Willamette and Bird Nerds create a welcoming environment for bird friends

White-crowned sparrow on Willamette University grounds on March 5, 2025. Photo courtesy of Riley Teske.

Think about all the times you’ve been outside on campus. The noise of birds chirping and ducks splashing in the Mill Stream is a constant soundtrack to Willamette life, but many factors work under the radar to make this place a haven for avian life.

Leading the student charge for birds are the WU Bird Nerds. Under the group’s umbrella, they lead birdwatching trips, raise awareness of the bird population on campus, and help improve life for the campus birds in many ways. Notably, the Mill Stream mallard ducks, who would ordinarily fly away for the winter, remain year round on campus due to the quality of life here. Last year, the club came together to paint the windows of the Bistro with vines and birds, allowing birds to see the window and stop flying directly into it.

Teya Fukuhara (’27), president of the WU Bird Nerds club, joined the club after an experience with the club that changed the way she viewed campus. “I did a bird walk with professor Craig freshman year,” Fukuhara said. “After that, every single walk around campus felt like something special. I would walk, and I would see three chickadees, and it was so cool to see that …. You just start to notice things around you that you never really realize.”

While the ducks are here year-round, in almost any other situation, they would migrate to warmer climates right about now. “But because ground staff feeds them, and they have this pretty great thing going on, they usually stay here,” Fukuhara said. When spring comes around, the mallards, who mate for the season, are joined by ducklings, giving students a dopamine boost in time for finals.

While the ducks remain throughout the year, many birds still migrate to warmer climates. Students like Fukuhara noticed a mated pair of geese who return each year in the spring and named them Crooked Jack and Whiskey. “The male, Crooked Jack, he has scoliosis on his neck, so you can see a whole crook or something. And I just thought of Whiskey, because it’s just a badass name combo.”

Fukuhara attributes the unique birding experience at WU to the grounds staff, whose work has made the campus very wildlife-friendly. “I love the grounds staff so much. They’re so amazing. Jim Anderson, he just retired, but I did a little project on him, and he worked on making our campus pesticide-free.” The grounds staff and professors work with each other to ensure that the campus isn’t just pretty to look at, but a place where the local wildlife thrive.

The faculty, students and campus all combine to create an environment where many species of birds thrive, and where students can deepen their understanding of the many creatures that share the space with them.”

“Students here really do appreciate [the] birds, and I think it’s nice to have a club where we’re able to share that with everyone,” Fukuhara said. “You don’t have to be majoring in biology or environmental science to like birds, you know? I think that I want to make sure that birding is for everyone.… you genuinely see the world in an entirely different format.”

You can find the club on Instagram at @wubirdnerds, or email them at wubirdnerds@gmail.com if you have questions or are interested in joining.