds indoors as a precaution, to prevent any possible contact with migrating waterfowl,” said Carlos Sanchez, the zoo’s head veterinarian. “They’ll return to their outdoor areas as soon as it’s safe.”
Because the disease can spread via bird droppings tracked on people’s shoes, many of the zoo’s indoor aviaries are also closed, Sanchez said, and human contact with birds is limited to a small number of care staff.
Although the avian flu can be deadly for birds, it poses little risk to humans, experts say. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention advises people to avoid direct contact with birds and their waste.
Committed to conservation, the zoo is working to save endangered California condors, northwestern pond turtles, Oregon silverspot and Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies and northern leopard frogs. To learn more, visit oregonzoo.org/recovery.
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