Birds of North Carolina:
their Distribution and Abundance
Birds of North Carolina - County Listing
No distinction is made between transient and resident records for a county. The majority of the records are from eBird and the Chat.
Email Harry LeGrand with any questions. If you would like to submit a record for a species that you have personally sighted in a county not listed for that species, click this link.
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Watauga - 237 species

Ducks, Geese, & Swans - 23 species 1 Snow GooseAnser caerulescens
 2 Ross's GooseAnser rossii
 3 Canada GooseBranta canadensis
 4 Tundra SwanCygnus columbianus
 5 Wood DuckAix sponsa
 6 Blue-winged TealSpatula discors
 7 Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
 8 GadwallMareca strepera
 9 American WigeonMareca americana
 10 MallardAnas platyrhynchos
 11 American Black DuckAnas rubripes
 12 Northern PintailAnas acuta
 13 Green-winged TealAnas crecca
 14 RedheadAythya americana
 15 Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris
 16 Greater ScaupAythya marila
 17 Lesser ScaupAythya affinis
 18 Black ScoterMelanitta americana
 19 BuffleheadBucephala albeola
 20 Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatus
 21 Common MerganserMergus merganser
 22 Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
 23 Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensis
New World Quails - 1 species 24 Northern BobwhiteColinus virginianus
Grouse and Allies - 2 species 25 Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo
 26 Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellus
Grebes - 3 species 27 Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podiceps
 28 Horned GrebePodiceps auritus
 29 Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena
Doves - 3 species 30 Rock PigeonColumba livia
 31 Eurasian Collared-DoveStreptopelia decaocto
 32 Mourning DoveZenaida macroura
Cuckoos & Anis - 2 species 33 Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus
 34 Black-billed CuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmus
Goatsuckers - 3 species 35 Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
 36 Chuck-will's-widowAntrostomus carolinensis
 37 Eastern Whip-poor-willAntrostomus vociferus
Swifts - 1 species 38 Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagica
Hummingbirds - 2 species 39 Ruby-throated HummingbirdArchilochus colubris
 40 Rufous HummingbirdSelasphorus rufus
Rails, Gallinules, & Coots - 3 species 41 Virginia RailRallus limicola
 42 SoraPorzana carolina
 43 American CootFulica americana
Cranes - 1 species 44 Sandhill CraneAntigone canadensis
Plovers - 3 species 45 American Golden-PloverPluvialis dominica
 46 KilldeerCharadrius vociferus
 47 Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatus
Sandpipers - 13 species 48 Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres
 49 Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopus
 50 Least SandpiperCalidris minutilla
 51 White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollis
 52 Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
 53 Western SandpiperCalidris mauri
 54 American WoodcockScolopax minor
 55 Wilson's SnipeGallinago delicata
 56 Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius
 57 Solitary SandpiperTringa solitaria
 58 Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipes
 59 WilletTringa semipalmata
 60 Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleuca
Gulls & Terns - 4 species 61 Laughing GullLeucophaeus atricilla
 62 Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis
 63 Herring GullLarus argentatus
 64 Black TernChlidonias niger
Loons - 1 species 65 Common LoonGavia immer
Cormorants - 1 species 66 Double-crested CormorantNannopterum auritum
Pelicans - 1 species 67 Brown PelicanPelecanus occidentalis
Bitterns, Herons, & Allies - 7 species 68 American BitternBotaurus lentiginosus
 69 Least BitternBotaurus exilis
 70 Yellow-crowned Night HeronNyctanassa violacea
 71 Black-crowned Night HeronNycticorax nycticorax
 72 Green HeronButorides virescens
 73 Great EgretArdea alba
 74 Great Blue HeronArdea herodias
Ibises & Spoonbills - 1 species 75 White IbisEudocimus albus
New World Vultures - 2 species 76 Black VultureCoragyps atratus
 77 Turkey VultureCathartes aura
Osprey - 1 species 78 OspreyPandion haliaetus
Kites, Eagles, & Hawks - 10 species 79 Swallow-tailed KiteElanoides forficatus
 80 Golden EagleAquila chrysaetos
 81 Northern HarrierCircus hudsonius
 82 Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatus
 83 Cooper's HawkAccipiter cooperii
 84 Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus
 85 Mississippi KiteIctinia mississippiensis
 86 Red-shouldered HawkButeo lineatus
 87 Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus
 88 Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
Owls - 4 species 89 Eastern Screech-OwlMegascops asio
 90 Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus
 91 Barred OwlStrix varia
 92 Long-eared OwlAsio otus
Kingfishers - 1 species 93 Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon
Woodpeckers - 7 species 94 Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalus
 95 Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinus
 96 Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus varius
 97 Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens
 98 Hairy WoodpeckerDryobates villosus
 99 Northern FlickerColaptes auratus
 100 Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatus
Falcons - 3 species 101 American KestrelFalco sparverius
 102 MerlinFalco columbarius
 103 Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
Tyrant Flycatchers - 10 species 104 Great Crested FlycatcherMyiarchus crinitus
 105 Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
 106 Olive-sided FlycatcherContopus cooperi
 107 Eastern Wood-PeweeContopus virens
 108 Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventris
 109 Acadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescens
 110 Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum
 111 Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
 112 Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimus
 113 Eastern PhoebeSayornis phoebe
Vireos - 5 species 114 White-eyed VireoVireo griseus
 115 Yellow-throated VireoVireo flavifrons
 116 Blue-headed VireoVireo solitarius
 117 Warbling VireoVireo gilvus
 118 Red-eyed VireoVireo olivaceus
Jays, Crows, & Ravens - 4 species 119 Blue JayCyanocitta cristata
 120 American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos
 121 Fish CrowCorvus ossifragus
 122 Common RavenCorvus corax
Chickadees & Titmice - 2 species 123 Carolina ChickadeePoecile carolinensis
 124 Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolor
Larks - 1 species 125 Horned LarkEremophila alpestris
Swallows - 6 species 126 Bank SwallowRiparia riparia
 127 Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor
 128 Northern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx serripennis
 129 Purple MartinProgne subis
 130 Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
 131 Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota
Kinglets - 2 species 132 Ruby-crowned KingletCorthylio calendula
 133 Golden-crowned KingletRegulus satrapa
Waxwings - 1 species 134 Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum
Nuthatches - 3 species 135 Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis
 136 White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis
 137 Brown-headed NuthatchSitta pusilla
Treecreepers - 1 species 138 Brown CreeperCerthia americana
Gnatcatchers - 1 species 139 Blue-gray GnatcatcherPolioptila caerulea
Wrens - 6 species 140 Bewick's WrenThryomanes bewickii
 141 Carolina WrenThryothorus ludovicianus
 142 Northern House WrenTroglodytes aedon
 143 Winter WrenTroglodytes hiemalis
 144 Sedge WrenCistothorus stellaris
 145 Marsh WrenCistothorus palustris
Mockingbirds & Thrashers - 3 species 146 Gray CatbirdDumetella carolinensis
 147 Brown ThrasherToxostoma rufum
 148 Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos
Starlings - 1 species 149 European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
Thrushes - 7 species 150 Eastern BluebirdSialia sialis
 151 VeeryCatharus fuscescens
 152 Gray-cheeked ThrushCatharus minimus
 153 Swainson's ThrushCatharus ustulatus
 154 Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatus
 155 Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina
 156 American RobinTurdus migratorius
Old World Sparrows - 1 species 157 House SparrowPasser domesticus
Wagtails & Pipits - 1 species 158 American PipitAnthus rubescens
Cardueline Finches & Allies - 6 species 159 House FinchHaemorhous mexicanus
 160 Purple FinchHaemorhous purpureus
 161 RedpollAcanthis flammea
 162 Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra
 163 Pine SiskinSpinus pinus
 164 American GoldfinchSpinus tristis
Longspurs & Allies - 1 species 165 Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalis
New World Sparrows & Allies - 18 species 166 Grasshopper SparrowAmmodramus savannarum
 167 Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina
 168 Clay-colored SparrowSpizella pallida
 169 Field SparrowSpizella pusilla
 170 Fox SparrowPasserella iliaca
 171 American Tree SparrowSpizelloides arborea
 172 Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis
 173 White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys
 174 White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis
 175 Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineus
 176 LeConte's SparrowAmmospiza leconteii
 177 Nelson's SparrowAmmospiza nelsoni
 178 Henslow's SparrowCentronyx henslowii
 179 Savannah SparrowPasserculus sandwichensis
 180 Song SparrowMelospiza melodia
 181 Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolnii
 182 Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgiana
 183 Eastern TowheePipilo erythrophthalmus
Yellow-breasted Chat - 1 species 184 Yellow-breasted ChatIcteria virens
Blackbirds & Orioles - 9 species 185 BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorus
 186 Eastern MeadowlarkSturnella magna
 187 Orchard OrioleIcterus spurius
 188 Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbula
 189 Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus
 190 Brown-headed CowbirdMolothrus ater
 191 Rusty BlackbirdEuphagus carolinus
 192 Brewer's BlackbirdEuphagus cyanocephalus
 193 Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula
Wood-Warblers - 36 species 194 OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapilla
 195 Worm-eating WarblerHelmitheros vermivorum
 196 Louisiana WaterthrushParkesia motacilla
 197 Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensis
 198 Golden-winged WarblerVermivora chrysoptera
 199 Blue-winged WarblerVermivora cyanoptera
 200 Black-and-white WarblerMniotilta varia
 201 Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citrea
 202 Swainson's WarblerLimnothlypis swainsonii
 203 Tennessee WarblerLeiothlypis peregrina
 204 Orange-crowned WarblerLeiothlypis celata
 205 Nashville WarblerLeiothlypis ruficapilla
 206 Connecticut WarblerOporornis agilis
 207 Mourning WarblerGeothlypis philadelphia
 208 Kentucky WarblerGeothlypis formosa
 209 Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
 210 Hooded WarblerSetophaga citrina
 211 American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla
 212 Kirtland's WarblerSetophaga kirtlandii
 213 Cape May WarblerSetophaga tigrina
 214 Cerulean WarblerSetophaga cerulea
 215 Northern ParulaSetophaga americana
 216 Magnolia WarblerSetophaga magnolia
 217 Bay-breasted WarblerSetophaga castanea
 218 Blackburnian WarblerSetophaga fusca
 219 Yellow WarblerSetophaga petechia
 220 Chestnut-sided WarblerSetophaga pensylvanica
 221 Blackpoll WarblerSetophaga striata
 222 Black-throated Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescens
 223 Palm WarblerSetophaga palmarum
 224 Pine WarblerSetophaga pinus
 225 Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronata
 226 Yellow-throated WarblerSetophaga dominica
 227 Black-throated Green WarblerSetophaga virens
 228 Canada WarblerCardellina canadensis
 229 Wilson's WarblerCardellina pusilla
Cardinals, Grosbeaks, & Allies - 8 species 230 Summer TanagerPiranga rubra
 231 Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivacea
 232 Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis
 233 Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianus
 234 Black-headed GrosbeakPheucticus melanocephalus
 235 Blue GrosbeakPasserina caerulea
 236 Indigo BuntingPasserina cyanea
 237 DickcisselSpiza americana