People have observed over 290 bird species in Klickitat County. This region is bordered to the south by 85 miles of the Columbia River Gorge and the lower stretches of its tributaries. Klickitat County is bordered to the north by the foothills of the Cascade and Simcoe mountain ranges. Elevation varies in Klickitat County from near sea level to over 5,000 feet along the Yakama Indian Reservation to the north. This region provides an ideal climate for seasonal bird observations all year.

What makes Klickitat County an exceptional, year-round birding environment are the range of unique habitats from the moist foothills of the Cascades to the dry, open country of eastern Washington. Fir forests dominate the west end of the county where pine and oak transition in the central region as rainfall declines. Much of the eastern county is agricultural with old homesteads and open range grasslands. Other special habitats important for many bird species found in Klickitat county include seasonal wetlands, springs, creeks, sagebrush and basalt cliffs found along the Columbia River. All these habitats provide important resources for birds during the nesting, migration and winter seasons.