| 50 most recent updates | |||||||||||||
| sciName | species account | breeding status | list type | state status | fed status | S rank | G rank | coastal plain | piedmont | mountain | tips | tips code | update on |
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| Buteo swainsoni Swainson's Hawk | Though the Swainson's Hawk is a Western species, like the Broad-winged Hawk almost the entire breeding population leaves Canada and the United States in winter. As with the rare Northern Goshawk, reports of Swainson's in the state must be made with care, though there are a handful of photographic records. Because it breeds and winters in extensive grasslands and prairies, it is more likely to be looked for in wide open fields in North Carolina, particularly near the coast. Indeed there are quite a few records for Alligator River NWR, as might be expected. However, several reports are simply of birds seen in flight over woods or mixed habitats. Records have been increasing since about 2005, for whatever reason, though there is apparently not a global population increase in the species. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G5 | Formerly casual transient to the coast and Tidewater areas, but since about 2005, now very rare, with at least 18 records for the province; also casual to very in winter (mainly at one site). A handful of recent records for Alligator River NWR, including one that spent the entire winter of 2006-2007. There are a few other winter records, and two spring records -- one immature at this refuge 23-28 Mar 2003, and one seen in winter 2015-16 that remained through 17 Mar 2016. No far inland records for the province, though one photographed near Edenton (Chowan) on 9 Sep 2024 was somewhat inland. Most records are in Oct and Nov, but one photographed at Pea Island NWR (Dare) on 16 Sep 2023 was notably early. Peak counts: 3, North River Farms (Carteret), 24 Oct 2006; two on several occasions there until 19 Nov 2006; 2, Alligator River NWR, 30 Dec 2008. There are also a few reports from the province that have not been accepted by the NC BRC. | Casual visitor. Four reports, two accepted -- of birds seen overhead or in flight: one adult, Lake Benson (Wake) on 21 Mar 1982*; and one immature, Duke Forest on 4 Dec 1995*. The third report was a light-phase bird seen in Person on 6 Apr 2006; and the fourth report was of one immature in light-phase west of Chapel Hill (Orange) on 18 Nov 2012, neither reviewed by the NC BRC. No photographs exist for the province. | Casual visitor. The only report is an immature photographed at the Biltmore Estate (Buncombe) on 20 Oct 2025 (Chat 90:22). The report is being reviewed by the NC BRC. | Because a number of records have recently come from Alligator River NWR, this is the only place in the state to even think about finding one. Carefully check for raptors along Milltail Road and Long Curve Road in fall, and maybe into Dec. This is a good place, and way, to look for Rough-legged Hawk, as well. | * | 2026-09-01 | ||
| Spiza americana Dickcissel | Although there are numerous birds that are highly erratic wintering species in North Carolina and elsewhere in the East, no other bird is so erratic as a breeder in the eastern half of the continent as is the Dickcissel. In addition, the Dickcissel has no close relatives, and thus it not only is in its own genus, its taxonomic placement is completely unsettled. The species is common to abundant as a breeder in the Great Plains, but it has always been rare and erratic as a breeder east of the Appalachians. Also, it has little site fidelity, and a colony can appear one summer in a field and not be present the next year, even where conditions look similar; in the state, breeding occurs essentially in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. As a migrant, it is known mostly from the immediate coast in fall (often detected by its buzzy call overhead, even without one seeing the bird). The species also "winters" in the state in small numbers, usually near the coast, but not enough to say it is a "winter resident". Favored breeding habitat is quite particular -- weedy fields with a moderate amount of tall, sturdy composites (and at times a few seedling woody plants) -- used for singing perches; grassy or weedy fields without sturdy singing perches are typically not suitable (though fences and fence posts can substitute for composites and saplings for singing perches). At other seasons, they can appear in a variety of weedy or brushy sites, often mixing with flocks of sparrows; a few even turn up at feeders. | Breeder | Definitive | SR | S2B | G5 | Sporadic and very local summer resident, and sparse winter visitor. In summer, very rare to rare over most of the province (and absent from coastal islands). Repeated breeding sites (several not current) have included North River Farms in central Carteret, fields between lakes Phelps and Pungo in Washington/Tyrrell, Cherry Hospital farms near Goldsboro, and the Voice of America Site B (Pitt). Nested (presumably) at Alligator River NWR (Dare) in 1988; two were singing there in Jul 2016, four were singing there in Jun 2017, three singing there in May 2020, and noted again there in spring 2026. Poorly known migrant over the region, except rare to uncommon along the coast, most often on Hatteras Island. In winter, rare near the coast, and casual to very rare inland. In fall, mainly mid-Sep to early Nov; breeders often do not arrive until May. Peak counts -- all at North River Farms: 34 singing males, 1-6 Jun 2014; 32 (29 singing males), 2 Jun 2013; 30 singing males, Jun 2011; 28 (25 singing males), 19 May 2013; 27 (21 singing males), Jun 2005. Peak count of migrants -- 8 heard calling in flight, Run Hill State Natural Area (Dare), 15 Oct 2023. | Sporadic and very local summer resident, and very sparse winter visitor. In summer, rare and sporadic in the southwestern part of the region, especially Cleveland and Gaston, and very rare to locally rare elsewhere (such as north of Greensboro in Guilford and Rockingham). At other seasons, essentially very rare, but with records for all months, and many in winter. Mainly May, Jun, and Jul. Peak counts: 12, along Baldwin Road (Guilford), 17 May 2018; 11, along Benaja Road (Rockingham), 27 May 2018. | Sparse transient; seldom in summer or winter. Despite many wide valleys with farmland at low elevations, there are no known breeding, or even suspected breeding, records. Generally, a very rare migrant in low elevation areas in the southern part of the region, and casual elsewhere. One at Valle Crucis Community Park (Watauga), 17 Oct 2016 was at a rather high elevation (over 3,000 feet) for the species. One at Warren Wilson College (Buncombe) on 21 Jun 2017 was notable for summer but there was no indication of nesting. Mainly early Apr to mid-May, and in Oct. Two winter records: one at Brevard, 21 Nov - 14 Dec 2000; one at Mills River Park (Henderson), 5 Dec 2024 - 26 Feb 2025. Peak counts: | From 2005 - 2018, the species has been easily found in summer at North River Farms, but this is a private area with limited public access. Otherwise, the best bests are in May and Jun at the Cherry Hospital farm lands near Goldsboro, and various fields northeast of Lake Phelps (which would require driving roads and looking for suitable fields), and several roads north and northeast of Greensboro. | ** | 2026-08-28 | |
| Passerina ciris Painted Bunting | The adult male Painted Bunting is certainly the gaudiest-colored of North American songbirds. Thankfully, the species breeds as far north as coastal North Carolina, and it also ranges as far north as Missouri and Kansas. The subspecies that nests along and near the South Atlantic coast has been slowly declining, owing to long-term development of the maritime forests and thickets on the barrier islands and adjacent mainland. Fortunately, the buntings are somewhat adaptable, do not require but a few acres of habitat for a given pair of birds, and nest in wooded edges often close to man. Thus, birds are still fairly numerous along the southern coast. Oddly, a few birds are present in winter in coastal areas north to Buxton (Dare), typically at feeders. No other bird in the East likely has a "wintering" range that extends farther north than its breeding range. Also, despite a seeming decline in the breeding population, the number of birds being seen in the state in winter has been growing at a rapid rate, for unknown reasons. Breeding birds favor maritime thickets, edges of maritime forests, and other wooded edges, always close to salt or brackish water. Wintering birds occur mostly in dense evergreen thickets, such as in residential yards, maritime thickets, and other dense cover, at times mixing with sparrows. Unlike in South Carolina, where buntings nest well inland to the Fall Line, just below Columbia and other sites, the species in North Carolina had not been found nesting farther inland than about Orton Plantation in eastern Brunswick, until a rash of summer records of singing males and a juvenile were noted in Robeson in 2022-23. Thus, the species seems to be spreading inland close to the South Carolina border in recent years. There have also been isolated instances of singing males far inland, even to Raleigh (Wake), often for a few weeks, but there is no evidence of breeding yet. | Breeder | Definitive | SC | S3B | G5 | Summer resident along the southern coast, and sparingly near the South Carolina border at least inland to Robeson, probably Cumberland, and Scotland; also a sparse winter resident/visitor along the coast, even to the Outer Banks. In summer, fairly common to locally common, along the coast and the adjacent mainland, as far north as Marshallberg (Carteret). [Despite seemingly "perfect" habitat, and global warming, it is surprising that the species has not spread northward to nest at places like Ocracoke and Hatteras islands.] A rare and recent breeder in southern Robeson, as singing birds were found at a handful of sites in summer 2023 and a juvenile was photographed; may also breed in neighboring southern Scotland and Columbus. Only one or two known far inland records of a potential breeder: an adult male was singing [a song similar to that of an Indigo Bunting] as if on territory at the Wilson Educational Forest (Wilson) from 27 Apr into late summer 2015; no female or nesting evidence was seen. In addition, the same adult male was singing on territory in summer 2016 and 2017, and an adult female was seen there from 29 Jun - 1 Jul 2016, but no evidence of breeding was noted. An adult male was singing constantly at Fayetteville in Jun 2024, though no female was reported. In winter, rare along the coast and nearby mainland, sparingly as far north as Buxton; often at feeders. Formerly not considered as a regular winter "resident", but as there are now well over 100 such records, and they span the entire period, it is clear that it can now be called a winter resident. Away from coastal/tidal areas, essentially a very rare visitor, with about 13 records, mainly in winter. Mainly mid-Apr to mid-Oct, but numerous winter records. Peak counts: winter -- 10+, in a yard in Straits (Carteret), in Feb 2018; 8 (7 of which were banded) at a feeder in Manteo (Dare), throughout the winter 2015-16. Note that at least 60 individuals were reported in Carteret during the winter of 2020-21, most at feeders -- including counts of 9 in two yards around Morehead City. | Very rare (but increasing) visitor, scattered over the year; a few reports of males singing on territory but without reports of an accompanying female. Nearly 60 records, nearly all of single birds. A number of these are from feeders, even in winter. Most unusual was an adult male singing as if on territory in Guilford from 18-20 May 2018; presumably it did not find a mate. Similarly, an adult male was singing on territory at Raleigh (Wake) from 17 Jul into mid-Aug 2022; no female was ever seen, but an immature male was seen and noted singing at the same site on 18 Jul. This adult male returned to the Raleigh site in spring 2023, first noted on 25 Apr, remaining to 10 Aug; no female was ever reported. The adult male returned to the Raleigh site in late spring and summer of 2024 and in summer of 2025, still without a female reported. It again returned to the Raleigh site in 2026, first noted on 18 Apr. An immature male was noted singing at Mineral Springs (Union) on 13 May 2022. Peak counts: 2, Raleigh, 18 Jul 2022. | Casual visitor. The only known records are one at a feeder in Asheville, 9-12 Mar 2004; a female or immature male photographed at a feeder at Snowbird Mountain Lodge (Graham) on 13 May 2021* (Chat 85:130); and an adult male photographed at a feeder in Asheville from 1-5 Apr 2022* (Chat 86:87-88). | Should be easily found along the southern coast in late Apr, May, and Jun, at places such as Fort Macon SP, the Fort Fisher Aquarium area, around the Carolina Beach SP marina, at Bald Head Island, and other places on southern islands. | *** to **** | 2026-08-28 | |
| Passerina amoena Lazuli Bunting | The Lazuli Bunting breeds in the western half of North America and winters mainly from Mexico southward. It is accidental in the state: three confirmed records, with one or two others currently under review. An immature male was seen and photographed by numerous observers at Fort Macon SP (Carteret) from 22 Mar - 2 Apr 1996* (Chat 62:183-84), (Chat 61:262). A male of indeterminate age was photographed at a feeder in Jamestown (Guilford) on 2 Apr 2013* (Chat 77:98), (Chat 78:8-13). Lastly, an apparent male was photographed at a feeder in Carteret from 19-21 Aug 2019* (Chat 85:139). One was reported just west of Boone (Watauga) on 9 May 2021 (Chat 85:130); this report is currently being reviewed. Another report -- of one photographed in a suburban area of western Wake on 10 May 2022 (Chat 86:87) -- is being reviewed by the NC BRC as well. Photos of the 2013 and 2019 birds are on the Carolina Bird Club Photo Gallery; both are at feeders, and though the quality of the photos are rather poor, they were good enough (along with written details) for NC BRC acceptance. A male transitioning to breeding plumage was photographed at a feeder in Jacksonville (Onslow) from 13 Feb - 8 Mar 2026 (Chat 90:68), (Chat 90:99); photos are on the Photo Gallery, and the report is expected to be reviewed by the NC BRC in 2026. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SA | G5 | Three records, with two accepted (see above) and one expecting a review. | One accepted record (see above); another from 2022 is to be reviewed. | No confirmed records, but one under review. | 1/2* | 2026-08-28 | |||
| Setophaga virens Black-throated Green Warbler | The Black-throated Green Warbler has a fragmented breeding range, thanks to a separate subspecies -- "Wayne's Warbler" -- that nests in the lower Coastal Plain from southeastern Virginia to central South Carolina. Otherwise, the species has a breeding range similar to that of several other warblers -- across most of the Canadian boreal forest, south to the northeastern states and the entire Appalachian chain. In addition, it also nests in foothill ranges in the Piedmont, including a far outlier (small) population in the Uwharrie Mountains in the central Piedmont. Not surprisingly, it migrates across all parts of the state, and thus a diligent birder can see it in his or her county each year. As a breeder in the state, it prefers conifers or mixed hardwood-coniferous forest -- spruce-fir, spruce-hardwoods, and White Pine and hemlock mixed with hardwoods are favored in the Mountains, though it does occur in pure hardwoods. In the foothills, it favors pines (and formerly hemlocks) mixed with hardwoods. Birds in the Coastal Plain are somewhat particular -- they are essentially only in nonriverine forests, favoring sites where Atlantic White Cedar or cypress are mixed with hardwoods, but they may occur in pure hardwoods. Floodplain forests are avoided (for reasons that are not obvious, as cypresses are often common there), but some birds do nest along small streams. In 2017, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission added the Wayne's race to its list of protected species, as State Endangered; the "E*" in State Status refers only to this race, not to the entire breeding population in the state. In migration, they occur with other warblers in hardwood forests, but they can be seen in conifers. | Breeder | Definitive | E* | S4B | G5 | Summer resident, and transient. In summer, variously rare to locally common in the eastern third to quarter of the province (but not along the coast), inland to the Dismal Swamp area, to Van Swamp (Washington), to Croatan National Forest, and to a few Carolina bays in Bladen; absent over considerable areas within this range, such as Holly Shelter Game Land. In spring, rare migrant over the region; uncommon in fall. Mainly late Mar to mid-Oct. There are about 9-10 records of birds in Dec and Jan, mainly along the coast, but once in Wayne; none presumably overwintered. However, 2 in Buxton Woods (Dare) on 20 Feb 2021 seem to be too early to be migrants. The species sings mainly from late Mar to mid-May, and can be rather silent by early Jun. Peak counts: | Sparse summer resident, and transient. In summer, formerly common (but decreasing due to loss/death of hemlock trees) in the South Mountains, and locally in the Hickorynut Gorge area; rare and local in the Brushy Mountains and the Uwharries (mainly at Morrow Mountain SP). Two singing males at Hanging Rock SP (Stokes) in 2020 suggests breeding there, as does four singing males there on 1 Jun 2022 and three there on 11 Jun 2024. Details of the summer distribution are still unclear among the various foothill ranges. In migration, in spring -- uncommon (more numerous in the western portions); in fall -- uncommon to fairly common. It is more numerous in fall than in spring, especially in the eastern portions, but is seldom common. Mainly mid-Apr to mid-May, and early Sep to mid-Oct. A specimen was found in Chapel Hill, 30 Nov 1977. Perhaps the only winter records are one photographed in a yard in Cary (Wake) on 12 Jan 2021, and one photographed in Morrisville (Wake) from 4 Dec 2024 - 1 Jan 2025. Peak counts: | Summer resident, with migratory movements. Breeds over the entire region, but local; can be common to locally very common from the highest peaks to low elevation coves, but uncommon in many areas below 2,500 feet. Fairly common transient, but can be common in fall. Mainly late Mar or early Apr to mid-Oct. Peak counts (at least in summer): 71 tallied along Wilson Boundary Road (Yancey), 2 Jun 2017. | Should be easily found in late Apr or May in many areas of the higher mountains, such as along the Blue Ridge Parkway in mixed hardwood-spruce stands. May be one of the more common breeding birds in some foothill sites such as the South Mountains, as well. Also, in early and mid-Apr, easily found in Alligator River NWR. | **** | 2026-08-28 | |
| sciName | species account | breeding status | list type | state status | fed status | S rank | G rank | coastal plain | piedmont | mountain | tips | tips code | update on |
| Geothlypis philadelphia Mourning Warbler | The Mourning Warbler, until 2011, was placed in the same genus (Oporornis) with the Connecticut Warbler, which has a similar appearance to Mourning and MacGillivray's warblers. However, the Connecticut Warbler walks, whereas the Mourning and most other warblers are unable to walk, but must hop on the ground; likely this important structural and behavioral trait is one of the reasons for the split of the two into different genera. The Mourning has been placed into the same genus (Geothlypis) as the yellowthroats and the Kentucky Warbler. At any rate, both the Mourning and the Connecticut nest across southern Canada and the northern part of the United States. The Mourning also breeds sparingly south into the central Appalachians, to West Virginia and Virginia, and on a number of recent occasions has appeared in North Carolina in the nesting season, even with singing males on territory for a week or longer. It is a scarce and very secretive migrant in the East, though in coastal Texas it can be numerous (because migrants tend to avoid flying over the Gulf of Mexico). In the breeding season, Mournings are found mainly in thickets in openings in cool coniferous forest areas (bog margins); in North Carolina, they have been found mainly in dense shrubby growth in openings in forests, at fairly high elevations. In migration, they can be found in such tangles and thickets, as well; they are not a forest-interior dweller. However, they are extremely quiet and secretive, and glimpses are often all that one sees. | Probable Breeder | Definitive | W | SUB,SZN | G5 | Transient. Casual in spring, so far only along or near the coast; very rare in fall along the immediate coast, and essentially accidental farther inland. Only 5 spring reports (20 May to 2 Jun); in fall, mainly early Sep to mid-Oct; about 23 reports. One (adult female) in Halifax on 15 Jul 1989 was quite an early migrant. Peak counts: one. | Transient. In spring, very rare in the western half of the province and casual in the eastern half; in fall, very rare throughout. One was quite far east near Garner (Wake) on 24 May 2025. Mainly mid- to late May (all dates are from 8 May - 3 Jun), and mid-Aug to early Oct. Peak counts: one. | Transient; also very rare (in the past few decades) in summer, and probable breeder, though as yet with no strong nesting evidence found. A pair were present during the summers of 1983 and 1984 at Jenkins Ridge Overlook in the Great Smoky Mountains (Haywood), appearing to be on territory and exhibiting some evidence of breeding (Chat 54:79-80). A singing male was in the same location in the summer of 1985. A singing and apparently unpaired male was also seen at Roan Mountain in Jun-Jul of 2001 and 2002 (Chat 66:34), (Chat 66:155). Another singing male was at Richland Balsam Overlook, milepost 431 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, on the border of Jackson and Haywood, 5-19 Jun 2012 (Chat 76:138-39). In 2014, a singing male was at Black Balsam Knob (Haywood) from 8-21 Jun; and another singing male was at Sugar Creek Gap (Jackson) on several dates in Jun (Chat 78:169). In 2015, one was again singing at Black Balsam Knob, from 4-26 Jun. In 2017, a singing male was present close to the Linn Cove Viaduct along the Blue Ridge Parkway (Avery) from 20 May - 21 Jun. In spring, very rare, mainly at low elevations (mostly below 3,000 feet); in fall, rare, but regular, across the region. A more "numerous" transient in the Mountains than elsewhere in the state, in both spring and in fall. Routinely found by Burleigh in the 1930's in the Asheville area in the fall, and not considered rare. Mainly mid-May to early Jun, and mid-Aug to early Oct; a few records as early as 2 May. Peak counts: 2, Jackson Park (Henderson), 17 Sep 2008. | This is a difficult bird to find in the state, because relatively few pass through, and then mainly in the Mountains in fall; and, they are very secretive. Most serious birders have seen one or more of the territorial birds in the early summer season. Otherwise, your best bet is to work hard at Jackson Park in Hendersonville in late Aug or Sep, but seeing one in a given week is unlikely, even if one is present! | * | 2026-08-28 | |
| Limnothlypis swainsonii Swainson's Warbler | The Swainson's Warbler was once considered one of the rarest of warblers in the country. This perceived rarity was based as much on the extreme difficulty of actually seeing one without the use of a taped song as it is in terms of total numbers. It also has an unusual "bimodal" breeding range, nesting mostly in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains, but also to an extent in the southern Appalachians, with a hiatus in most of the Piedmont. In the Coastal Plain, it tends to require moderate to dense stands of cane beneath various canopy species, always in wetlands; these can be either riverine (swamps, bottomlands, and narrow streamside forested areas) or nonriverine (bay forests, taller pocosins, and even in some Loblolly Pine plantations). In the mountains and foothills, like the Worm-eating Warbler, it requires very dense and dark stands of Rosebay Rhododendron under various canopy species; Mountain Laurel or Carolina Rhododendron stands are occasionally used. These montane sites are usually near a stream, where the Swainson's loud song is often mistaken for the very similar song of the Louisiana Waterthrush. It is seldom detected in migration, as relatively few birds nest to the north of North Carolina, and as migrants are nearly silent. Despite some claims that the species is declining in overall numbers, such trends do not seem apparent in North Carolina; it seems as numerous now as it has ever been. In fact, singing males are appearing at more and more sites into the central Piedmont and across the mountains, where the presumed breeding range is expanding. | Breeder | Definitive | S3S4B | G4 | Summer resident. Breeds over essentially all of the region, as far west as Weldon (Halifax) and in the wider floodplains in the Sandhills (e.g., Drowning Creek in western Moore and northeastern Richmond). Formerly nested on the Outer Banks in Kitty Hawk Woods; however, it is apparently absent as a coastal breeder now. Generally uncommon but widespread throughout, probably nesting in all counties; fairly common in a few areas, such as near Green Swamp and Juniper Creek (Brunswick). Mainly mid-Apr to early or mid-Oct, but departure dates very poorly known, as the birds are silent in late summer and fall; best detected through mist-netting in fall. Peak counts: 15, along the Roanoke River (Halifax/Northampton), 26 May 2013; 13, Green Swamp (Brunswick), 28 Jun 1985; 13 at Howell Woods (Johnston), 30 Apr 2016. | Summer resident (sparingly), and scarce transient; however slowly increasing and spreading into the middle portions of the province, where formerly lacking. In summer, uncommon and somewhat local along the base of the Blue Ridge Escarpment (overlap with the Mountains), from Stone Mountain SP in the north southward to Rutherford (Chimney Rock SP) and Polk (Green River Gorge). More numerous in the southern portion (locally fairly common), north to McDowell, than in the northern portion. At the other end of the province, rare to uncommon in the extreme southeastern corner, in the Pee Dee River floodplain along the Richmond - Anson border, north at least to Pee Dee NWR. Formerly a few pairs nested along Morgan Creek (Orange - Durham), but birds have not been seen since about 1992. May have nested in Mecklenburg in 2006. Present in summer from 2021-23 at a site in Cabarrus, and thus perhaps nesting there. Presumed to have nested in southern Randolph in 2022, based on two adults and an attendant juvenile mist-netted at a single site in Jul. A singing male on territory along the Haw River (Alamance) from 29 Apr - 23 May 2023 was certainly on territory. In summer 2024, up to 4-5 were singing along the Cape Fear River in southeastern Chatham. Perhaps nests occasionally at South Mountains SP, Hanging Rock SP, and a few other foothills sites, but poorly known east of the Escarpment. Casual to very rare as a transient. Mainly mid-Apr to Oct, but departure dates very poorly known. Peak counts: | Summer resident, increasing/spreading in range. Breeds most frequently along the Blue Ridge Escarpment (see Piedmont notes), mainly at the base, up to about 3,000 feet, but mostly below 2,500 feet. These sites are all on the Atlantic drainages. It also breeds along other Atlantic drainage streams in the Gorges area -- Toxaway, Horsepasture, Thompson, Whitewater, and Chattooga. Away from these slopes, it is generally rare to locally uncommon elsewhere. It is now (2025) found over many parts of Buncombe in summer, for example. In spring 2026, it was reported from 16 of the 17 Mountain counties, with the exception of Alleghany. Can be fairly common in the Gorges area. Mainly mid- or late Apr to late Sep. Peak counts: | Despite it not being common anywhere, you should be able to hear one to several in Alligator River NWR, Howell Woods Preserve (Johnston), and on back roads near Juniper Creek and Green Swamp. Chimney Rock SP and Gorges SP are also good, though the latter can be difficult to access. However, it is very difficult to spot a singing bird, as they seldom move during a bout of singing; you likely will need a tape recorder or smartphone. Be careful to avoid playing songs in restricted areas (various parks and preserves); such actions might be illegal. | *** | 2026-08-28 | ||
| Ammospiza nelsoni Nelson's Sparrow | In 1995, the Sharp-tailed Sparrow was split into two species, instead of a potential three species. The awkward common names still retained "Sharp-tailed" in the name -- Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow and Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow. Thankfully, in 2009, the redundant "Sharp-tailed" was eliminated. The Nelson's Sparrow is comprised of both inland (mainly in central Canada) breeding populations and one in the Canadian Maritimes and the northeastern United States. All populations winter in salt and brackish marshes along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. In North Carolina, it is a scarce migrant inland, but it is a numerous species along the coast in winter, where it mixes with both the Saltmarsh Sparrow and the Seaside Sparrow; sometimes, all three species can be "squeaked up" into a single bush in the marsh. Numbers of the Nelson's Sparrow do not seem to have declined appreciably, as have many other grassland and marsh species. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | S4N | G5 | Winter resident coastally, and transient inland. In winter, fairly common to common along the southern half of the coast (south of Cape Lookout), and fairly common northward along the coast. Also, scarce (uncommon?) in brackish marshes fringing the inner portions of Pamlico Sound; poorly surveyed in these "inner" marshes. Away from tidal marshes, casual to very rare in fall (includes several records of tower-killed birds in Bladen), and unknown in spring. Mainly mid-Sep to late May, and a few lingering into Jun; despite the lateness of departure, it does not nest in the state. Peak counts: | Transient, scarce. Very rare fall migrant, with the few records between 10 Sep and 14 Oct, with the exception of one seen by many at Lake Crabtree (Wake) from 1-4 Nov 2023. Surprisingly, just one known spring record: one at McDowell Nature Preserve (Mecklenburg), 14 May 2017. Peak counts: 3, Rea Farms, southern Mecklenburg, 10 Oct 2020; 1, on all other dates. [These records include both Nelson's and "Sharp-tailed Sparrow" prior to the 1995 split, as the likely form of that pre-split species to occur inland is Nelson's.] | Transient, scarce. Very rare in spring and fall. In spring, nine records -- 2 at Swannanoa, 25 May 1934 (collected); 1 at Highlands, 15 May 1976; 1 at the Western Carolina University campus in Cullowhee (Jackson), 19 May 2013; 1 at the Western Carolina University campus, 12 May 2017; 1 in Fletcher (Henderson), 30 Mar 2020; 1 (different bird?) at this last site on 26 Apr 2020; 1, Owen Park (Buncombe), 14 May 2022; 1, along Pisgah Fish Hatchery Road (Transylvania), 16 May 2022; and 1, Transylvania, 26 May 2026. In fall, nine records/reports: 1 at Boone, 25 Oct 1976; 1-2 at Hooper Lane (Henderson), 8-16 1999; 1 at Hooper Lane on 11 Oct 2012; 1 in Brevard (Transylvania), 11 Oct 2012; 1 at Hooper Lane on 5 Oct 2015; 1 at Warren Wilson College (Buncombe), 10-11 Oct 2019; 1 at Biltmore Estate (Buncombe), 19-20 Oct 2019; 1 at Brookshire Park (Watauga), 7-12 Oct 2021; and 1 in Transylvania, 15 Oct 2024 and possibly a different bird at the last site on 7 Nov 2024. In winter, one record: 1 at Hooper Lane, 15 Feb 2003. [These records include both Nelson's and "Sharp-tailed Sparrow" prior to the 1995 split, as the likely form of that pre-split species to occur inland is Nelson's.] Peak counts: 2, see above. | The species is usually easy to find, especially at high tide, in marshes at Fort Fisher near the Aquarium or Federal Point, at Fort Macon SP, or along the Morehead City -- Beaufort causeway. Though the birds "are there" in such marshes in the cooler months, it can be difficult to get them to pop up into a bush or to otherwise obtain identifiable views, especially as the Saltmarsh Sparrow is very similar, and Seaside Sparrow is also present and potentially confusable if not seen well. | *** | 2026-08-28 | ||
| Spizella pallida Clay-colored Sparrow | The Clay-colored Sparrow was primarily a "Western"/Midwestern" species until a few decades ago. However, the breeding range expanded eastward to southern Ontario and western New York, as birds took advantage of using Christmas tree farms and other early succession habitats. Not surprisingly, sightings in the Southeast have increased, even though nearly all birds still pass on to winter south of the country, mainly in Mexico. Interestingly, small numbers linger into early winter near the coast, and a few even overwinter. Despite being closer to the main part of the breeding range, Clay-coloreds remain very rare in the Mountains and Piedmont of the state. The species is most often found with groups of Field Sparrows, and other sparrows, usually at brush piles, hedgerows, weedy fields, and margins of maritime shrub thickets. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G5 | Transient, and sparse winter resident, mainly near the coast. In fall, rare to uncommon along the coast and in Tidewater; can be occasionally uncommon at Pea Island and Fort Fisher. Casual to very rare farther inland in fall. In winter, rare and local into early winter near the coast and in Tidewater, and casual to very rare farther inland; formerly regular just west of Lake Phelps, and presently in central Carteret, where a few overwinter. Essentially no northbound migration, though one seen at the Moore County Airport on 9 Apr 2019 was certainly a northbound migrant, as was one photographed in the Sandhills Game Land (Scotland) on 3 Apr 2022. Only a few other inland spring records anywhere in the province. Mainly mid-Sep to early Nov, but some into late Apr. Peak counts: 23, North River Farms (Carteret), 10 Feb 2013; 17 at this location, 15 Feb 2015 and again on 19 Apr 2015; 16 at this location, 20 Feb 2011; 10, just west of Lake Phelps, 11 Mar 2013; 9, Pea Island, 11 Oct 1998. | Transient, essentially in fall and winter. Very rare in fall and winter (about 25 records in fall and 16 in winter). Very rare in spring: singles at Fuquay-Varina, 15 Mar - 20 Apr 1990; at Cowan's Ford Refuge (Mecklenburg), 5 May 2001; again at that refuge, 1 May 2018; at Price Park (Guilford), 23 Apr 2019; in the Uwharrie National Forest (Randolph), 21-22 Apr 2020; at two yard/feeder sites in Wake from 23-26 Apr 2021; in Lincoln, 20 Mar 2024; in Wake, 28 Mar 2025; and at four sites in spring 2026 -- two in Wake, and one each in Chatham and Mecklenburg. Mainly mid-Oct to mid-Nov, but a few into winter. One photographed in Maiden (Catawba) on 26 Sep 2020, and one seen at Howerton Road (Guilford) on 30 Sep 2018 were early for inland records. One spent three winters in Lenoir (Caldwell); in the third year it was present from 16 Oct 2006 to 24 Apr 2007 (Chat 71:94). Another spent much of the winter at Raleigh from 2 Jan - 4 Feb 2024; presumably the same bird was seen again on 26 Apr 2024. Peak counts: 2, Iredell, 17 Jan 2010. | Transient. Very rare in fall, winter, and spring, nearly all records in low elevations in the southern counties. Northern records all seem to be from Watauga -- one photographed in Boone on 3 May 2014, another photographed in Boone on 16 Oct 2016, another photographed out of season at Moses Cone Park on 20 Jul 2024, and another seen at Boone on 15-16 Oct 2024. In fall, about 17 reports from 5 Sep - 20 Oct, and twice in Nov; two winter reports (Dec and Jan), and six spring reports, all in the last half of Apr. One photographed at 5,200 feet elevation at the Grassy Mine Overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway (Jackson) on 30 Sep 2021 was at a remarkably high location. Peak counts: 2, on several dates. | Your best bet is probably Fort Fisher in Sep and Oct. A few were being seen semi-regularly in winter just west of Lake Phelps, but these birds have been difficult to find in the past few years. Though it seems to winter routinely, in small numbers, at North River Farms (Carteret), this is a privately-owned site, though it can be accessed by the public with a long walk to reach suitable habitat. | * to ** | 2026-08-28 | ||
| Chondestes grammacus Lark Sparrow | The Lark Sparrow, as with the Vesper Sparrow, is by itself in a monotypic genus; no other sparrow is remotely like it. It is primarily a Western species, nesting uncommonly and locally into the Midwest, with an outpost in the Sandhills in the Carolinas, far from the rest of the range. Lark Sparrows nest mostly where there are scattered shrubs and small trees, but with some grasses and bare ground, in dry country. Such habitats -- desert scrub, weedy pastures/grasslands -- are abundant in the western half of the country, but in the Sandhills they nest in very specific sites, only in mostly grassy places with scattered saplings, but with some bare sand. In North Carolina, these places are found essentially only at Fort Bragg (now named Fort Liberty, starting in 2023) and Camp Mackall, and there mainly in paratrooper drop zones. At other seasons, Lark Sparrows are found mainly along the coast in fall, with a few remaining into winter. Birds near the coast are normally seen in sandy places with clumps of live oaks and other coastal shrubs; inland birds (mainly in migration) occur in a variety of weedy fields and edges, but usually with some bare ground nearby. The normal winter range is Texas and California south into Mexico. | Breeder | Definitive | SR | S1B | G5 | Sparse summer resident, transient, and winter straggler. In summer, rare and local, only in the Sandhills, and essentially at drop zones in Fort Bragg and Camp Mackall, plus at a drop zone in the Sandhills Game Land (Scotland) (see (Chat 46:1-8), (Chat 54:16-20). There have been a few additional summer sites in the Sandhills, and a nest was photographed in the Sandhills Game Land (Scotland) in late May 2017. A few birds also have been seen on the Sandhills Game Land at George Drop Zone in 2023-2026, where almost certainly they are nesting. In fall, rare to locally uncommon along the immediate coast, and essentially casual elsewhere; numbers seem to have declined in recent decades. In winter, rare along the coast, and mainly in early winter, though a few birds do survive the winter; very rare in winter farther inland. A count of 6 individuals along Newland Road in Washington on 5 Dec 2015 was outstanding away from the immediate coast, as was as many as 6 at a feeder/yard along Alder Branch Road (Camden) all winter 2019-20. A few birds wintered at this last locale (Camden) in 2020-21 and at least one did in 2021-22. No northbound migration seen. Mainly late Aug through mid-Oct. One at Alligator River NWR (Dare) on 4 Jun 2018 was unusual near the coast in early summer. Breeding birds arrive in mid- or late Apr. Peak coastal counts: 9, Cape Hatteras, 20 Jan 1938; 7, Pea Island, 4 Sep 2005; inland -- 8, central Hoke, 17 Jun 2023; 7, northern Hoke, 1 Jun 2023; 6, at a feeder in Camden in late fall - winter 2019-20; 6 (apparently three pairs) at Luzon Drop Zone (Scotland), 13 Jun 2020. | Transient. Casual to very rare in spring, and very rare in fall; scattered over the region. Mainly mid-Apr to mid-May, and late Jul to early Oct. A handful of records in winter, and scattered throughout the year (records for each month). There is a record of an apparent nest in Raleigh in 1890 (Chat 47:73-75), which is the only indication that the species has ever nested in this province. One photographed in Guilford on 2 Jun 2019 was presumably a very late spring migrant. Peak counts: 5, Pee Dee NWR, 3 Jan 1998. | Transient. Casual to very rare in spring (eight records), and very rare in late summer/fall (about 15-16 records). In spring, the records are from 1 Apr - 15 May, plus a surprisingly early one photographed on 24 Mar 2015; "fall" dates range from 3 Jul to 16 Nov. There is also one winter (30 Dec) report. Peak counts: 1, on many dates. | Most breeding sites are generally off-limits to birders on military reservations (especially at Fort Liberty). However, in recent years a few birds have been seen in summer and likely breed at George Drop Zone on the Sandhills Game Land, open to the public. Otherwise, the best places to look are along the coast, in Aug or early Sep. This species is not too shy or difficult to re-find once a report is made in the state; thus, you have a decent chance of seeing one that way. | * to ** | 2026-08-28 | |
| sciName | species account | breeding status | list type | state status | fed status | S rank | G rank | coastal plain | piedmont | mountain | tips | tips code | update on |
| Plectrophenax nivalis Snow Bunting | The Snow Bunting breeding range and abundance is remarkably similar to that of the Lapland Longspur, as both nest in the high Arctic in huge numbers, and both winter in large flocks in the northern half of the country and southern Canada. In North Carolina, however, it is seen mainly along the immediate coast, in low dunes and on sand flats. As with the longspur, it does not winter anywhere regularly in the state, but a few reports are normal in a given winter. Farther inland, it is seldom seen in plowed fields, but they turn up on very rare occasions in "rocky" places or bare ground, such as along drawdown shores of lakes, along dams, around the edges of paved parking lots, and even on high elevation grassy balds in the depth of winter! Every few years, beginners report "Snow Buntings" from feeders; these are essentially always partial albino sparrows or juncos. In addition, high counts from the Piedmont and mountains were made by persons who seldom if ever contributed other records of notable birds; thus, these are open to question. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G5 | Winter visitor, mainly coastally; declining in numbers in the past several decades, though an upturn in the winter of 2023-24. Rare though nearly annual in winter along the northern coast, south to Cape Hattaras; very rare to rare farther south along the coast. Casual to very rare in Tidewater and farther inland (only about 11 such records); no records from most counties. Primarily late Oct or early Nov through Feb, peaking in Nov. Outside of the normal time frame, singles were seen in Fayetteville (Cumberland), 20-27 Apr 1963; just west of Cape Hatteras Point, 1 May 2016; near Avon (Dare), 1-4 May 2026; and at Oregon Inlet, 6-9 May 2004 (Chat 68:123-24). Numbers are quite variable from winter to winter, and the species goes un-reported once or twice a decade. Also, numbers seem to have declined in the past 10-20 years, and flocks over 20 birds are seldom reported now. A count of 12 at Currituck NWR (Currituck) on 17 Dec 2019 was possibly a first state report in double digits in 10-15 years. However, 20 were tallied at the northern end of Pea Island in late Nov 2023, continuing into winter; the peak count there was 33 birds on 30 Jan 2024. A few were also reported in winter 2023-24 at Cape Hatteras Point, Ocracoke Island (Hyde), and Bird Island (Brunswick). Peak counts: 150, Kitty Hawk (Dare), 25 Jan 1937; 90, Pea Island, late Nov 1980. | Sparse winter visitor. Very rare; barely 15 reports for the province. Mainly late Oct to early Jan, but there are also four reports of apparent spring migrants, between 24 Mar and 29 Apr. The last record (29 Apr, from Pittsboro), is open to question and highly unlikely. Peak counts: 1, on many occasions. Reports of 4 (above, at Pittsboro) and 3 at a Tryon hotel are suspicious. | Sparse winter visitor. Very rare; about 19-20 records. Has occurred on a handful of occasions on the highest elevation grass balds, mainly at Roan Mountain, as well as in valleys. Mainly mid-Nov to late Jan. Remarkably long-staying was one seen at Pond Mountain (Ashe) from 3 Nov - 27 Dec 2025. There are also two spring reports: one photographed at Turkey Pen Gap (Transylvania - Henderson border) on 30 Apr 1996 (Chat 61:67); and one at Snake Mountain (Watauga) on 8 Mar 2009 (Chat 73:129). Peak counts: 10, Etowah (Henderson), 10 Jan 1997 (hopefully correct). | If you spend a lot of time walking or driving beaches in the winter, you might find a few each year. Your best best is to look for them at Cape Hatteras Point, or possibly at Cape Lookout (much more difficult to access). They can be very difficult to find away from dunes and sand flats. Numbers have declined in recent winters, and the former * to ** tips code has been moved now to * -- quite difficult to find nowadays. | * | 2026-08-28 | ||
| Anthus rubescens American Pipit | The American Pipit, named the Water Pipit until a few decades ago, nests in the coldest and most barren parts of North America -- Alaska, far northern Canada into the Maritimes, and in alpine tundra areas of the Rockies and Sierras. It migrates from coast to coast to winter in the southern third of the country. In North Carolina, it migrates across the state, but in winter it occurs over the Coastal Plain and much of the Piedmont. Only the Horned Lark, among songbirds, occurs in as barren habitats as does the pipit; plowed fields are favored by pipits, but they also occur on fresh to slightly brackish mudflats, extensive lawns (and sod farms), and a few other very short grass habitats. They almost always occur in flocks in the state, at times numbering over 100 birds; they are usually first noted by their calls while in the air overhead. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | S4N | G5 | Winter resident. Along the coast (at least the immediate mainland), mostly fairly common, though can be uncommon on barrier islands; common (at least numerically, but in flocks) in the Tidewater zone and in much of the inland areas, though mainly fairly common toward the Piedmont. Can be very common at times in migration. Mainly mid-Oct to early or mid-Apr; one at Oregon Inlet (Dare) on 7-9 Jun 2013 was exceptionally late. Peak counts: 550, North Topsail Island (Onslow), 25 Jan 2000. A report in The Chat of 2,700 in a dusk flight along the Outer Banks on 25 Aug 1965 is obviously incorrect, or else a typographical error. The species does not arrive in the state until about late Sep, and thousands would not be seen in Aug, at any rate. | Winter resident and transient. Fairly common to common across most of the region, in spring and fall migration. Less numerous in winter; fairly common in the eastern and southern portions; generally uncommon elsewhere, being less numerous toward the mountains. Mainly mid-Oct to mid-Apr, and not unusual into early May. One at Jordan Lake (Chatham) on 17 Aug 2017 was a very early date. Peak counts: 1,000, Union, 18 Mar 2017. | Transient, and very sparse winter visitor/resident. Generally uncommon (to occasionally fairly common) across the region as a migrant in spring and fall, occurring as high as mountain balds at high elevations. In winter, rare to very uncommon in early winter at lower elevations, but very rare to rare nearly everywhere by midwinter; few survive the winter. Very late were two at Hooper Lane (Henderson) on 27 May 2026. Mainly mid-Oct into Nov, and again Mar to late Apr. Peak counts: 400, Henderson, 14 Mar 2001. | You should be able to find pipits in large plowed fields in the Coastal Plain in winter, more likely toward Lake Mattamuskeet and Lake Phelps. | *** | 2026-08-28 | ||
| Catharus bicknelli Bicknell's Thrush | The Bicknell's Thrush breeds in New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces, and it winters in the Greater Antilles; so, it seems likely that numbers of them regularly migrate through North Carolina, at least the eastern half of the state. However, the global population size is low for a songbird, and considerable concern is present about its long-term future. Great care should be exercised in the field, however, in light of the very close similarity to Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus), from which it was (controversially) split in 1995. An article discussing the status of both of these species in North Carolina is in (Chat 59:1-8). Because of the near impossibility of identifying the two species, even by song or calls, the NC BRC has accepted only three modern records, all of birds caught in mist nets, measured, and banded (and one or two of them were photographed). Most of the 10 or more reports in print, or in listserves, do not contain enough information for a committee review; several with details have not been accepted. There have also been a few reports of birds calling overhead at night during migration identified as Bicknell's. Again, such reports cannot be easily confirmed. However, the species certainly is a regular migrant through the state's Coastal Plain, and possibly a very rare migrant in the Piedmont. Reports in migration in the Coastal Plain might not need committee review any longer; confirmed reports/records in the Piedmont and mountains are still lacking and will probably need NC BRC review. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G4 | Transient. Abundance unknown, but probably rare (to possibly uncommon), in both spring and fall. One was banded at Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center (Johnston) on 5 May 2004* (Chat 69:32). Two individuals were banded at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve (Moore) -- one on 27 Sep 2001* (Chat 67:3), and one on 3 Oct 2008* (Chat 73:25). One was window-killed at Edenton (Chowan) on 9 Oct 2019, and its leg band indicated it has been banded in Vermont in Jul 2015; it now is a specimen at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences [NCSM] (Chat 84:25). The first conclusive record appears to be a specimen in the U.S. National Museum, recently examined by a taxonomic expert and compared with North Carolina specimens of Gray-cheeked, taken on 12 May 1939 about 5 miles southeast of Southport. Though photos of the specimen have been taken and sent to the NCSM, and seen by several Committee members, no vote has been taken, and it is assumed that the specimen record is correct. Thus, there are five definite records at the present time. The only other published records for the province seem to be one possible bird photographed on Roanoke Island (Dare) on 21 Oct 2011 (Chat 76:19-38); and one "probable" one well studied at close range along the Black River (Bladen) on 28 Apr 2020. At any rate, it should not be assumed to be overly rare in this province during migration. | No conclusive records, but probably a very rare transient. The province lies along the western edge of the apparent migratory route; thus, likely to be found mainly in the eastern part of the region. There are several published reports: one seen and heard in Durham on 26 May 1996 (Chat 61:57-68); one seen and heard calling at Ribbonwalk Nature Preserve (Mecklenburg) on 17 Sep 2011 (Chat 76:19-38); one photographed after hitting a window in Raleigh on 4 Oct 2011 (Chat 76:19-38); and nocturnal calls heard in the pre-dawn hours at Falls Lake (Wake) on 17 Sep 2013 and at Hanging Rock State Park (Stokes) on 24 Sep 2013 (Chat 78:17-39). Again, one must make his or her own conclusions as to the validity of these reports, though it is better to mention them here, even without conclusive documentation, rather than simply dismiss them completely. | The first "confirmed" record for the province was one that was banded, measured, and photographed at the Coweeta Hydrologic Lab (Macon) on 12 May 2026 (Chat 90:94). Confirmed is put in "quotes" because no measurements were posted in the eBird comments. The NC BRC may want to review this report, at least if and when photos or data are available, especially as this is the westernmost United States report for all spring seasons showing on the eBird website (as of summer 2026). Probably accidental or casual, as the Mountains appear to lie west of the migration route. | Though not likely overly rare in the Coastal Plain in migration, conclusively identifying one would likely require a mist net and detailed measurements and photographs. | 1/2* | 2026-08-28 | ||
| Cistothorus stellaris Sedge Wren | Called the Short-billed Marsh Wren many decades ago, the Sedge Wren is now restricted just to North America; a similar taxon in South America -- formally lumped with Sedge Wren -- has been split out as the Grass Wren (C. platensis). As a result, Sedge Wren has a new scientific name -- C. stellaris. In North America, the Sedge Wren is generally uncommon and somewhat declining, as its marshy habitat in the Midwest is being drained and destroyed; some birds also nest east of the Appalachians, but to the north of North Carolina. A few summer birds have been reported, singing as if on territory, mainly near the coast, but breeding has never been proven in the state. Also, these appear to be "one-time-only" occurrences. Thus, it is clearly called a "nonbreeder" for now. Thankfully, the species winters along and near the coast, and is a transient inland. Wintering birds favor brackish and often shrubby marshes, such as the upper ends of tidal marshes, especially where there are shrubs such as Waxmyrtle and various woody composites. They also occur away from coastal marshes, but again where marshes tend to have a few scattered shrubs. Despite a global decline, such a decline in wintering birds in our state does not seem evident. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SUB,S4N | G5 | Winter resident eastward, but otherwise a scarce transient. Generally fairly common, to locally common, in winter along the coast and in the Tidewater zone close to Pamlico Sound; farther inland, probably rare but regular over the central portion of the region, but likely does not overwinter in the western portions. (Winter range is hard to define, as the species is secretive, and birders need to target marshy areas; also, as winter progresses, "abundance" decreases by the end of winter.) Scarce and hard to find in migration. A few summer records near the coast, but probably of males looking for mates; no records even close to suggest breeding. Published report of 12 or more birds singing in late Jul 1982-83 at Pamlico Point marshes (Pamlico) is stunning, as well as unprecedented; additional corroboration by other observers would have been helpful. Another "interesting" summer report was of 5 birds singing at the Voice of America facility in northwestern Beaufort [incorrectly listed as Washington in (Chat 85:163)] on 28 Jul 2021. Mainly late Sep to early May. Peak counts: | Transient, and occasional straggler into winter. Generally rare (or at least secretive enough that it is rarely recorded) across the region, both in spring and fall. Less rare in the eastern portion, but still a good find. Mainly late Apr to mid-May, and late Aug to late Oct; at least 15 records in Dec and Jan, with a stunning 7 birds on the Lake Norman CBC, 19 Dec 2004. Three at McDowell Nature Preserve (Mecklenburg) on 12 Jan 2023 was an excellent count for midwinter. One at Jordan Lake (Chatham) on 9 Feb 2025 was remarkable for that month. Likely does not overwinter (survive the entire winter) in the region. Peak counts: | Transient. Very rare (no records for many counties) to rare in spring and fall, mainly limited to low mountain valleys. However, in spring 2026 there were reports from eight counties, an excellent number, as often there are no reports for the province in a given spring season. Mainly late Apr to mid-May, and late Aug to late Oct. Peak counts: | The species is fairly easy in fall and winter in shrubby marshes, such as at Bodie Island (near the Lighthouse Pond boardwalk) and along the western side of NC 12 north of the lighthouse entrance road. | *** | 2026-08-28 | ||
| Petrochelidon fulva Cave Swallow | Hardly any bird has expanded its breeding range in the United States in recent years as has the Cave Swallow. A few decades ago, one had to go to a select few culverts in south Texas to be sure to find them. However, they are now nesting over much of the majority of that state, and migrants often end up heading eastward to the Atlantic coast, rather than southward. The first state record did not come until 1987; but since 2000, they have been routinely recorded along and near the North Carolina coast, always in late fall or early winter, though few if any are able to survive the entire winter. Because this flight occurs long after Cliff Swallows are gone, one never has a chance for direct comparison of the two; however, this makes mis-identifications unlikely. Cave Swallows are often seen in flocks of Tree Swallows, but at times are found by themselves - most are seen close to tidal water, such as flying down beaches or sounds in "southbound" migration, but some are seen around catfish ponds and other lakes and impoundments near the coast. Fall and winter 2023-24 had barely one or two reports, but fall 2024 into the winter had dozens of reports, mostly along the immediate coast. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G5 | Fall transient, and straggler into early winter, essentially along the coast; greatly increasing in numbers and records through about 2012; however, numbers have leveled off or declined since about 2015, except for a boom again in fall and early winter 2024. Currently, rare to (at times) uncommon along the coast, as well as in Tidewater. The only far inland record is six at the Goldsboro (Wayne) Water Treatment Plant on 14 Nov 2025. Mainly very late Oct or early Nov to mid-Dec, and sparingly into early Jan. Other records are one near Sneads Ferry (Onslow) on 5 Feb 1995; two at Carolina Beach SP (New Hanover) on 21 Mar 2023; five at Cape Hatteras Point (Dare) on 5 Apr 2025; one photographed at Cedar Island NWR (Carteret) on 25 Apr 2026; and one at Pea Island NWR on 19 May 1995, seen by excellent observers. High counts: 85, Tidewater Research Station in Roper (Washington), 17 Nov 2007 (Chat 72:34-35); 60, Sunset Beach (Brunswick), 12 Dec 2024; 33, North Topsail Beach (Onslow), 8 Nov 2012 (Chat 77:30). | Casual, with four records: a single bird seen at Troutman (Iredell) on 20 Dec 1999 (Chat 64:106), (Chat 65:85); a single bird over the UNC soccer fields in Chapel Hill, 1 Nov 2011 (Chat 76:33); a juvenile photographed at Cane Creek Reservoir (Orange), 2 Dec 2015 (Chat 80:90); and two at Falls Lake (Durham) on 2 Dec 2024 with one still present as late as 12 Dec. | Casual in migration, with reports having yet to be reviewed by the NC BRC. One was photographed and observed by several birders at Ecusta Pond (Transylvania) on 26 Mar 2020 (Chat 84:99). This is a remarkable record if accepted, as not only was there no previous mountain record, but no previous spring record for the state. Another individual was reported at this same pond, this time on 10 Mar 2022 (Chat 86:85); this also is expected to be reviewed by the NC BRC. At this same pond, one was found on 22 Oct 2024. Perhaps the same bird was again noted there on 20 Mar 2025, and one was photographed there on 12-13 Mar 2026. | There are no consistent spots for seeing fall and early winter migrants, as they can be seen flying along the beaches and sounds along the southernmost coast, usually with Tree Swallows. In late fall and winter 2024-25, a consistent site was Twin Lakes at Sunset Beach (Brunswick), where a few dozen birds roosted on house rooftops for several weeks. | * to ** | 2026-08-28 | ||
| sciName | species account | breeding status | list type | state status | fed status | S rank | G rank | coastal plain | piedmont | mountain | tips | tips code | update on |
| Corvus ossifragus Fish Crow | Unlike the American Crow, the Fish Crow is poorly known to the layman -- "There are two kinds of crows in the state?". Until the 1960's, this might have been understandable, as this species was known only as a common permanent resident in tidal areas. For whatever reason, numbers started spreading inland into the upper reaches of the Coastal Plain by the mid-1960's, including a few spots along the Piedmont Fall Line. Even now, Fish Crows continue to slowly move farther inland, such that birds now are breeding in all of the Piedmont. It is now being seen sporadically in the Mountains, but nesting has not yet been confirmed though birds are undoubtedly doing so. However, the species tends to withdraw back to the Coastal Plain (eastward or southward) for a couple of months in winter. Near the coast, and in many inland areas, they are closely tied to open water -- coastal islands, edges of forests near sounds, and woods adjacent to reservoirs. However, after initial establishment, they often move away from water and feed at landfills and in residential areas, to feed on bird eggs and nestlings, as well as other food off the ground. They avoid feeding in farmland and other cropland, at least in the Piedmont, leaving these areas to the American Crow. Birds nest in evergreen cover of pine stands, broadleaf evergreen forests and thickets, etc. In fall and winter, they typically gather into larger flocks (often over 100 birds) than are the flocks of American Crows; the two species seldom occur in the same flock. | Breeder | Definitive | S5B,S5N | G5 | Permanent resident over most of the area, with migratory movements. Generally, common to locally very common along the coast and in Tidewater, and now common inland. Can be locally uncommon in some inland areas in winter, especially in the northwestern portions. Because it gathers into large flocks in winter, it can be locally scarce for various periods, even in some coastal areas. Peak counts: 10,000 at a roost north of Engelhard (Hyde), 14-16 Feb 1987; 3,000, roost near Warsaw (Duplin), 23 Dec 2021. | Summer resident, remaining into late fall, and sparingly winters in the eastern portions; still slowly increasing. In the warmer months, common in the eastern and southern portions, but uncommon and local toward the foothills. Unpredictable in winter, depending on the severity of the weather. Peak counts: 207, Ringwood (Halifax), 13 Oct 1986. | Greatly increasing visitor at all seasons and presumed local breeder; a recent arrival, since 2006. Now surely nesting at a few places, but no active nest has been found; an adult was seen carrying food in Cherokee in 2025. In recent years, from 2019 and later, there are quite a few records for the northern Mountains, mostly from Watauga. A count of 9, possibly including juveniles, was noted in Boone (Watauga) on 15 Jul 2021; no conclusive breeding evidence exists for this province, though it would be little surprise if such evidence were found in the next few years. In fact, in spring 2024 and spring 2025, the species was reported on eBird lists from all 17 counties in the province. In summer 2024, adults carrying food were seen in Buncombe. A few birds are now (2026) overwintering as far north as Watauga. Peak counts: 9, see above; 8, Henderson, 12 May 2009. | Easy to find, and not local, in the breeding season, in most of the Coastal Plain, especially around salt or brackish water. Typically easy to find in the warmer months in many Piedmont cities and large towns. | **** | 2026-08-28 | ||
| Lanius ludovicianus Loggerhead Shrike | The Loggerhead Shrike was historically rare to absent as a breeding species in the East, but with the opening up of the forests for farmland, it, the Eastern Meadowlark, and the Brown-headed Cowbird moved in from the Midwest as nesting species. However, starting in the 1970's, the shrike has undergone a steep population decline over most of its range, and many states have it on their rare species list. The decline can be attributed to loss of farmland to development and succession (as farms are abandoned), cleaner farming practices, perhaps severe winters, and undetermined factors such as prey decline, decline in thorny tree species, use of pesticides, disease, etc. The decline has seemly stopped or slightly slowed in recent years, and birds are even being found slightly farther east in the nesting season than previous seen. Shrikes nest in the western and southern parts of the Coastal Plain, but only sparingly now in the Piedmont; and the wintering range is similar, though there is likely some increase of birds in winter than summer (at least in the Coastal Plain). Favored habitats are extensive pastures and farmland, with thorny trees or shrubs or barbed wire fences (for impaling prey). Sandy soil areas are favored over wetter or more clay-like soils. | Breeder | Definitive | SC | S3B,S3N | G4 | Permanent resident, with migratory movements. Nests east to about Roanoke Rapids, Washington, and Wilmington -- thus essentially absent from the northeastern 40% of the region, and also absent in most coastal counties except Brunswick and New Hanover. However, remarkably far to the northeast was an adult seen carrying nesting material near Murfreesboro (Hertford) on 24 Jun 2023. (The species nested in Carteret in 2011, and again in 2021, for perhaps the only time since 1975). Winters over this same range, with a few birds being seen slightly farther east, sporadically to the Lake Mattamuskeet area and to Carteret. Year-round, uncommon to fairly common in counties bordering South Carolina (such as Scotland, Robeson, and Columbus); slightly less numerous in the Sandhills and central counties; rare to uncommon in the northern portions. Peak counts: | Permanent resident, with slightly noticeable migratory movements. Formerly (prior to about 1975) nested over nearly all of the province. Currently, mostly rare to locally uncommon only in counties along the SC border with much farmland, such as Cleveland and Union; otherwise, rare in the southern half, and very rare to absent in the northern half. It no longer nests in counties along the VA border, at least west of Granville, as well as in most central counties, though a confirmed breeding record was noted in Davie in 2023. The wintering range is similar. Peak counts: | Transient and winter visitor/resident, and likely former breeder. Now a very rare transient in the lower elevations, and a very rare and local winter visitor -- mainly in Ashe, Alleghany, Henderson, and Transylvania. There are a few recent summer records, but none for conclusive breeding. Primarily Dec to Mar, but scattered records over the year. Peak counts: 3, New River SP CBC, 21 Dec 1991. | Your best bet is to drive secondary roads in Robeson or Scotland counties, where the species is still numerous enough to see a few in a day. Driving roads south from US 74 to the Lumber River SP is a good area. Shrikes can still be seen regularly as far north as Edgecombe, southern Halifax, and Martin in the northwestern Coastal Plain. | ** to *** | 2026-08-28 | |
| Vireo altiloquus Black-whiskered Vireo | For a species that nests in the West Indies and north to the western and southern coasts of Florida, one might expect at best only one or two state records for this cousin of the Red-eyed Vireo. However, the Black-whiskered Vireo "overshoots" its breeding range enough in spring that sharp-eyed or sharp-eared birders can recognize it from the very common Red-eyed. Amazingly, there are over a dozen state records, all from the Coastal Plain in spring or early summer. This is in stark contract to South Carolina, which, despite lying closer to Florida, has just three records for the species (as of 2024). | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G5 | Now a very rare overshooting stray along and near the coast, in spring; a remarkable 17+ records so far. One was seen at Wrightsville Beach (New Hanover) on 1 Apr 1960 (Chat 25:17-18); one was near Masonboro Sound (New Hanover) on 8 May 1983 (Chat 47:110); a bird acting territorial at Cape Lookout (Carteret) was present from 23 May - 2 Jul 1994 (Chat 59:87); one was seen in Beaufort (Carteret) on 6 May 1994 (Chat 60:140); another was at Cape Lookout on 20 May 2000 (Chat 64:156); one was found at Bald Head Island (Brunswick) from 6-22 Jun 2001 (Chat 66:33); and one was in Manteo (Dare) on 29 Jun 2006 (Chat 71:3). One was observed singing at Morehead City (Carteret) from 17-20 Jun 2019 (Chat 83:117); and one was photographed at Duck (Dare) on 1 May 2020 (Chat 84:99). Singles were seen in coastal Dare at Buxton on 30 Apr 2021 and likely the same not far away on 30 Apr; supposedly a different one was seen on the Hatteras Inlet peninsula on 6-15 May 2021 (Chat 85:127). Probably a different bird from the 2021 one was seen at Cape Hatteras Point on 4 May and 14 May 2022. A singing bird was photographed at Beaufort (Carteret) on 16-17 Jun 2023. Along the central coast of Dare in spring 2024, seemingly a single bird was noted singing at Oregon Inlet on 9-11 May, Bodie Island on 23 May, and at a Nags Head golf course from 25 May - 10 Jun! A few report in spring 2025 on the Dare Outer Banks lacked details. One found along Billfinger Road in Croatan National Forest (Craven) on 13 Jun 2009 is the only somewhat inland record (Chat 73:162). Singles, if different birds, were seen and heard singing in Carolina Beach SP (New Hanover) on 17 Apr and again from 15-18 May 2026. | No records. | No records. | If one is birding along the southern coastline in May or early June, especially on islands, it doesn't hurt to learn or be familiar with the song of the Black-whiskered Vireo. Many of the state records were of birds that were first heard singing, and the observers either recognized the species from the song, or realized that these were not likely Red-eyed Vireos and needed visual confirmation. | * | 2026-08-28 | ||
| Vireo gilvus Eastern Warbling-Vireo | The Eastern Warbling-Vireo, along with the Red-eyed Vireo, has the most extensive breeding range of any vireo in North America. It breeds from coast to coast, though North Carolina lies along the southeastern edge of the range. As with most other vireos, it winters completely south of the United States. It has an unusual migration route in spring and fall: despite nesting in northern VA and northeast to the Canadian Maritimes, in migration it mostly stays west of the state, migrating around the western end of the Gulf of Mexico rather than over it. It is thus a "once-a-decade" find for most observers east of the mountains, during migration. Warblings nest mostly in our mountain valleys, usually in tall groves and riverside hardwoods, such as along the New River and forks, and the French Broad River. Away from the mountains, a few pairs nest in similar hardwood groves, mostly near water. As with the Philadelphia Vireo, sightings in migration seem to be clearly increasing since 2020, perhaps indicating a true population increase.
In summer 2025, the American Ornithological Society split the Warbling Vireo into an Eastern species and a Western species. Ours in NC retain the same scientific name -- V. gilvus -- but the new common name is Eastern Warbling-Vireo; note the hyphen in the last word. | Breeder | Definitive | SR | S2B | G5 | Transient, and possible accidental breeder. Very rare in both spring and fall. Records are increasing in recent years, though this might be due to more birding effort. From mid-Apr to late May (mostly in early to mid-May) and early Sep to mid-Oct; casual in winter. A few birds singing on territory have appeared sporadically since 1986 at several sites near the Roanoke River in Halifax; however, no conclusive nesting has been found. A winter report of one at Roanoke Island in Dec 2000 - Jan 2001* (Chat 66:4) is remarkable; details were provided to the NC BRC. Another was seen in Point Harbor (Currituck) on the very late date of 13 Dec 2017 (Chat 82:71). One was photographed at Pettigrew SP (Washington) on 10 Dec 2022 (Chat 87:41), and another was photographed at Pea Island NWR on 5 Dec 2023. There is another unusual report of three birds in Wilmington on 25 Mar 1959, which was likely an incorrect identification -- out of range, a month early, and three birds is simply implausible. One seen at Hatteras Point (Dare) was extremely rare on 1 May 2025 along the southern Outer Banks. Peak counts: a remarkable 4, assuming all correct and different, Nags Head Woods (Dare), 15 Sep 2022; 2 on about four dates. | Transient (mainly in spring), and scarce summer resident. In spring, rare in the western half, and very rare in the eastern half; in fall, casual to now very rare across the province. In summer, very rare and inexplicably local (habitat is widespread), with recent nesting records from Cabarrus, Forsyth, Orange, and Wake (Chat 68:122), (Chat 73:124-25), (Chat 76:112). Three singing males were found in Catawba in mid-May 2010, suggestive of nesting; records at this site have continued into 2013. Recent summer records from Guilford, where presumed to nest; and a pair suspected of nesting in northwestern Alamance (2014). As many as two singing birds were at Raleigh in the latter part of May 2020, joined by a third non-singing bird from 20-30 June -- suggestive of nesting; and similar numbers returned to this site in 2021, still without conclusive nesting evidence. In spring and summer 2024-25, two singing birds (and at least one female) were on territory along the Cape Fear River in southeastern Chatham, remaining at least well into Jul, but no definite nesting evidence was reported. One to two have been singing on territory from 2021-26 in eastern Gaston, suggestive of breeding but without evidence so far. Primarily late Apr to mid-May, and mid-Sep to early Oct. Peak counts: | Summer resident and transient. Uncommon in summer in the New River area of Ashe and Alleghany; rare and very local farther south in valleys, to the French Broad River (Buncombe and Henderson). Otherwise, a rare transient, at low elevations (below 3,000 feet). Mainly late Apr to late Sep, with migrants mainly in the first half of May, and the middle of Sep. Peak counts: | Though a scarce bird in the state, driving roads that parallel or cross the South Fork New River, within a few miles of the confluence with the North Fork, as well as doing the same along the New below the confluence, should produce a few birds in summer. | *** | 2026-08-28 | |
| Sayornis saya Say's Phoebe | The Say's Phoebe breeds over much of the Western United States and Western Canada, but it withdraws from most of the northern portions of the range during the winter. Its normal winter range is in the southwestern United States and Mexico, though strays to the Southeastern states are not overly unusual. It has been found in North Carolina about 24 times, all in the eastern half of the state during fall or winter, except for two mountain reports. Thankfully, records have been increasing in the past decade, though this may be due to better observer coverage. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G5 | Very rare fall migrant/stray, occasionally lingering into the winter; 16 records. One was seen near the Pony Pens at Ocracoke Island (Hyde) on 11 Oct 1991 (Chat 57:56); one was present in central Carteret from 1-6 Dec 2005 (Chat 70:10); one stayed at the O'Berry Center near Goldsboro (Wayne) from 9 Jan - 18 Mar 2007 (Chat 72:8-9), for a remarkable midwinter record; one was noted on the beach at Bald Head Island (Brunswick) on 3 Sep 2010 (Chat 75:2), (Chat 75:47); one was seen at Alligator River NWR, 24 Nov 2012 (Chat 77:29); and one was seen in Cherry (Washington) from 27 Dec 2012 - 7 Feb 2013 (Chat 77:58). Two were found at well separated locations in Washington on 27 Dec 2013 (Chat 78:74) -- one just west of Lake Phelps, seen only on that date; and one near Beasley Road and US 64, which remained to 19 Jan 2014 and was seen and photographed by numerous people. One was seen at North River Farms (Carteret) on 28 Sep 2014. Fall 2017 saw two additional reports: one at the Voice of America site in northwestern Beaufort, 16 Oct - 5 Dec, and one in southeastern Washington, 24-27 Nov. One was seen and photographed at Waves (Dare) on 5-6 Oct 2020; and another was photographed at Ocracoke Island (Hyde) on 5 Oct 2022. One was again found at the Beaufort Voice of America site, this time on 10 Oct 2023. In 2024, singles were photographed at Ocracoke Island (Hyde) on 22 Sep and between Salvo and Avon (Dare) on 12 Oct. | Casual; seven or eight records. One was seen near Raleigh (Wake) on 23 Oct 1965 (Chat 30:28), (Chat 54:56). Another was seen near Lillington (Harnett) from 7-12 Dec 1985 (Chat 51:75-76), (Chat 54:56). The third and fourth were both in 2021: one along Zion Church Road in southeastern Union from 10-16 Oct*, and one along Howerton Road in northeastern Guilford from 16 Oct - 11 Apr 2022* (Chat 86:40), (Chat 86:61). [Both birds were seen within 1.5 hours on 16 Oct and thus were different birds.] One seen in southern Rockingham on 15 Apr 2022 may well have been the Guilford individual (Chat 86:84-85). One seen again along Howerton Road from 29 Sep 2022 into the winter (Chat 87:16) certainly has to be the same individual as the one that overwintered there a year ago. In fact, it spent the entire winter and was seen into the spring season (Chat 87:40), last seen on 6 Apr 2023. One was photographed south of Raleigh from 18 Nov - 17 Dec 2025 (Chat 90:25) (Chat 90:59); it or another was seen at the same locale from 19 Mar - 10 Apr 2026 (Chat 90:92). | Accidental to casual. One was photographed at Jackson Park (Henderson) on 19 Sep 2023* (Chat 88:16), (Chat 88:57). Another was photographed at the Biltmore Estate (Buncombe) from 8-10 Sep 2025 (Chat 90:25). | The bird along Howerton Road in northeastern Guilford has been present for the past two falls and winters (2021-22 and 2022-23), giving people across the state ample chances to add the species to their state or life lists. Otherwise, the species can appear at random in migration, mainly near the coast in fall. | * | 2026-08-27 | ||
| sciName | species account | breeding status | list type | state status | fed status | S rank | G rank | coastal plain | piedmont | mountain | tips | tips code | update on |
| Empidonax alnorum Alder Flycatcher | Prior to 1973, Alder and Willow flycatchers were considered as a single species -- Traill's Flycatcher. Unlike nearly all other "splits" in the bird world, which are "judgement" calls as to whether the two new species interbreed or might interbreed (e.g., Oak and Juniper titmice; Winter and Pacific wrens), this split was of two different taxa with different songs and calls. These "cryptic" species -- like the splits for Tropical and Couch's kingbirds, and for Boat-tailed and Great-tailed grackles -- are sympatric, that is, their breeding ranges overlap, and the different songs and calls, as well as habitats, keep them genetically isolated. Alders are the rarest of the four Empidonax species that nest in the state, and visually they are essentially identical to Willow Flycatchers; and they look enough like Least and Acadian flycatchers that identification of silent birds, such as downstate, is practically impossible without measurements (such as through mist-netting). To date, there are apparently no records of mist-netted birds in the state, indicating its genuine rarity as a migrant east of the mountains. It breeds locally at middle and high elevations in the mountains, favoring saplings and small trees, such as regenerating burned forests, bog margins, and various thickets, such as Green Alder stands at Roan Mountain. As with the Willow Flycatcher, it is a relatively new breeder to the state, not being first recorded in summer until 1972. | Breeder | Definitive | SR | S2B | G5 | Transient. Status very poorly known, but apparently casual to (at best) very rare. There are only four reports, of a singing bird at Southern Pines on 1 May 1994 (Chat 59:10), a bird heard calling on 4 Jun 2003 at Bodie Island (Chat 67:154), one seen and heard calling in the Sandhills Game Land (Scotland) on 20 Aug 2017, and one photographed and recorded in Wilmington (New Hanover) on 19-20 Sep 2025. Apparently no known banding records to indicate that it routinely passes through the province. | Transient; apparently very rare. Very poorly known, though possibly regular in both spring and fall. However, there are relatively few reports of birds singing or calling, and thus it may well be genuinely rare, especially as there seem to be no records of birds captured and measured at banding stations. There are only about 22 records, 17 from May, and five from fall migration (16 Aug - 10 Oct). One was recorded and seen in Forsyth on 17 May 2024 to firmly document a spring record, and another was recorded in Guilford on 2 Sep 2024 to document a fall migrant. There were five reports in spring 2025, most with voice recordings. Three reports in May 2026 backed by audio recordings added to this meager total of confirmed records. Peak counts: two, Guilford, 2-3 Sep 2024, though only one was likely confirmed by recorded call note. | Summer resident; breeding, mainly above 3,500 feet elevation. Generally uncommon and local, with the southern extent of the range being in extreme southern Haywood. Numbers seem to have slightly increased since about 1990, and also birds have been reported at lower elevations (down to about 2,800 feet) in recent years. This is probably the latest breeding species in the state to arrive on its nesting grounds, usually not until mid-May (after 10 May), and they are present until Aug or Sep. However, departure dates are difficult to determine unless birds are heard calling. Peak counts: 36, spring bird count in the Shining Rock Wilderness and Black Balsam area, southern Haywood, 15 May 2010. | Some of the better sites for finding the species are the road to the Shining Rock Wilderness and Black Balsam areas of Pisgah National Forest -- mostly along the Forest Road at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 420.2 (Haywood), and Roan Mountain near Carvers Gap. | *** | 2026-08-27 | |
| Tyrannus forficatus Scissor-tailed Flycatcher | The beautiful Scissor-tailed Flycatcher nests in the south-central United States, primarily in Texas and Oklahoma, but also regularly to Louisiana. Surprisingly, "vagrant" birds have managed to find mates and nest as far east as North Carolina and South Carolina, far from the usual range. In fact, it has nested as of 2022 in four or five locales in North Carolina. However, it is primarily known as a rare migrant, mainly toward the coast. Breeding habitat is always around large open farmland, with scattered trees, usually with powerlines and transformers (nesting sites). Migrants are typically seen perched on telephone lines in farmland and other open areas. | Sporadic Breeder | Definitive | W | SAB,SZ | G5 | Transient/vagrant, both in late spring/summer and again in fall; accidental breeder. Very rare to rare "transient" along and near the coast, including the Tidewater zone; casual inland. A pair nested in Southern Pines (Moore) for two years, in 2006 and 2007 (Chat 71:33). Mostly from late May through Jul, and Sep to late Nov. One was very early in Buxton (Dare) on 2 Apr 2021. There are also a handful of winter reports, though the late date of 4 Jan indicates that the species is unable to overwinter. Peak counts: one, for migrants. | Transient/vagrant, and sporadic breeder (only three sites reported). Very rare in migration, with more records for the southern part of the province. Most records from Apr to Aug (early date is 23 Mar; late date is 21 Oct). The first documented nesting in NC was near Monroe (Union) in 2000 (Chat 64:146-49). Nesting continued at the same site for several years, until the male was killed by a passing car in 2008 (Chat 72:141-42). In 2011, a pair nested near Chapel Hill, and also possibly in Gastonia (Gaston). One at Lake Gaston (Warren) from 1-14 Jul 2019 seemed to show territorial behavior, but no other Scissor-tailed was seen; however, it associated with an Eastern Kingbird and possibly was mated with it. In 2022, a pair bred in Pineville (Mecklenburg), where a bird was seen carrying nesting material on 18 May and other nesting evidence occurred into summer (Chat 86:84); the pair produced four juveniles, as seen in late Jun (Chat 86:103). One adult returned to this Pineville site in late Apr 2023 but did not remain into May, presumably owing to the lack of a mate. Peak counts: 7, at the Union nesting site, in 2001; 5, there on several other dates. | Casual spring visitor, with all records only in May. One was photographed in Swannanoa (Buncombe) on 10 May 1984 (Chat 48:100); one was near Warren Wilson College (Buncombe) on 6 May 2022; one (different from the 6 May bird?) was at Mills River Park (Henderson) on 11 May 2022; and one was seen in flight in Watauga on 23 May 2025. | Your best bet is to drive to a known nesting site. If none are available for an easy "tick", you are out of luck. It is too rare to drive around and hope to see one. Many veteran birders have gone 40-50 years in the state without finding one of their own. And, sadly, transients are seldom seen on the day after the initial sighting, disappointing many who have chased such migrants. | * | 2026-08-27 | |
| Tyrannus verticalis Western Kingbird | The Western Kingbird history in North Carolina is a sad one. Back in the 1960's and early 1970's, one could occasionally see a handful of birds on a single day in fall along the Outer Banks. This was especially true a day after a cold front. However, since 1972, numbers of this species reaching the Atlantic coast have clearly declined, even though the breeding range -- the western half of the United States -- has remained the same and even occasionally has spread into some Midwestern states. Nowadays, this has been a difficult species to find in the state -- even though a few are seen annually, and some people who have conducted Big Years have missed the species. Thankfully, there was an increase in sightings in late fall 2013 and early winter 2014 near the coast. It is typically found along or near the coast, in open sites on exposed perches, such as on telephone wires near yards, waste lots, farmlands, and other early succession sites. Oddly, the species is found along the Atlantic coast only as a fall migrant; spring birds move up the middle of the continent, and there are only a few such records for the state. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G5 | Fall transient, regularly lingering into early winter; declining, at least in fall. Along the coast, formerly uncommon, but now rare over nearly all of the coast, including parts of the Tidewater region. Farther inland, casual in fall. Primarily late Aug to late Nov, with a peak in late Oct. Many winter records, into early Feb, but very few birds survive the entire winter. Casual to very rare in spring migration: one record in late Mar, one in Apr, two in May, and four in June. One at Alligator River NWR (Dare) on 17 Jul 2022 was a presumed very early fall migrant. Peak counts: 10, Ocracoke Island, 23 Oct 1972; 8 on several occasions. | Essentially only a fall stray/transient. Very rare, with only about 16 records. Nine of the records occur between 6 Sep and 9 Nov; two are in Aug. The only winter records are one photographed along Tuttle Road in far-inland (Stokes) from 27-31 Dec 2019; one seen and photographed in northern Orange from 17-19 Dec 2022; and another (or perhaps the same as the last record?) at Hank Anderson Park (Orange) on 8 Jan 2023. Perhaps a first spring record (finally!) for the province was one photographed at Chantilly Ecological Sanctuary (Mecklenburg) on 20-21 May 2024. Completely out of season was one photographed in Stokes on 18 Jun 2023. Peak counts: one. | Casual. Five records: four in fall (two in Aug and two in Sep). The report of two birds in Ashe on 24 Mar 1965 is so early and out of line with any other state reports that it must be considered open to question. The one at Biltmore Estate (Buncombe) on 24 Sep 2019 is apparently the first photographed in the mountains. Peak counts: one, except for the last report of two birds. | Try driving NC 12 down the Outer Banks in fall, a day or two after a strong cold front. A bird could appear on a telephone line anywhere there. Driving farmland roads near Lake Mattamuskeet, as well as along the lake's causeway, is also worth a try, a day or two after a cold front in fall. A few recent birds have been seen at Fort Fisher in southern New Hanover. | * | 2026-08-27 | ||
| Ictinia mississippiensis Mississippi Kite | Mississippi Kites are a major success story in North Carolina and elsewhere in their breeding range, which has been expanding northward not only along the East Coast but also into the Great Plains and in the Southwest. Exactly why it has spread is not obvious; though wetlands such as beaver ponds have been increasing, mature forested swamps and bottomlands have declined owing to repeated logging. Fortunately, the kites feed on large insects such as cicadas and dragonflies high over wetland forests, and they need only a few tall trees, even in town parks, for a nesting site. In fact, birds nest in towns such as Roanoke Rapids, Goldsboro, Rocky Mount, and Laurinburg! The first nesting in the state came only in the 1970's; surprisingly, the only known Piedmont nesting sites (so far) are well inland at Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Charlotte, and Raleigh. Mississippi Kites show a strong preference for brownwater river floodplains -- Roanoke, Tar, Neuse, Cape Fear, and even the Pee Dee along the Fall Line; birds are normally seen chasing insects over forests and floodplain fields not far from the rivers. Presumably, suitable prey items are not nearly as common over blackwater rivers such as the Northeast Cape Fear, Black, Waccamaw, and Lumber; in fact, the species isn't known to nest along a few major blackwater rivers in the Coastal Plain. In the past few years, post-breeding numbers of both Mississippi and Swallow-tailed kites have appeared in the mountains and western Piedmont; most of these are immature birds. | Breeder | Definitive | S3B | G5 | Summer resident, breeding; increasing in recent decades. Occurs primarily close to brownwater rivers, and most numerous along the upper half of the Roanoke River and portions of the lower Cape Fear River. Locally fairly common to common along such rivers, but rare to uncommon over most of the province, especially on coastal islands and in the extreme northeast (including Tidewater), both of which are not known to be nesting areas. The breeding range has been expanding in recent years, now nesting practically west to the Fall Line -- as far west as Roanoke Rapids, Rocky Mount, Clayton, Howell Woods below Smithfield, Lillington, and Rockingham. Mainly late Apr to mid-Oct, though scarce after late Sep; occasionally seen in early and mid-Apr. Peak counts: 80+ along Governors Road (Brunswick), 15 May 2021; 60, Mesic (Pamlico), 29 Sep 1984, after a hurricane; 35, northern Brunswick, 8 Jun 2014. | Increasing stray or overshooting migrant, as well as a post-breeding visitor; breeds at a few local sites. Has nested at Greensboro from 2004 through 2018, has nested recently at Charlotte and in Pittsboro (Chatham), and confirmed in Raleigh in 2020. In Jun 2024, an active nest was found in Hillsborough (Orange). Two adults tending to an unfledged juvenile at a nest in Winston-Salem (Forsyth) on 23 Jul 2023 extends the breeding range slightly to the west. Rare but increasing visitor in the eastern portion (west to Orange and Anson), and undoubtedly will be found nesting in additional places in upcoming years. Very rare in the northwestern quarter of the province. The species does feed somewhat regularly along the lower Pee Dee River along the Richmond-Anson line, which is marginally in the Piedmont. Whether birds nest along the river or not is unclear, but the species has nested to the east in Rockingham (in the Coastal Plain) and might now be nesting in Anson. Oddly, sizable flocks have been seen in late summer over a few fields in McDowell since 2012. Primarily from late Apr to early Oct, though recorded as early as 25 Mar and as late as 23 Oct. Peak counts: 30, in McDowell, 10 Aug 2016; 30, southeastern Montgomery, 31 Jul 2021; 25 in McDowell, 23 Aug 2012; 23 in the Greensboro area, 5 Jul 2015; 23 in McDowell, 21 Aug 2017; 20+ in McDowell, 26 Aug 2015. | Rare migrant/visitor (increasing) in the southern mountains (about 38 records). Very rare north of Henderson and Haywood, with only nine known reports: one, Mahogany Rock overlook (Alleghany/Wilkes), 7 Oct 1995; one in Watauga, 9 May 2014; one, Mahogany Rock overlook, 24 Sep 2016; four at that overlook, 9 Sep 2017; one in Watauga, 10 Sep 2017; a remarkable 14 in flight over Valle Crucis (Watauga), 1 May 2022; one at a remarkably high elevation of 5800 feet over Round Bald (Mitchell), 31 Aug 2022; one to two at several Watauga sites from 4-17 May 2024; and five at Valle Crucis (Watauga), 11 May 2026. Mainly late Apr to mid-May, and Aug into mid-Sep. Peak counts: 50, over the Super Sod Farm along Hooper Lane (Henderson), 24 Aug 2019; 22, where NC 191 crosses the French Broad River (Henderson), 22 Aug 2016; 20, at Biltmore Estate (Buncombe), 3 May 2024; 14 (see above), Watauga, 1 May 2022. | Visiting the Lock and Dam #1 area or the NC 11 bridge over the Cape Fear River has been consistently good for seeing the species in numbers, in recent years, during the warmer months. A boat trip along the upper half of the Roanoke River usually produces a few birds, as can a visit to Howell Woods or to the Richardson Bridge Road where it crosses the Neuse River in Johnston. Arrington Bridge Road near the Goldsboro waste treatment plant can also be good. In the past few years, a flock has been seen in late summer over agricultural fields near Exit 75 on I-40 in McDowell. Governors Road in eastern Brunswick has also been a reliable spot for viewing the species feeding over fields. | *** | 2026-08-27 | ||
| Nyctanassa violacea Yellow-crowned Night Heron | Though the Yellow-crowned Night Heron can be somewhat nocturnal, it frequently forages during the day. However, it is our least numerous breeding heron/egret, with breeding habits, habitats, and especially locations still not well understood. Although a few pairs nest with other waders on coastal islands, most breed in small groups (probably two to five pairs) in remote swamps, though a few colonies are present in the middle of Piedmont cities! As with the Green Heron, nearly all birds leave the state in fall, and it is rarely seen in winter. Yellow-crowns prefer to forage in freshwater areas near swamps and thickets, often on crayfishes; however, they also feed on crabs in salt or brackish channels and shallow waters.
NOTE: In 2024, the AOS removed the hyphen between the words "Night" and "Heron" in this species' name and in the Black-crowned Night Heron. | Breeder | Definitive | SR | S2B | G5 | Summer resident and transient. Generally uncommon along most of the coast, but fairly common at least locally along the southern coast (Brunswick and New Hanover); also uncommon in the Tidewater zone; mostly mid-Apr to mid-Oct; very rare into Dec or early Jan. The only known record of a wintering bird was an adult seen along the US 64 causeway between Manteo and Nags Head, 28 Dec 2013 - 28 Feb 2014; the bird remained through the entire following winter (2014-15), as well. However, some reports from CBC's, typically immatures, likely represent mis-identified immature Black-crowned Night-Herons. Farther inland, a rare and poorly-known breeder and migrant. Nests sparingly along the Roanoke River, and probably also blackwater rivers such as the Northeast Cape Fear. An unusual report was one seen in the Gulf Stream out of Hatteras, 21 Jul 2011 (Chat 75:156). Peak counts: | Transient, post-breeding visitor, and sparse breeder. Rare and local throughout, and no records for many counties; mainly from late Apr to late Sep. Nests in small colonies in a few cities -- Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Chapel Hill, and Durham; however, there are few nesting reports from the region away from cities! Two nests (with an excellent nine juveniles) were found in Ephesus Park (Orange) on 18 Jun 2023, and three nests found there in May 2024. A nest with adults found near Cramerton (Gaston) in May 2016 is slightly farther west than other nesting records. Another confirmed nesting was reported from Catawba College Ecological Preserve (Rowan) in 2025. Away from cities, most frequent as a post-breeding visitor at mudflats and beaver ponds. Only one winter report, an adult at Winston-Salem, 1-7 Jan 1998. Peak counts: 32 birds (with at least 22 nests counted) at Ephesus Park (Orange), 18 Apr 2026; 14 adults (plus 12 young), Charlotte, 20-31 May 2002. | Transient. Very rare to rare, and only in the lower mountains, mostly from Henderson; nearly all records from Apr and mid-July into Aug. There were five reports in summer 2024, each from different counties -- Buncombe, Clay, Haywood, Henderson, and Transylvania. An adult near Hot Springs (Madison) on 10 Jun 2007 was quite unusual, as was an immature along Hooper Lane in Henderson on 19 Jul 2014. Also notable was an adult photographed at a creek near Robbinsville (Graham) on 25 Sep 2025. Peak counts: 2, immatures at Beaver Lake (Buncombe), 14 Jul 2021; one, on many dates. | Areas where they can be seen somewhat regularly are the Twin Lakes ponds on the mainland part of Sunset Beach and the Ocracoke area. A few parks in Piedmont cites have breeding birds where they can be seen with some regularity (see above). One does not have to be at these sites near dawn or dusk. | ** | 2026-08-27 | |
| sciName | species account | breeding status | list type | state status | fed status | S rank | G rank | coastal plain | piedmont | mountain | tips | tips code | update on |
| Egretta thula Snowy Egret | The elegant Snowy Egret has, sadly, shown an alarming decline in numbers along the East Coast since the 1990's, for reasons that are not clear, as many other waders are not in a decline. Perhaps this and several other smaller species are not able to handle intense predation pressure from Fish Crows, Raccoons, and other species at nesting colonies; or perhaps coastal storms have impacted nesting colonies of the species. Water quality or amount of habitat does not seem to be enough of a concern to contribute to the more than 70% decline in nesting numbers in the state since about 1990. This species is still seen in small to moderate numbers on most coastal birding outings, and birds feed in shallow waters of fresh and brackish ponds, pools, and shorelines, and on mudflats. As with the Great Egret, they also occur along salt water channels and tidal mudflats; thus, habitat is hardly a limiting factor in its decline. The species breeds almost exclusively on coastal islands, but there are at least two inland nesting sites. | Breeder | Definitive | SC | S2S3B,S3N | G5 | Permanent resident along the coast, being migratory and thus more numerous in spring, late summer, and fall. Fairly common to locally common (but declining) along the entire coast, from Mar through Oct; in winter, less numerous -- mostly fairly common along the southern coast and uncommon to fairly common along the northern coast. Breeds at scattered colonies on small islands along the coast, plus currently at Lay's Lake (Columbus) and Dunahoe Bay (Robeson); formerly nested at a few other inland sites. In Tidewater, uncommon to locally fairly common (such as at Lake Mattamuskeet) in the warmer months, but rare in winter; not known to breed in this area. Farther inland, a rare to uncommon post-breeding visitor, mainly Jul to Sep; rare in spring (Apr and May); very rare at other times -- Jun, and Oct to Mar. Peak counts: | Transient, but primarily a post-breeding visitor. Rare to uncommon in the eastern portion (mainly at Falls and Jordan lakes), and rare (currently) to very uncommon over most of the remainder of the province, during July to Sep. Rare spring migrant in the eastern portions (mainly Apr and May), but very rare westward. Apparently no records from mid-Oct to the end of Mar. Peak counts: 7, Lake Wheeler (Wake), 22 Apr 1984. | Transient and post-breeding visitor. Very rare in the lower elevations (generally below 2,500 feet), early Apr to late May, and early Jul to mid-Sep, rarely to 4 Oct. Most records are for Henderson. Peak counts: 7, Hooper Lane (Henderson), 1-9 Aug 2024; 4, Hooper Lane, 25-31 Jul 2024; 2, Lake Junaluska (Haywood), 12 Apr 2008. | Though clearly declining, you should have little trouble finding the species along the immediate coast at both tidal areas and freshwater impoundments, at least in the warmer months. | **** | 2026-08-27 | |
| Botaurus lentiginosus American Bittern | Both bittern species are secretive birds of marshes, sharing their home with rails and a very few other bird species. The American Bittern nests primarily in Canada and the northern half of the United States, but a few pairs do breed, likely annually, in our coastal freshwater marshes. However, it is far more often seen in migration and in winter, even though it is (on the whole) an uncommon species. In fact, numbers are declining across its range, owing to impacts to freshwater marshes and wet meadows. At all seasons it favors freshwater marshes, the more extensive and the more cattails the better; they also occur in slightly brackish marshes. | Breeder | Definitive | SR | S1B,S3N | G5 | Transient and winter resident, and sparse and poorly known breeder. Uncommon migrant in coastal and Tidewater marshes, less numerous in midwinter, though still uncommon, in this same region. Very rare to rare (and local) breeder, mostly in the Tidewater area in the northern half of the Coastal Plain; probably nests in many if not most summers at Mackay Island NWR, Mattamuskeet NWR, the Bodie-Pea Is. area, and Cedar Island NWR; casual or very rare as a known or possible breeder elsewhere along the southern and central coastal areas. Farther inland -- rare to very uncommon (and easily overlooked) migrant, and very rare to rare in midwinter; no known nesting records, but the species was reported in summer 2007 at a marsh near Goldsboro. Mainly Sep to early May; most numerous in Apr and early May, and again in Sep and Oct. Peak counts: 11, at a wetland mitigation site in southern Beaufort, 6 Apr 2016; 6, Occoneechee Neck (Northampton), 15 Apr 1972. | Transient and scarce winter visitor. Rare (to possibly uncommon, but easily overlooked) during migration; very rare during winter. No evidence of nesting in the province. Mainly mid-Aug to mid-May, most frequently noted in Apr and early May. Peak counts: 26, on the Durham spring count, 24 Apr 1983 (probably in marshes in the lakebed of Falls Lake, which was being filled at that time). Of note is an individual that has wintered at a pond at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh for four consecutive winters (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, and 2016-17). | Transient. Rare in Apr-May and again early Aug to mid-Nov; one record in Dec and two in Jan, but not known to overwinter. However, one seen at Jackson Park (Henderson) from 30 Jan - 26 Feb 2025 might well have overwintered; possibly the same bird was there from 18 Jan - 8 Feb 2026. One photographed along a creek in Yancey on 30 Jun 2020 was quite unusual for midsummer, though there was no indication of breeding. Just as notable was one seen on 21 Jul 2024 at Hooper Lane (Henderson), also presumably a non-breeder. Most recent records are for the southern mountains, especially in Henderson and Transylvania. In spring 2026, there were reports from an excellent six counties -- Alleghany, Yancey, Graham, Buncombe, Henderson, and Transylvania. Peak count: two birds only. | Observers inland should look for bitterns during spring and fall migration at large marshes, generally along the margins of reservoirs. Your best bet in the state is probably at Bodie and Pea islands, where the birds may be seen around the fringes of the impoundments, or at times in flight over the ponds. This can sometimes be a difficult bird to find for your year list, unless you are willing to do some marsh wading at fresh or brackish marshes. Nonetheless, bitterns can at times be seen along roadside ditches near the coast, seemingly oblivious to passing cars! | ** | 2026-08-27 | |
| Botaurus exilis Least Bittern | The Least Bittern is just as shy as its larger cousin, the American Bittern, but because it is much smaller, it tends to be less often seen. Unlike that species, which is quite rare as a breeder in North Carolina, the Least Bittern nests in moderate numbers, at least locally, in our freshwater and brackish marshes, mainly near the coast. However, it is mysteriously scarce as a breeder on the Outer Banks, where the fresh and brackish marshes at well known sites on Bodie and Pea islands, and at Cape Hatteras, seem devoid of them. As with the American Bittern, there seems to have been a decline in numbers of Least Bitterns, though the extent of suitable marshes does not appear to have been diminished in recent years. Most birds are found in taller freshwater marshes, especially in cattails, but at times they can be found in brackish marshes. In recent years, a few Least Bitterns have been seen in winter near the coast, but currently it is not considered a winter resident species, unlike the American Bittern. | Breeder | Definitive | SC | S3B | G5 | Summer resident and migrant; a handful of winter records. Occurs nearly throughout the Tidewater and coastal areas, but generally rare to uncommon and local as a breeder; fairly common at only a few sites, such as at Great Marsh in Mackay Island NWR, Pamlico Point marshes, and Cedar Island NWR. Farther inland (away from Tidewater), very rare to rare and erratic summer resident, nowhere consistently from summer to summer, though perhaps nests regularly at the Voice of America site (Beaufort), where six birds were seen on 20 Jul 2025, including a recently fledged young. A handful of spring and summer records in recent years also for Lake Surf (Moore), where it might nest as well. Mainly early Apr to mid-Oct, and very rarely into Dec. Very rare in midwinter (but seldom overwinters); records slowly increasing at that season, near and along the coast -- including far-northern Mackay Island NWR (Currituck). Peak counts: a remarkable 62 at Cedar Island NWR, 3 Jul 2016; 44 (many of which were juveniles), at that site, 9 Jul 2017; 24 there, 28 Jun 2015; 20, Carteret, late May 2011; 18, Pamlico, 15 Jul 1984. A tally of three calling birds in eastern Moore on 17 Jun 2023 was a notable number for a far inland site, and is clearly suggestive of nesting. | Transient and scarce summer resident. Rare (and easily overlooked) transient, and rare and local breeder, mainly in the extreme eastern counties (Wake, Durham, and Chatham); formerly nested in small numbers at Lake Wheeler (Wake), but status since about 1975 not known. However, two birds were noted calling at Flat River impoundment (Durham) on several dates in late May 2020, and one was calling there from 2-11 Jun 2022. One was one at Chantilly Park (Mecklenburg) on several dates at the end of spring 2020. Counts of 4-6 calling birds at Harris Lake (Wake) on 23-24 Apr 2016 clearly indicate nesting there. One at Tanglewood Park (Forsyth), 7-26 Jun 2017 may have been a breeding bird; as might have been one along the Rocky River (Cabarrus) on 11 and 25 Jul 2021, and again from 5-8 Jun 2022. Mainly late Apr to early Oct; one winter report -- 1, Kernersville, 31 Dec 1965. Peak counts: ? | Casual to very rare transient, and perhaps has nested on rare occasions in the Hendersonville area. Most records from Henderson; early May to early Oct. One at Valle Crucis (Watauga) on 19 May 2019, one photographed near Hot Springs (Madison) on 7 Sep 2020, and one at Boone (Watauga) on 11 May 2024 are among the only records for the central and northern mountains. Exceptionally late was one seen at Ecusta Pond (Transylvania) on 29 Oct 2023. A heard-only report with an audio-recording is hopefully correct, from Owen Park in Swannanoa (Buncombe) on 28 Dec 2023, and heard only again there on 7 Apr 2024. Peak count: 10, Hendersonville, both summer 1935 and 1936. | Most of the better sites are difficult for birders to reach. It is reportedly common as a breeder at the Pamlico Point impoundments (boat required to reach), Lake Ellis Simon (private), and at Great Marsh at Mackay Island NWR (ferry ride or drive into Virginia to reach). The species nests around the margins of some lakes and ponds at Twin Lakes at Sunset Beach, at Orton Plantation, and scattered other sites. The best bets to look and listen for the birds are from NC 12 through Cedar Island NWR and from NC 615 at Mackay Island refuge. | ** | 2026-08-27 | |
| Platalea ajaja Roseate Spoonbill | Hardly any bird is more easily identified than the Roseate Spoonbill. This tropical breeder nests northward only to central Florida (and for the first time in Georgia in 2011) and is now seen annually in North Carolina. Observations and numbers of birds have greatly increased in recent years, and counts (of post-breeding birds) in coastal SC since 2000 have reached well into double figures, including triple digits at the Savannah Spoil Site. Since then, a few are reported nearly each year in NC; and, the species is starting to be seen well inland in the state. In late spring and early summer 2018, starting immediately following the passage of Tropical Storm Alberto in early June, there was a literal "flood" of spoonbills into all parts of the state, including the first ever in the mountains; there was actually a surge of coastal records in late May, suggesting a major northbound post-breeding movement was already underway before the storm hit the Gulf Coast. Spoonbill sightings in NC have been somewhat equally divided between salt and fresh waters. It may be seen on both salt water creeks and channels in marshes and at coastal impoundments. It has now been found breeding in SC (though just one pair), but perhaps it will one day start nesting in NC. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G5 | Post-breeding visitor and stray, mostly to the coast; greatly increasing in recent years. Now rare (to locally and at times uncommon) along the southern coast (mainly Brunswick and New Hanover), very rare (but increasing) farther northward. Most frequent from mid-Jul to late Aug, but scattered records from mid-May to late Sep; also, 1, Smith Island (Brunswick), 15 Apr 1919. A few now in winter, mainly along the southern coast. At least 11 inland records: two in northeastern Duplin from 13-17 Jun 2009; two near Trenton (Jones) on 15 Jul 2009; one photographed at a small pond near Plymouth (Washington) on 21 Jun 2017; one at Morgan Futch Game Land (Tyrrell) from 6-13 Jun 2018; one at Greenville (Pitt) on 7 Sep 2018; one at Mattamuskeet NWR (Hyde), 28 Jun into Aug 2020; and 4 along the Waccamaw River (Columbus), 20 Jul 2020. A few additional inland records in 2023 and in 2025. The first winter record for the state was of two photographed near Plymouth (Martin), well inland, on 1 Dec 2021; this is the first day that "qualifies" for winter season status. In winter 2023-24, one was seen at Pea Island NWR on 5 Dec and again from 24-30 Dec; one was at Hatteras village on 4 Jan, and it or another spent much of the winter nearby on Ocracoke Island. Peak counts: 28, Twin Lakes in Sunset Beach (Brunswick), 26 Sep 2021; 24 at that site, 21 Jul 2025; 23 at that site, 31 Aug 2024; 19 near Shallotte (Brunswick), 2 Sep 2024; 17, New River Inlet (Onslow), 31 Aug 2021; 13, Twin Lakes in Sunset Beach (Brunswick), 12 Jul 2021; 12, Copas Lake (Brunswick), 20 Aug 2020; 9, Pea Island NWR, 5 Jul 2009; 9, Bald Head Island (Brunswick), 18 Aug 2018; 8, New River Inlet (Onslow), 21 Jul 2021. | Formerly accidental to casual, but now very rare to rare and increasing, mostly a post-breeding visitor, with seven known records until an explosion of records in 2018. One was seen at Lake Twitty (Union) from late Aug to 24 Sep 2006* (Chat 71:15); one was seen at Riverbend Park (Catawba) on 11-12 Aug 2009* (Chat 74:20); one was seen at Lake Townsend (Guilford) on 14 Sep 2009* (Chat 78:8-13); one was seen at Tryon (Polk) on 20 Jul 2013 (Chat 77:151); one was at Jordan Lake, 16-27 Aug 2017; one was at Beaverdam Reservoir (Wake), 8 Sep 2017; and one at Jordan Lake, 17-24 Sep 2017. The latter three records could relate to just one or two birds. In late spring and summer 2018, one was noted at Davidson (Mecklenburg), 27-28 May; one at Lake Tillery (Stanly), 8 Jul; two in northern Raleigh (Wake), 15 Jun - 8 Jul; three at Jordan Lake (Durham and Chatham), 8-31 Jul; one at Lake Townsend (Guilford), 24-25 Jul; and two at Lake Crabtree (Wake), 24-25 Jul. One was at the Coddle Creek Reservoir (Cabarrus), 2-5 Aug 2018; and rather late was one at Raleigh, 7 Oct 2018. An additional three records were made in Jun-Jul 2020, and numerous records were made from late May onward in 2021; only a handful or records came in summer and fall 2022, but there were many records of one-two birds in summer and fall 2023. There were about four reports in the province in summer 2024. In spring 2025, there were a surprising three reports, as far west as Gaston; however, there were just four reports later in 2025, in Mecklenburg, Anson, Alamance, and Wake. In spring 2026, there was one report in Chatham. Peak counts: 5, Catawba River (Mecklenburg), 13-18 Jul 2021; 5, Brier Creek Reservoir (Wake), 14 Aug 2021; 3-5, Lake Fisher (Rowan), 21 Aug - 3 Oct 2021; 4, Lake Twitty (Union), 26 Jul 2021. | Casual post-breeding visitor, with all records from 2018 (Chat 82:112). Singles were seen on the French Broad River (Henderson) on 3 Jun, and at Hap Simpson Park (Transylvania) on 7 Jun; and up to three were in wetlands along North Rugby Road (Henderson) from 15-31 Jul. | Increasing annually now, and can now be tracked down to see, as some have lingered for a while, especially along the southern coast. Typically, a bird is seen in shallow tidal water, such as near an inlet or at tidal flats. A few birds have appeared at impoundments and other coastal freshwater sites. Your best bet is to search the two lakes at Twin Lakes in Sunset Beach in late summer, as well as nearby tidal creeks in western and central Brunswick County. Another reliable spot in the past few summers/falls has been Rivers Edge Nature Trail near Shallotte. | * to ** | 2026-08-27 | ||
| Anhinga anhinga Anhinga | The Anhinga is still another of the Pelicaniform species that has increased noticeably in the state over the past few decades. This increase might be due to a combination of an increase in beaver ponds, development of wetlands in Florida, and possibly to global warming. Unlike the Double-crested Cormorant, the Anhinga is not at all local in breeding sites, nesting now at several dozen sites scattered all across the Coastal Plain, as far inland as Weldon (Halifax), with an apparent nesting in the lower Piedmont in 2006 and a confirmed nesting in 2023. It requires fresh water and is never seen at salt or brackish waters. Large millponds, natural lakes with cypress, and beaver ponds are the usual places for nesting and foraging; the birds nest mostly in tall or medium-sized living trees, especially cypress, often in fairly exposed places. They also nest in some swamps, such as in the Roanoke River, where they can be found nesting with Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets. In fact, Anhingas typically nest with other wading birds. The species is often seen soaring overhead several hundred feet in the air, a seemingly odd behavior. It formerly was very rare in winter in the state, but such records are now greatly increasing; small numbers overwinter in the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain. | Breeder | Definitive | W | S3B | G5 | Breeding summer resident, increasing. Nests at least locally, scattered over most of the province, except apparently does not breed north of Albemarle Sound and does not nest on coastal/barrier islands. A few birds overwinter in the extreme southeastern corner of the state, such as at Wilmington; winter records are increasing, and birds seem now to be overwintering as far north as Pitt. Breeds inland to Weldon, Enfield, Jessups Pond (Cumberland), and Dunahoe Bay (Robeson). Uncommon and local (quite rare in some counties) over most of the province, but fairly common in the extreme southeast (Brunswick and New Hanover); generally rare north of Albemarle Sound, along the Outer Banks, and in other coastal areas. Mainly late Mar to mid-Oct, but many records into early winter, but rare in late Jan and Feb. Peak nesting totals: ??. Peak counts: 120 birds (and 50+ nests), pond in Bladen, 10 Jul 2024; 60, Goldsboro (after Hurricane Hugo), 24 Sep 1989. A count of 8 on the Pamlico County CBC, 18 Dec 2012, is perhaps a high winter season total. | Mostly a nonbreeding migrant/visitor; increasing. Now (2025) a casual but increasing breeder in the eastern and now central portion of the region. Primarily occurs in spring, though records for all months except Mar; more records in Apr and May than at other times. Rare to uncommon visitor in the eastern portion of the province, especially in Wake and Durham; very rare to now rare in the western two-thirds of the region, including three records from Kerr Scott Reservoir (Wilkes). One nest was found at Jordan Lake (Chatham) in 2006, but it was not successful. Farther inland, successful nesting was noted at High Point Lake (Guilford) in 2023, with four adults and two active nests with six juveniles on 3 Jun. A nest with attending adult was found at Mosquito Den Swamp (Lincoln) in summer 2024; birds had arrived there in 2025 as early as 5 Apr, and nesting was again confirmed in summer 2025. At the eastern edge of the province, a few nests and 13 birds were noted on 13 May 2024 along Sapony Creek (Nash). Apparently nests, or has nested, at Pee Dee NWR (Anson); records there are nearly annual now, even in summer. Peak counts: 13, see above; 11, over Crabtree Creek (Wake), 14 Jul 2021; 10, Falls Lake, 20 Sep 2012; 10, Cowan's Ford Wildlife Refuge (Mecklenburg), 2 Jul 2019; 5, Durham area, 5 May 2002. | Surprisingly few records, considering the many in the Piedmont, where records are greatly increasing. Very rare visitor, though records are increasing in recent years. One was seen from a hawk watch at Mount Pisgah (Buncombe), 21 Sep 2003; one was seen near Mills River (Henderson), 21 Oct 2012; one was seen in flight over Lake Osceola (Henderson), 18 Oct 2014; two were seen in flight over Max Patch Road (Haywood), 8 May 2022; one was seen at Ecusta Pond (Transylvania) from 10-31 Jul 2025; and a very late one was seen soaring at Beaver Lake (Buncombe) on 25 Nov 2025. In spring 2026, single birds were seen at two Buncombe sites and at one in Henderson. Peak counts: 2, Haywood, 8 May 2022. | The spillway at Orton Pond is probably the best site in the state. Birds can also be seen at Twin Lakes in Sunset Beach, Greenfield Lake in Wilmington, Jessups Pond in southern Cumberland, and a handful of other lakes and ponds. Greenfield Lake might be the best place to look in winter. | *** | 2026-08-27 | |
| sciName | species account | breeding status | list type | state status | fed status | S rank | G rank | coastal plain | piedmont | mountain | tips | tips code | update on |
| Sula dactylatra Masked Booby | As with the tropicbirds, the three boobies recorded in North Carolina waters -- Masked, Brown, and Red-footed -- also are rare enough, and spectacular enough, to always generate excitement when seen on a pelagic trip. Tropicbirds when seen well enough are quite different from any other common birds, whereas boobies must first be separated from the quite similar-appearing Northern Gannet, which can linger in our waters into the summer months. In fact, reports of boobies must be carefully made, with photos or a thorough description; many a booby sighting likely refers to a Gannet, especially outside the midsummer months. As with the two tropicbirds, the three booby species breed on tropical and subtropical islands, as close as the West Indies. These five species are closely tied to Gulf Stream or other very warm waters, and each occurs singly or rarely as many as two in a day. The Masked Booby is seen more frequently offshore in the state than is the Brown Booby, whereas the Red-footed Booby is of casual occurrence. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G5 | Nonbreeding visitor, mainly offshore in the Gulf Stream. Rare from early Jun to mid-Sep; very rare as early as mid-May and until late Oct; "peak" from late Jul to late Aug. Peak counts: 3, off Oregon Inlet, 22 Aug 1987; five records of two birds; the remaining reports are all of single individuals. A few onshore records in this same period, with the most significant being one remaining in a Brown Pelican colony in the lower Cape Fear River from 23 Jun to 3 Oct 1981. No far inland records. Perhaps the earliest spring date is 22 Apr 2022, when one was seen from Cape Hatteras Point (Dare); another was also early on the beach at Cape Fear Point (Brunswick) on 27 Apr 2022. | No records. | No records. | Finding the Masked Booby in North Carolina is a matter of persistence; you must be prepared to take plenty of pelagic trips in the summer months and hope for the best. Make sure you and others on the boat study the bird carefully, to rule out a Northern Gannet first, and then rule out a Brown Booby. NOTE: The Nazca Booby (Sula granti) has been recently split off from the Masked Booby; however, this "new" species is restricted to the Pacific Ocean. | * | 2026-08-27 | ||
| Calonectris diomedea Scopoli's Shearwater | The Scopoli's Shearwater was split off from Cory's Shearwater by the AOS (formerly AOU) in 2024; it was formerly considered as a subspecies, breeding on islands in the Mediterranean Sea. (The Cory's nests on islands in the eastern Atlantic, just off Europe and northwestern Africa.) The common name is pronounced as "SKOP-oh-leez", with the accent on the first syllable. Unfortunately, the "Scopoli's" taxon was not brought to the public's attention, as occurring in the state's waters, until well into the 21st Century, especially with the publication of Howell's 2012 book titled "Petrels, Albatrosses & Storm-Petrels of North America", where he included numerous photos from NC waters and suggested that it should be a full species. It is easily confused with the Cory's Shearwater, but Scopoli's has a slightly thinner bill, slightly lighter build overall, and has more white in the underwing tip, often with a white "tongue" on the outer primary feather. These are difficult to discern in the field and are best checked on photographs. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | S3N | GNR | Offshore visitor, being uncommon to at times common in the warmer months, from May into Oct, and perhaps as early as Apr. Numbers generally increase later on, in Aug-Sep. Typically found with Cory's, in the Gulf Stream; Cory's outnumbers Scopoli's by maybe 3-1 during the warmer months, but Scopoli's can be more numerous than Cory's in late summer. As with most pelagic birds, the majority are seen from trips off Hatteras and thus it might be less common farther south in the Gulf Stream. A few are seen from shore at Cape Hatteras Point, though data are murky owing to the recent split. Peak counts: 305, off Hatteras Inlet, 5 Aug 2023; 300, off Hatteras Inlet, 6 Oct 2018. | No records. | No records. | You will want or need to take an organized pelagic trip to see this, as photographs might be required to confirm the species; the more photographers on a boat the better! | ** to *** | 2026-08-27 | ||
| Pterodroma feae Fea's Petrel | The Fea's Petrel, as with the Trindade Petrel, has a checkered taxonomic history and has also undergone several English names. Several decades ago, when the first individuals were found off North Carolina, the species was known as the Soft-plumaged Petrel, with four subspecies; two of these nested in the eastern Atlantic Ocean near the Mediterranean Sea, one nested in the far southern Atlantic, and the fourth nested in the Pacific. The species was split into three species in 1983?; at that time, the subspecies that nested mainly in the Cape Verde Islands was named the Cape Verde Petrel. As all of the North Carolina records appear to be from this population, we then had to get used to this new English name. Finally, the American Ornithologists' Union changed the English name to Fea's Petrel. (The common name is usually pronounced as "FAY-uz".) The other eastern Atlantic breeding form, the Zino's Petrel (Pterodroma madeira), is smaller and has a much smaller bill than that of Fea's Petrel. However, despite dozens of excellent photos of Fea's, and over 75 (if not 100) records, the AOU did not accept this species to its list of birds having been documented from North America, because of the similarity to Zino's Petrel, until perhaps 15 years ago. And, for a number of years, the ABA Checklist Committee had accepted only "Fea's/Zino's Petrel" to its list of North American birds, even though there were no reports of Zino's Petrel, much less any photos, from the continent. Only in late 2012 did the ABA finally list Fea's Petrel (without the "/Zino's") as a full species to its check-list. Thankfully, the NC BRC accepted Fea's Petrel to the state list in the 1990's. This is one of the four Pterodroma species found off of North Carolina that birders travel long distances to see, as all but the Black-capped are extremely rare anywhere else. To further clarify, or complicate, matters, in 2025 the Clements Checklist of Birds (and followed by eBird) split Fea's Petrel into Desertas Petrel (P. deserta) and Cape Verde Petrel (retaining the P. feae name). Without going into details here, our NC birds are all believed to be Desertas Petrels. However, the AOS (American Ornithological Society) has not made this split as yet, and the Carolina Bird Club follows the AOS taxonomy. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G1G2 | Offshore visitor. Distribution is very similar to that of the Trindade Petrel, however it is very slightly less numerous; in the Gulf Stream, essentially only off Oregon and Hatteras inlets. Rare but somewhat regular, also seen annually, but usually just a few reports each year; well over 100 records. No records south of Hatteras Inlet. Late May to late Sep, with most records in late May and early Jun; far fewer records after early Jun than for Trindade Petrel. Peak counts: 4, off Hatteras Inlet, 30 May 2026; 3, off Oregon Inlet, 4 Jun 2005; 3, off Hatteras Inlet, 19 Jun 2005. Very early was one on 29 Apr 2022 off Hatteras Inlet. | No records. | No records. | Fortunately for the birder, the records for the species are mostly clumped into a one-month span; thus, take organized pelagic trips out of Hatteras or Oregon inlets to deep water from late May to late Jun, particularly late May or early Jun. | * to ** | 2026-08-27 | ||
| Pterodroma hasitata Black-capped Petrel | The Black-capped Petrel is, by far, the most often seen of the gadfly petrels (genus Pterodroma) in the Gulf Stream off North Carolina and the United States. In fact, probably over 90% of all US records are from North Carolina waters. It is seldom missed on warm weather pelagic trips off Oregon or Hatteras inlets, as long as trips reach the Gulf Stream. Yet, despite it often being fairly common to common in our offshore waters, this is a very rare species globally, and it is listed as Endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Apparently only a few thousand pairs remain, nearly all nesting on steep cliffs on the island of Hispaniola in the West Indies, where the birds are often taken as food by locals. Birders come from afar to see this and other Gulf Stream pelagic birds, as trips off North Carolina more easily reach the Gulf Stream and can spend up to 6 hours in these warm waters on a given trip. Unlike nearly all other pelagic species, it is actually present in the Gulf Stream all year, though so few trips are taken in winter, and the warm water yields so much heat to the colder air, that dense fog often makes viewing difficult; thus, its abundance at that season is poorly known. In recent years, birders on trips out of Oregon and Hatteras inlets have been tallying birds by two forms -- "White-faced" and "Dark-faced" -- in case of a species split in upcoming years. Both forms seem numerous. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | FSC | S1N | G1 | Offshore visitor (at all seasons). Generally fairly common to often common in the Gulf Stream, at least off Hatteras and Oregon Inlet, from May to Oct; and perhaps uncommon farther southward during this period. Apparently uncommon from Nov to Mar, though few trips visit the Gulf Stream in winter because of dense fog and the general scarcity of birds there at that season; a number of records of single-digit counts in winter. Seldom seen from shore, even during or after storms. Records from shore: 1, Roanoke Sound, 31 Aug 1999 (after Hurricane Dennis); 1, sick or injured on the beach near Avon (Dare), 4 Jun 2016; 1, from Cape Hatteras Point, 21 May 2025; 1 each on 28 Apr and 13 May from Cape Hatteras Point; 1, Hatteras Point, 28 Apr 2026. One inland record: 1, Lake Waccamaw, 13-14 Sep 1984 (after Hurricane Diana) (Am. Birds 39:40). Peak counts: 538, off Oregon Inlet, 24 Aug 1997; 372, off Hatteras Inlet, 24 Jul 1999; 363, off Hatteras Inlet, 28 Jul 1996. Highest counts are in Jul and Aug. | Accidental: 1, Jordan Lake, 6-7 Sep 1996 (during and after Hurricane Fran) (Nat. Audubon Soc. Field Notes 51:40). This report has not been reviewed by the NC BRC. | No records. | This is an easy bird if you take a pelagic trip that goes into the deeper waters of the Gulf Stream. Most of the organized pelagic trips from Oregon and Hatteras inlets routinely spend several hours beyond the 100 fathom (600 feet) line, and the Black-capped Petrel is seldom missed on such trips. Trips that go only to the inner (western) edge of the Gulf Stream, often only 20 to 30 fathoms in depth, may miss the species. Likewise, taking a headboat on a fishing trip usually misses the species, as these boats normally bottom-fish over the shallower water of the Continental Shelf. | *** to **** | 2026-08-27 | |
| Pterodroma cahow Bermuda Petrel | The Bermuda Petrel is the rarest of the four Pterodroma petrels found somewhat regularly off the Atlantic coast of the United States, and nearly all records for the country are from the Gulf Stream waters off North Carolina. This species, which nests only on Bermuda, often goes by its former common name of Cahow. For over 200 years, it was thought to be possibly extinct, until rediscovered in Bermuda in 1935. Thanks to it being listed as Endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, intensive management, such as control of predators near the nesting burrows, has taken place; and the population is slowly rebounding, though total numbers are only in the low hundreds. The first state report was in 1983, but now, owing to several dozen pelagic trips taken annually between May and Sep, the species is seen nearly every year now. Nevertheless, it is a very rarely seen species and is always a red-letter bird. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | E | SZ | G1 | Offshore visitor. Very rare, but now seen almost annually, though no records from 2010-2012. Occurs in the Gulf Stream, where all state records are from off Oregon and Hatteras inlets. At least 42 records, mid-May to late Aug. Records outside of those dates include one, off Oregon Inlet, 18 Apr 1983; one off Cape Hatteras, 24 Apr 2023; another (or different birds) off Hatteras, 8-9 May 2019; and one off Hatteras Inlet, 28 Sep 2024 -- seemingly the only record after Aug. Peak counts: 4, off Hatteras Inlet, 22 May 2025 (likely a record Atlantic Coast count); 2, off Hatteras Inlet, 27 May 2002. | No records. | No records. | As with all Pterodroma petrels, you need to get far offshore, taking organized pelagic trips out of Hatteras or Oregon inlets between late May and early Sep. This is a tougher find than Trindade and Fea's petrels, and it may take 10 or more such trips to see your first. Don't give up, but you have no control over finding one -- luck and a lot of good eyes on-board the boat have to be with you! | * | 2026-08-27 | |
| sciName | species account | breeding status | list type | state status | fed status | S rank | G rank | coastal plain | piedmont | mountain | tips | tips code | update on |
| Hydrobates leucorhous Leach's Storm-Petrel | As the Leach's Storm-Petrel is one of the few tubenoses to breed in the northwestern Atlantic, and as it winters off Africa and South America, it was assumed to be simply a spring and fall migrant off North Carolina for much of the 20th Century. However, the increased number of midsummer pelagic trips in the past 20-25 years has yielded moderate numbers of Leach's Storm-Petrels during Jul and Aug, indicating that presumably non-breeding birds occur in our waters for most of late spring, summer, and early fall. Also, though it breeds in the cool waters of the Maritime islands, the misconception that Leach's should only occur in the cooler waters off North Carolina has not been true. It is frequently seen in the Gulf Stream; in fact, it prefers the deeper waters (over 100 fathoms) farther from the Gulf Stream edge than does the much more common Wilson's Storm-Petrel.
The species was moved to a different genus by the AOS in June 2019; it formerly was in the genus Oceanodroma. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G5 | Offshore transient and summer visitor. Generally uncommon (though regular) spring and fall migrant, as well as midsummer "resident", mainly seen off Oregon and Hatteras inlets. Mostly from mid-May to early Oct (however, relatively few trips are taken after Sep); peak counts in late May and late Aug. Many more records in late May and early Jun, corresponding both to the northbound migration but also to a high number of pelagic trips. One early winter record: 3 off Oregon Inlet, 20 Dec 1986. Peak offshore counts: 136, off Hatteras Inlet, 30 May 1998; 133, off Oregon Inlet, 24 Aug 1985. Very rarely seen from shore, mainly from Cape Hatteras Point in May and early Jun. Peak counts from shore: a remarkable 121 in flight from Cape Hatteras Point, 28 May 2023; 15, Cape Hatteras Point, 22 May 2026; 6, Cape Hatteras Point, 21 May 1991; 3, Atlantic Beach (Carteret), 28 Apr 2023. Quite surprising was one photographed over Banks Channel just west of Wrightsville Beach (New Hanover) on 3 Jul 2014, just before Tropical Storm Arthur. Another similar record was one photographed in flight over Mason Inlet (New Hanover) on 10 May 2015, immediately after passage of Tropical Storm Ana. Additional onshore records are one photographed in Beaufort Inlet (Carteret) on 24 Apr 2018, and one found dead at North Topsail Beach (Onslow) on 25 Apr 2018. There are two far inland records: 1, Lake Pinehurst (Moore), 6 or 7 Sep 1996 (after Hurricane Fran) (Nat. Audubon Soc. Field Notes 51:40); 1, Buckhorn Reservoir (Wilson), 2 Sep 2006 (after Tropical Storm Ernesto) (Chat 71:14). | Accidental to casual non-breeding visitor, during or after hurricanes. Three records: 1, Lake Norman, 23 Sep 1989 (after Hurricane Hugo); 1, Jordan Lake, 6 or 7 Sep 1996 (after Hurricane Fran); 1, Jordan Lake, 2 Sep 2006 (after Tropical Storm Ernesto). | No records. | This species is more unpredictable than is the Band-rumped Storm-Petrel. Birders have about a 40-50% chance of seeing Leach's Storm-Petrel on deep water trips from late May into early Oct off Oregon or Hatteras inlets. As mentioned above, individuals can be seen inshore of the Gulf, but more often they are found in the Gulf Stream, often beyond the 100-fathom line. | ** | 2026-08-27 | ||
| Hydrobates pelagicus European Storm-Petrel | Birders looking at range maps of what pelagic species should have been seen in North Carolina waters before the end of the 20th Century were struck by the absence of (definitive) records of two species that breed on islands off Africa, the Little Shearwater and the European Storm-Petrel. Though there had been a specimen found at Sable Island, off Nova Scotia, in 1970, the absence of sightings at sea of the British Storm-Petrel (as it was long named) was striking. Even though the species is in a different genus, it appears to be quite similar to the abundant Wilson's Storm-Petrel, and thus perhaps its absence was due to being overlooked. In 2003, a photograph of an apparent European Storm-Petrel, taken by accident off Hatteras Inlet and identified several months later, was circulated for comments, though it was not accepted by the NC BRC. Thankfully, it was only two years later, in May 2005, that definite records were made, photographs of birds off both Oregon and Hatteras inlets, on the same day! Since then, a handful of records have been made in this same area, all in a relatively narrow window in late May and early June. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G3G4 | Offshore visitor. Very rare to rare, and certainly easily overlooked, in the Gulf Stream off Oregon and Hatteras inlets in late spring/very early summer; one to several records almost annually since 2005. As of 2026, about 23 records. Dates are mainly from 30 May to 10 Jun, with the earliest being one off Hatteras Inlet, 14 May 2022. One off Hatteras Inlet on 29 Jul 2016 was quite "late". Peak counts: 2, possibly 3, off Hatteras, 31 May 2011; 2, off Hatteras Inlet, 30 May 2005. Records through 2008 were summarized and documented in N. Am. Birds (62:512-517). There are no inland records. | No records. | No records. | Thankfully for birders looking for this rarity, nearly all records are concentrated in the last few days of May and the first few days of early Jun. As it is being seen annually, though only one or two records per year, taking an organized pelagic trip out of Hatteras or Oregon inlets, putting out a fish oil slick, and then thoroughly scanning the dozens of Wilson's Storm-Petrels attracted to the slick has a fair (though far less than 50-50) chance of producing a European Storm-Petrel. Even if that fails, this is an excellent time of year to see other rare species! | * to ** | 2026-08-27 | ||
| Larus fuscus Lesser Black-backed Gull | Hardly any other gull species' status in North Carolina has changed as rapidly over the last 20-30 years as has the Lesser Black-backed Gull. Formerly considered a rare winter visitor, along with the Iceland and Glaucous gulls, this European species has "taken off" as a wintering species in the eastern part of North America, even though it still has not been confirmed as a breeding bird in North America (outside of Greenland), except recently in Maine. At any rate, the species is now uncommon to locally common along the coast in the cooler months, and inland birds are showing up more frequently, though there are just two records for the mountains. Its habits are very similar to other gulls, foraging around the inshore ocean, coastlines, fish houses, etc., and roosting during the day within large flocks of gulls, especially Herring Gulls, on sand flats. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | S3N | G5 | Winter visitor/resident, greatly increasing in recent years. Formerly (prior to about 1990), rare along the northern and central coast, and very rare to rare in the southern portions. However, by 2023, it is fairly common to often common (Cape Hatteras area) along the northern coast, uncommon to at times fairly common along the central coast, and uncommon in the southern coastal areas. Uncommon in the Tidewater zone. Very rare to locally uncommon farther inland, with at least 20 such inland records, though most are from Wayne and Wilson. Occurs mainly from late Sep to early Apr, though scattered records all summer. Unlike most other "rare" gulls, numbers can now been seen by mid-fall. Peak counts: 2,500, Cape Hatteras Point, 15 Nov 2022; 1,463, Cape Hatteras CBC, 27 Dec 2021; "up to 1000" at Ocracoke Island (Hyde) in mid-Oct 2021; 600, Cape Hatteras Point, 26 Oct 2014; 578, Cape Hatteras CBC, 27 Dec 2013; 491, Cape Hatteras CBC, 27 Dec 2016; 330, north end of Ocracoke Island, 12 Oct 2013; 282, Cape Hatteras CBC, 27 Dec 2015; 160, Cape Hatteras Point, 11 Dec 2008; 150, same area, on the early date of 8 Oct 2006. Peak far inland counts: 424, Buckhorn Reservoir (Wilson), 2 Feb 2020; 383 Bethel (Pitt), 9 Mar 2024; 340, Buckhorn Reservoir, 21 Mar 2021; 310, 8 Mar 2020; 307, Buckhorn Reservoir, 27 Mar 2018; 112, Buckhorn Reservoir, 9 Feb 2018; 67 in a field near Hobgood (Halifax) on 8 Feb 2015; 50, Bay Tree Lake SP (Bladen), 4 Mar 2026; 41 in a field along US 258 in Halifax on 13 Feb 2013. | Winter visitor/resident. Rare to locally uncommon, but greatly increasing, at large lakes and landfills in the Triangle area and in the Roanoke Rapids area; can be quite common at times at Jordan Lake and at the Wake landfill near Holly Springs. Very rare to rare (but increasing) west of Jordan Lake, sparingly west to Wilkes and Alexander, but many Piedmont lakes in the western half of the province still lack records. Probably resident all winter at the Wake landfill. Mostly early Nov to early Apr; casually from early Oct to mid-May. One at Lake Norman (Mecklenburg) on 15 Aug 2020 was remarkably early for an inland site. Peak counts: an outstanding 1,500 at Jordan Lake on 15 Mar 2025; 645 counted there on 18 Mar 2023, with other counts there in 2023 being 400 on 23 Mar and 177 on 9 Mar. Other high counts: 250, Jordan Lake, 1 Dec 2024; 230, Jordan Lake, 11 Mar 2024; 210, Jordan Lake, 8 Mar 2026; 125, Wake landfill, 17 Mar 2026; 71, Harris Lake (Wake), 6 Mar 2021; 40, Harris Lake, 29 Feb 2024; 39, Jordan Lake, 25 Feb 2018; 36, Jordan Lake, 4 Apr 2020; 31, Jordan Lake, 27 Feb 2022; 24, Lake Townsend (Guilford), 30 Jan 2020. | Casual. The only records are a first-year bird photographed at the Hooper Lane Sod Farms (Henderson) on 7 Oct 2015, and remaining through 6 Nov 2015* (Chat 80:15), (Chat 80:38); and an adult photographed at Lake Junaluska (Haywood) on 16-17 Sep 2018, following the passage of Hurricane Florence (Chat 83:27). However, records are expected to increase over the next few years, such that the species should not be considered as "casual" much longer. | This species is easy to find in the large gull flocks that congregate at Cape Hatteras Point from late fall to early Mar. Often, a few dozen or more may be found in that vicinity. Smaller numbers may be found along most of the coast, the farther north the easier to find. Many are found by scanning perched gull flocks along the beaches. Inland, Jordan Lake and Buckhorn Reservoir, less so Harris Lake (Wake), are good places to look. | *** to **** | 2026-08-26 | ||
| Larus californicus California Gull | Despite this being a very common to locally abundant nesting bird in the Canadian and United States "prairie pothole" region and other interior lakes in the West, the California Gull was overlooked and/or not recorded in North Carolina until 1992. Since that year, one to several birds are reported almost each winter, though almost all of them are at Cape Hatteras Point (where duplication of records is likely owing to a particular bird perhaps returning over a several-year period). This increase in records can be attributed to a possible increase in numbers of the species, an increase in birders scanning the large gull flocks at Cape Hatteras, and more and better field guides (on gulls). This species has very similar habits and habitats to the Ring-billed Gull and the Herring Gull, though more often it occurs amid large flocks of Herring Gulls. California Gulls occur along the inshore ocean, tidal ponds, and inlets. They probably feed also at the sounds, but so far nearly all records are of perched birds resting at sand flats along the immediate coast. There are only two state records away from the immediate coast | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G5 | Winter visitor along the coast, with most records from Cape Hatteras Point. Typically occurs as single birds mixed with large flocks of other gull species; at least 39 records, including a handful from offshore. Formerly rare though regular in the 1990's and 2000's winters at Cape Hatteras Point, very rare at Oregon Inlet, but casual farther south and north along the coast. For whatever reason -- perhaps expensive off-road driving permits now required at Cape Hatteras National Seashore -- reports have been scarce in the 2010's and 2020's, with singles photographed at Cape Point on 18 Mar and 6 Apr 2021 the first reports in seven years. An adult was seen at Cape Point in the winter of 2021-2022, another adult was noted at Cape Point on 14 Feb 2024, and one or two were at this site in Feb and early Mar 2026. Also, one "inland" record for the Newport (Carteret) landfill, an adult seen 29-30 Jan 1993*. Normal dates: late Nov to late Mar. One adult at Pea Island NWR on 3 Aug 2007 (Chat 72:31), and another at Lockwood Folly Inlet, Brunswick, on 4 Aug 2002 (Chat 67:24-25) are exceptionally early, presuming correct identification. Peak counts: 4 (high one-day count), Cape Hatteras Point, winter 1994-95; 2 birds on five other dates. | Accidental. The only record is of an adult seen at the Raleigh landfill on 22 Jan 2005* (Chat 69:80). | No records. | To see this species in the state, one should be in an ORV at Cape Hatteras Point in winter, carefully perusing the gull flocks from inside the vehicle. (Being in a vehicle allows much closer inspection of gulls, as a vehicle is like a bird blind; birds are more wary when they see people outside a vehicle and will flush at a greater distance.) | * | 2026-08-26 | ||
| Rissa tridactyla Black-legged Kittiwake | The Black-legged Kittiwake is one of just two (along with the Sabine's) essentially pelagic gulls that have been recorded in the state, whereby a birder must typically take a boat trip to see it. It is difficult to state its "historical" numbers in our waters, as very few pelagic trips were taken prior to the 1970's, and even until a few years ago, often only a single winter trip was made each year to the cold waters off the Outer Banks, where most of the birds occur. The species was found on the majority of such trips until about 2005, but the species has been more difficult to find in the past several winters. Though there have been inland records for many if not most states to our north and west (including Tennessee, with at least five records), it was not until Fall 2015 that the species was finally found inland in North Carolina, with photographic records from both the Piedmont and the Mountains. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | S1N | G5 | Winter resident offshore; strongly declining. From the late 1990's to about 2005, generally fairly common in winter off the northern half of the coast (Cape Hatteras northward), and uncommon southward off the coast. Since 2005, typically uncommon from Cape Hatteras northward, and rare to very uncommon southward. By 2025 it has become rare even in this cold-water area on pelagic trips. Infrequently seen from shore, and mainly from that cape northward; birds can at times be seen resting on beaches or tidal pools (but most of these are probably sick or oiled). One record for the Tidewater zone, of an immature seen in northeastern Pamlico on 30 Apr 1982 (Chat 46:120); however, there are no farther inland records. Mainly late Oct to the end of Mar, with peak counts presumably in late Jan to mid-Feb. Oddly, there are seven reports of the species from the coast (Oregon Inlet to Cape Hatteras) from 14-30 May! Most of these, seen by a variety of experienced observers, are apparently birds seen from shore, in a very late northbound migration. Most notable was an immature that stayed in the vicinity of a pier in Wrightsville Beach from 8-21 Dec 2022! Either this individual or one or two others were seen at several piers in Carteret and Pender in spring 2023, with one remarkably late at a pier in Atlantic Beach (Carteret) on 22-23 May 2023. Remarkably early were two, one photographed, at Cape Hatteras point on 17 Sep 2024. Peak counts: 111, off Oregon Inlet, 24 Jan 1998; 90, off Hatteras Inlet, 28 Jan 1996. Peak count from shore, a remarkable 89, mostly first-year birds, seen at Cape Hatteras point on 27 Dec 2018 (Chat 83:60); 41, from this same point, on 22 Dec 2022. | Casual in late fall, with four accepted records: an immature seen and photographed at Beaverdam Reservoir (Wake) on 29 Nov 2015* (Chat 80:15), (Chat 80:37); an immature seen and photographed at Lake Hickory on 17 Nov 2017* (Chat 82:36), (Chat 82:57); an immature photographed again at Lake Hickory on 2-3 Nov 2021* (Chat 86:34); and an immature photographed at Lake Crabtree (Wake) on 5 Nov 2023* (Chat 88:56). An adult seen at Falls Lake (Wake) on 26 Nov 2023 is to be sent by the NC BRC for outside review (Chat 88:58). Photographs of the 2015 and 2017 birds are on the Carolina Bird Club Photo Gallery. | Accidental: an immature was seen and photographed at Lake Julian (Buncombe) on the remarkably early date on 11 Sep 2015* (Chat 80:14), (Chat 80:37). Photographs are on the Carolina Bird Club Photo Gallery. Two were observed in flight over Ecusta Pond (Transylvania) on 11 Dec 2022; this report has not yet been reviewed by the NC BRC. | If you took a pelagic trip from Cape Hatteras northward during the winter prior to about 2010, you had about a 50% chance of seeing a kittiwake; however, this percentage is declining every winter, such that by 2025 it was quite difficult to see one on such a trip. There are numerous pelagic trip reports from south of that Cape, but south of Morehead City, kittiwakes would likely be missed more often than seen. Kittiwakes are normally seen over colder water inshore of the Gulf Stream. If you are unwilling to go offshore in winter, your best chance is to stand watch at Cape Hatteras or Cape Lookout, especially during easterly winds. A number of records of birds along the coast are of oiled birds. | * | 2026-08-26 | ||
| sciName | species account | breeding status | list type | state status | fed status | S rank | G rank | coastal plain | piedmont | mountain | tips | tips code | update on |
| Sterna dougallii Roseate Tern | The Roseate Tern is one of the more elegant and graceful of the tern species, and because it is a globally rare species -- Federally listed in the United States -- the sighting of one in the state is always memorable. Though Roseate Terns nest in both the New World and in the Old World, its nesting populations are highly fragmented, and the relatively small population in the Canadian Maritimes and northeastern United States is highly monitored/managed (to keep gull and other predator populations controlled). It is strictly coastal/oceanic, and birds reach the breeding grounds essentially out of sight of land; one may try to find a Roseate Tern by taking a pelagic trip, but few trips see the species. Fortunately, there are numerous coastal records, and the species has actually nested along the coast on one occasion, and possibly has done so on a few other occasions. There are literally no inland records (including the Tidewater zone), including a lack of storm-carried birds to inland lakes. Roseates winter south of the United States. There has been a considerable number of northern coast reports, and our two highest counts ever, mainly from shore in Dare in summer and fall 2023 and 2024, continuing into 2025, possibly suggesting a population increase in the breeding population to our north. | Accidental Breeder | Definitive | E | E | SHB | G4 | Transient and summer visitor coastally and offshore; increasing since about 2020. In the warmer months, rare to now uncommon along the northern and central coasts (including the offshore zone), south to Carteret; very rare along and off the southern coast. There were a remarkable number of coastal records for Dare and even Currituck in summer 2020, though there was no strong indication of breeding; another flurry of numerous birds came in summer and fall 2023, and in fall 2024 and 2025, along the Dare and Carteret coasts. Spring 2026 had numerous reports for Dare, and a few south of there. Every few years, one or two birds in full breeding plumage appear in breeding colonies of other tern species, seemingly acting as if breeding. However, the only conclusive nesting was in the Cape Lookout area, on 23 May 1973, when a pair with two eggs was observed (Chat 39:20-21). Main occurrence from early May to early Sep, sparingly to late Oct. There are, oddly, no Apr records, but a specimen found on 20 Jan 1937 at Cape Hatteras (Birds of North Carolina) is remarkable, though one wonders how long the bird had been dead, as this species is essentially absent in the country after Oct. Peak counts: 76, from Cape Hatteras point, 22 Aug 2024; 64 at that point, 24 Aug 2024; 20, offshore, 9-10 Sep 1979 (after Hurricane David); 17 (all adults) around Cape Hatteras Point (Dare), 3 Aug 2023; 17, from Jennette's Pier in Nags Head (Dare), 6 Aug 2025; 16 at Cape Hatteras Point, 15 Jun 2020; 12 at Cape Hatteras Point, 12 May 2022; 12, Nags Head, 13 Sep 2025. | No records. | No records. | The most likely spot to find this species used to be in the tern colony at Cape Hatteras Point, but this colony has disappeared in recent years. The best chances now are to hope for a visitor to the beaches near Cape Hatteras Point, in tern colonies along the coast, or on a pelagic trip in the latter half of May (not a good chance). Small numbers have been regularly seen along beaches in Dare in spring and summer 2023, and late summer 2024, for example. | * to ** | 2026-08-26 |
| Hydroprogne caspia Caspian Tern | The Caspian Tern is the largest tern in the world, and it is also one of the most wide-ranging, as it breeds both in the New World and in the Old World. It has a bizarre breeding range in North America; it nests both on inland lakes and marshes in the interior as well as on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts. The Atlantic coast population is very small and consists mainly of small colonies from Virginia to South Carolina; in North Carolina, an average of only 10-20 pairs nest each year, essentially only in Oregon Inlet and sparingly in Hatteras Inlet. Birds nest on sand islands with Royal and Sandwich terns; however, in the breeding season, Caspians forage mainly at fresh and brackish impoundments and marshes, leaving the salt water habitats to the Royal and Sandwich terns. Interestingly, at other seasons, Caspians forage more widely, and often occur in estuaries and sounds, but it seldom is found over the ocean. Because it nests well inland in North America, migrants do pass through the inland parts of the state in both spring and fall, and it is one of the more "numerous" terns seen on lakes -- though still a relatively good find for birders inland. | Breeder | Definitive | T | S2B,S1N | G5 | Permanent resident (and sparse breeder), with migratory movements, along the coast; transient inland. Along the coast, fairly common to at times common fall migrant, but mostly uncommon to locally fairly common in spring; in winter, formerly uncommon, but now rare (at least by midwinter), along the extreme southern coast (New Hanover and Brunswick), but very rare farther northward, and essentially absent on the northern coast. However, one spent nearly the entire winter at Cape Hatteras Point (Dare), found 8 Jan 2022 and seen into Mar. As a breeder, generally rare to uncommon, essentially only in the northern areas of the coast, mainly close to Oregon and Hatteras inlets. Tidewater and far inland areas: mostly a spring and fall migrant, generally uncommon at both seasons, at larger lakes and reservoirs; small numbers can be seen in summer in the Tidewater areas, such as at Lake Phelps, but no known local breeding. Numbers begin arriving in mid-Aug and declining by early Nov, with a peak from late Aug to late Sep; return flights mainly mid-Apr to mid-May. Peak counts: 275, Lake Mattamuskeet, 25 Oct 2009; 148, New River Inlet (Onslow), 29 Sep 2015; 123, Mason Inlet (New Hanover), 26 Sep 2015; 105, east end of Sunset Beach (Brunswick), 4 Oct 2014; 100, Oregon Inlet, 5 Oct 1977. | Transient. Uncommon though regular in both spring and fall at larger lakes/reservoirs, but very rare elsewhere. Mainly from mid-Apr to mid-May, and late Aug to late Sep, but scattered records in Jun and Jul; casually from mid-Mar to the end of Oct. One at Lake Crabtree (Wake) was quite late on 8 Nov 2017; one seen at Jordan Lake (Chatham) was a very rare winter record on 5 Jan 2025. Peak counts: 74, Jordan Lake, 22 Apr 2018; 54, Falls Lake, 20 Apr 1997; 45, Jordan Lake, 16 Apr 2000; 45, Jordan Lake, 26 Apr 1998. | Transient. Rare, in the southern mountains only (Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, and Transylvania). The roughly 23-24 records fall between 2 Apr and 14 May, and 22 Aug to 22 Sep, with out-of-season records on 6 Jun, 18 Jun, and 21 Jun and another on 4 Nov. Peak count: 4, Lake Julian, 19-21 Apr 2006; 4, at this lake, 6 Sep 2017; 4, Ecusta Pond (Transylvania), 14 May 2024; 2, on several dates. | Caspian Terns can usually be found along most coastal areas in late summer and fall, especially around impoundments. In early winter, the Fort Fisher area is the most accessible site for them, and in the breeding season your best bet is at Oregon Inlet and Pea Island. They are erratic in migration at the larger reservoirs, but each spring and fall some do occur at most of the larger lakes. | *** | 2026-08-26 | |
| Sternula antillarum Least Tern | The smallest tern in North America, the Least Tern is a familiar yet slowly declining breeding species in coastal areas, as well as along the Mississippi and other large inland rivers. It is no wonder that numbers are declining, as it breeds on bare sand on ocean beaches, island end flats, and on sandy islands, where the nests (of all terns) are susceptible to loss from bad weather, predators, and humans/ATVs. In the past few years there has been an upward trend in breeding numbers in the state, perhaps owing to more vigilant posting and protecting of breeding colonies. In North Carolina, the species forages over the inshore ocean and in sounds/estuaries, rarely at fresh or brackish water. Least Terns are rarely found inland in the state, usually only during or after storms; there are no mountain records. They also depart the state fairly early in fall, with only a few late fall records; there are no documented winter records for the state, though there are a handful of published reports (but probably none documented by photos). | Breeder | Definitive | SC | S3B | G4 | Breeding summer resident along the coast; declining until a few years ago, but recently has increased. Generally fairly common to common north to Oregon Inlet, but uncommon to fairly common northward. Somewhat less numerous in the Tidewater zone (around brackish water, mainly). Very rare to rare non-breeder farther inland, where it is mostly a post-breeding visitor or early fall migrant (including some storm-carried records). Along the coast, mainly present from early Apr to mid-Sep; departs early, with very few remaining into Oct; exceptionally from mid-Mar to mid-Nov, but no conclusive winter records (Dec thru Feb). Farther inland, records are mainly from early Jun to early Sep, but a few are as early as 24 Apr. A handful of birds have been present in the Greenville (Pitt) area in spring and summer 2024-26 and thus might be nesting somewhere there. Peak counts: 2400 adults, at a nesting colony at Lea-Hutaff Island (Pender), spring 2019; 680, Masonboro Inlet (New Hanover), 4 Jul 2015; 320, rooftop nesting area at Emerald Isle, summer 2003. Peak inland count: 54, Lake Waccamaw (Columbus), 4 Aug 2020 (following Hurricane Isaias); 12, Maxton (Robeson), 8 Jul 2024; as many as 12, Greenville (Pitt), summer 2024; 11, Pitt, 20 Apr 2024. | Primarily a storm-carried visitor. Very rare at reservoirs, mainly during and after hurricanes; about 16 records. Eight of these records fall between 19 Aug to 10 Oct, with most records from Hurricane Fran on 6-7 Sep 1996. The only probable non-storm related reports are of two birds at Lake Crabtree (Wake), 15 Jun 2011; one at that lake on 25 May 2015, presumably not carried there by Tropical Storm Ana over two weeks earlier; one at Falls Lake (Durham) on 18 May 2021; one in southern Mecklenburg on 28 May 2021; and one photographed at Oak Hollow Lake (Guilford) on 18 Jun 2023. Singles were noted in 2024 on 16 Jun at Lake Brandt (Guilford) and on 19 June at Blewett Falls Lake (Richmond). Peak counts: 11, Falls Lake, 28 Aug 2011 (after Hurricane Irene); 8, Lake Crabtree, 27 Aug 2011 (after Hurricane Irene); 6, Shelby, 22 Sep 1989 (after Hurricane Hugo); 6 each at Jordan and Falls lakes, 6-7 Sep 1996. | No records. | This species is not usually missed on coastal birding trips from May through Aug, though it isn't quite a gimme. The birds have clearly declined in North Carolina in the past 30 years, though Leasts are persistent nesters (i.e., will keep trying to nest after storms or other disturbances knock out earlier attempts) and are still relatively numerous in the state. This is one of the few terns that is as easily seen on the southern beaches, such as in Brunswick, as it is along the northern coast. | *** | 2026-08-26 | |
| Fratercula arctica Atlantic Puffin | The Atlantic Puffin is one of the most charismatic waterbirds in North America, very popular with the layman; one of the birding highlights is a visit to a nesting colony of puffins in Maine or the Canadian Maritimes. For the longest time, this species went unrecorded in North Carolina waters, even though it was being seen regularly on pelagic trips off Virginia Beach, Virginia, less than 25 miles north of the state line. Part of the difficulty in finding the species in our waters was the difficulty in reaching this cold water zone on a one-day pelagic trip. Oddly enough, the first puffin record for the state was seen in Aug, completely out of season! Thankfully, an increase in winter season pelagic trips to cold waters, including several departing Virginia Beach and heading southeast into North Carolina waters, has turned up puffins on a number of recent trips. The species is clearly increasing in Atlantic waters in recent decades. The species is being seen on North Carolina pelagic trips almost every winter in the past few years, and there are now several single-day counts in triple digits, starting in Feb 2022. Puffins are even being seen (rarely) from shore in the state, at least at Cape Hatteras Point; they forage well offshore, often 20 or more miles from the coastline. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G5 | Winter visitor/resident, essentially only offshore; greatly increasing in recent years. Formerly very rare, but now uncommon and increasing, off the northern coast (Cape Hatteras northward); casual farther south. Remarkable numbers were recorded on pelagic trips out of Oregon Inlet in Feb 2022, and some were even seen from shore in that month. Birds can generally only be seen from shore at Cape Hatteras point. Mainly from late Jan to late Feb (if not later, as practically no trips are taken in Mar). Additional records are one emaciated bird found on the beach at Atlantic Beach (Carteret) on 27 Feb 2013 (Chat 77:56); two photographed from shore at Cape Lookout, 9 Mar 2010 (Chat 74:90); one found injured on Topsail Beach on 28 Mar 2005 (Chat 69:116); one in breeding plumage seen off Oregon Inlet on 14 Aug 1993 (Chat 59:93-94); one found at Buxton (Dare) and taken to a wildlife rehabilitator, where collected, in early Jan 2020; and one found dead at Atlantic Beach, 23 Feb 2022. Slightly "inland" was one seen in Barden Inlet from the ferry to Cape Lookout (Carteret) on 12 Apr 2021. In early 2026, numbers on pelagic trips off Dare were even more impressive, with a remarkable 808 puffins seen on 15 Feb 2026! A few other trips in Feb 2026 also had over 100 birds. One seen off Carteret on 14 Mar 2026 was notable south of Dare. Peak counts: 808, off Oregon Inlet, 15 Feb 2026; 302, off Oregon Inlet, 21 Feb 2022; 222, off Oregon Inlet, 19 Feb 2023; 166, off that inlet, 7 Feb 2022; 146, off that inlet, 18 Feb 2024; 118, off that inlet, 19 Feb 2022; 95, off Oregon Inlet, 8 Feb 2025; 91, off Hatteras Inlet, 16 Feb 2020; 83, counted from Cape Hatteras Point, 16 Feb 2022, with 55 counted there on 1 Mar and 81 there on 9 Mar; 31, off Hatteras Inlet, 19 Feb 2005; 24, off Hatteras Inlet, 18 Feb 2001; 20, off Hatteras Inlet, 10 Jan 2011; 19, off Brunswick close to the South Carolina border, 20 Feb 2005 (N.A. Birds 59:251). | No records. | No records. | Take a pelagic trip out of Hatteras or Oregon inlets in winter. In recent winters, several trips usually encounter the species; it was seen on all six trips in Jan-Feb 2018 and all five in Feb 2024, though you should assume your chances are around 50-50 on a winter trip. | ** to *** | 2026-08-26 | ||
| Alca torda Razorbill | By far the most numerous alcid in North Carolina waters is the Razorbill, and thankfully for all of us, it has greatly increased in numbers as a wintering bird over the past two decades, signaling a population increase in North American breeding population. In some recent winters, hundreds to a few thousands have seen seen on a given pelagic trip, and there are a few single-day counts of over 3,000 birds. Though it is more often encountered on pelagic trips, its main foraging areas are within about 10 miles of the beach; and persistent ocean-watching along a beach in winter, mainly on the east-facing Currituck Banks or Hatteras Island, can yield one to several Razorbills. However, observations from shore are usually "specks" many hundred yards away, either in direct flight low over the water or sitting on the ocean, where they may be constantly diving. Though observers report "alcid sp." on some CBCs, or during coastal watches, such birds are statistically "just Razorbills". As with the murres, there are no records in the state away from salt water. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | S2N | G5 | Winter resident offshore and coastally, increasing. Formerly (prior to 1995) rare along the coast, but in recent years the status has become "often common, to at times abundant" along/off the northern half of the coast, south to the Cape Hatteras area; generally common now in the offshore zone from Cape Hatteras northward. Uncommon to at times fairly common along/off the central coast (south to Carteret), but mostly rare farther southward, but still by far the most numerous alcid. One in the New River (Onslow) on 21 Jan 1933 is apparently the only record away from the ocean or Pamlico Sound (where there are a few records). Often large numbers can be seen from shore, especially from Cape Hatteras point and northward. Mostly from mid-Dec to late Mar; very rarely from 9 Nov to 3 May. Peak counts: 12,000 in flight from Cape Hatteras Point, 30 Jan 2018; 9,000, from Cape Hatteras Point, 15 Feb 2005; 7,990, Jennette's Pier (Dare), 26 Feb 2017; 6,558, from Cape Hatteras Point, 7 Mar 2022; 6,355, from Cape Hatteras Point, 5 Mar 2024; 6,069, off Oregon Inlet, 21 Feb 2026; 5,096 from that site, 10 Mar 2024; 3,861 from that site, 9 Mar 2021; 3,100 from Jennette's Pier, 11 Feb 2025; 2,838 on a pelagic trip off Oregon Inlet, 27 Feb 2022. Many more counts of 1,000-2,600 birds. A notable count off the southern coast was 82 in New Hanover waters on 1 Mar 2026. All of the higher counts (over 100 birds) have been from 1994 to the present. | No records. | No records. | The Razorbill is now seldom missed on winter pelagic trips. To see it from shore, make sure you have a good scope, and try looking from Cape Hatteras northward. Jennette's Pier at Nags Head can be good in Jan and Feb. Johnnie Mercer's Pier at Wrightsville Beach can be productive, at times, along the southern coast -- though your chances are better the farther north you go along the coast. However, a few birds can often be seen from shore around jetties and the inshore ocean, without the need to go onto a pier -- though a scope is always recommended for any ocean-watching. | **** | 2026-08-26 | ||
| sciName | species account | breeding status | list type | state status | fed status | S rank | G rank | coastal plain | piedmont | mountain | tips | tips code | update on |
| Uria aalge Common Murre | For a seemingly interminable time, North Carolina went without a record of this very common alcid. Though the normal winter range of the Common Murre is only south to New England or Long Island -- essentially in offshore waters -- all records of murres in state waters until 2001 had been of Thick-billed. Common Murre is obviously not nearly as migratory as the Thick-billed Murre or the Razorbill, as these latter two species are seen in state waters every few winters, if not more often (i.e., the Razorbill essentially every winter). There have been small flurries of sightings offshore in Jan 2011, Feb 2018, Feb 2022, and in winters 2022-23 and 2023-24. This great increase in numbers in recent winters might actually signal a population increase in Common Murres in eastern North America, as global warming in recent years is making our offshore water temperatures somewhat higher than formerly and thus seemingly less favorable for wintering by all of the alcid species (as they prefer cold water). | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G5 | Scarce, but greatly increasing, winter visitor offshore; now rare (to locally more numerous by 2023) off Oregon Inlet and Cape Hatteras (on pelagic trips) but casual elsewhere. Prior to 2011, there were only two records, both documented by photos: one was seen in the surf/inshore ocean at Cape Hatteras Point on 2-3 Feb 2001* (Chat 66:58-61), and one in breeding plumage was found injured on the beach at Emerald Isle (Carteret) on 2 Apr 2008* (Chat 72:112). There were three offshore reports in early 2011, all photographed: a pair about 12 miles SE of Hatteras Inlet on 15 Jan*; one seen during a pelagic trip out of Hatteras on 28 Jan*; and one near Diamond Shoals off Hatteras on 29 Jan* (Chat 76:2). It is possible that there could be duplication of records/birds among these 2011 sightings. In 2018, a remarkable 13 were seen off Oregon Inlet on 10 Feb*; and farther south, trips off Hatteras Inlet recorded four on 18 Feb and three on 19 Feb (Chat 82:66). One was seen off Hatteras on 18 Jan 2019 (Chat 83:59). Out of that inlet in 2020, 2 were seen on 16 Feb and an "excellent" 4 were found on 23 Feb (Chat 84:63). In Feb 2022, there was an excellent flurry of records, both offshore and even from shore: on trips out of Oregon Inlet, five were seen on 7 Feb, 12 seen on 21 Feb, and a state record 25 seen on 27 Feb; and from shore were two at the southern end of Bodie Island (Dare) on 13 Feb and one at Jennette's Pier in Nags Head on 13 Feb (Chat 86:55). Ocean watches at Cape Hatteras Point in spring 2022 yielded single birds on 3 Mar, 1 Apr, 3 Apr, and 7 Apr (eBird database). In winter 2022-23, on pelagic trips out of Oregon Inlet, 44 were counted on 9 Feb and a remarkable 66 were tallied on 19 Feb; one was at the Fort Macon SP jetty (Carteret) on 10-12 Feb; and an excellent 12 were counted from land at Jennette's Pier (Dare) on 28 Feb. In Feb 2024, it was seen on all five pelagic trips off Oregon Inlet, with the highest tally of 32 on 24 Feb. Another was seen from shore at Nags Head on 18 Feb 2024, as was one from Cape Hatteras point on 9 Mar 2024. Record numbers were reported in late winter 2026: 99 on 21 Feb 2026 off Oregon Inlet. Late was one seen in flight at Cape Hatteras Point on 9 Apr 2026. Peak count: 99, off Oregon Inlet, 21 Feb 2026. | No records. | No records. | The increase in sightings in the past decade is gratifying for pelagic birders, but whether this signals a population increase in the species is not known. At any rate, take a winter pelagic trip, and carefully scrutinize all alcids, and do not assume all of the large black and white ones are Razorbills. | ** | 2026-08-26 | ||
| Stercorarius longicaudus Long-tailed Jaeger | The Long-tailed Jaeger is certainly one of the most elegant of the "pelagic birds", and an adult with a full-length tail is a memorable sight on a pelagic trip. The Long-tailed is also clearly the least numerous of the three jaegers off our coast, and many birders must make 5-10 or more trips at the appropriate season to see one. Though a few have been seen in spring migration crossing over Cape Hatteras Point, practically all other state records are from far offshore. Unlike the other two jaegers, this species completely departs the north Atlantic in winter, and it is also seldom seen in midsummer. There are only five inland records, one from the Tidewater zone and four from the Piedmont (with three of them at Lake Norman). | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G5 | Transient, essentially offshore. Rare to uncommon during a brief period in late spring, and rare over an extended period in fall. There are scattered spring records from Cape Hatteras Point, where this and other pelagic species can be seen during and after easterly winds, particularly in the last 10-15 days of May or into very early Jun. Quite early were two seen from Cape Hatteras Point (Dare) on 3 Apr 2026. One photographed at Cape Hatteras Point on 21 Jun 2024 was quite late for a spring migrant, and one seen off that cape on 29 Jun 2024 was out of season. One Tidewater record: one seen at New Bern on 30 Aug 1999 (after Hurricane Dennis). Mainly mid-May to early Jun, and mid-Jul to late Sep, with a few records into early Nov. The relative scarcity of the species on pelagic trips in fall may be due to the very prolonged fall migration and the much smaller number of trips at that season compared with the end of May and early Jun. Remarkable was one seen on a pelagic trip out of Oregon Inlet on 20 Dec 1984 (Chat 49:82). Peak counts: 12 flying over Cape Hatteras Point, 28 May 1987; 11 off Hatteras, 30 May 2015; 9, off Oregon Inlet, 29 Aug 2024; 8 off that inlet the day before (28 Aug 2024); 7 on five occasions. | Casual visitor. Four records: one found dead under a TV tower near Raleigh on 26 Aug 1960; an adult seen at Lake Norman on 9 Sep 1998; an adult photographed at Lake Norman on 24 Aug 2013* (Chat 78:27); and an immature photographed at Lake Norman on 24-25 Aug 2025 (Chat 90:16). The specimen had originally been identified as a Parasitic Jaeger, for many years. | No records. | This species is best seen by taking a pelagic trip to the waters of the Gulf Stream in the latter half of May, or from mid-Aug to late Sep. The best places to look are along weedlines where large numbers of terns are feeding. Long-taileds are seen on about 1/4 to 1/3 of pelagic trips in late May and on perhaps 1/4 of the trips in the fall. Fall birds can be difficult to identify, and many have probably been called Parasitics in the past. If you are one of those birders who shun pelagic trip birding, you should be looking from Cape Hatteras Point in late May or early Jun, especially during or after easterly winds. | * to ** | 2026-08-26 | ||
| Stercorarius parasiticus Parasitic Jaeger | Though the Parasitic Jaeger is probably more numerous globally than the Pomarine Jaeger, in our waters is it less often seen on pelagic trips, in part because most of them supposedly migrate north and south within a few miles of the coastline, a narrow zone through which boats are quickly passing. It is surprising how infrequently this species is seen on pelagic trips, considering that it is a reasonably common breeding bird in the Arctic tundra. Fortunately, Parasitics are often seen from shore by birders carefully and patiently scanning the ocean with scopes; however, as the species looks similar to the Pomarine Jaeger, misidentifications are likely common, particularly as the birds are often 1/4-mile or more away. Offshore, this species can be confused with both Pomarine and Long-tailed jaegers. As with the Pomarine Jaeger, there are a few far-inland records, and there are also a modest number of coastal and offshore records in winter, when its distribution and range is still not well understood. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | S1N | G5 | Transient, and poorly-known winter visitor/resident, to the offshore zone and the inshore ocean. Uncommon in spring and fall, and rare to uncommon in early winter (and in midsummer), both offshore and as seen from the coastline. Rare in Jan and Feb, though records increasing at this season, and a few individuals presuambly remain in NC waters all winter. Apparently just one known record from the Tidewater zone -- a dark-morph bird photographed in Rose Bay at the Bell Island Fishing Pier (Hyde), on 20 Nov 2022. One record for an inland area: 10 seen at Lake Waccamaw on 13 Sep 1984, with 1 there on the following day (after Hurricane Diana). Mostly from early May to mid-Jun, and early Sep to late Nov; however, there are records for all 12 months, including six from mid-Jan to late Feb. Peak counts, from all-day sea-watches at Cape Hatteras Point in 2021: 42 on 22 Apr, 37 on 22 May, 29 on 15 Apr, 24 on 11 Apr, and 23 on 25 May. Peak count from this cape in spring 2022 was 41 on 30 Apr 2022; and in fall, 42 tallied on 17 Nov 2022. Peak counts elsewhere: 35, Nags Head (Dare), 3 Nov 2025; 22, Atlantic Beach (Carteret), 23 Oct 1983; 21-23, Atlantic Beach, 11 Apr 2024; 20, off Oregon Inlet, 25 Oct 1985; winter -- 13 on the Southport CBC, 4 Jan 2015. | Visitor to lakes and reservoirs, mostly storm-related. Casual to very rare, with seven records: 1 at Jordan Lake from 17 Nov - 3 Dec 1991; 1 at Jordan Lake on 6-7 Sep 1996 (after Hurricane Fran); 1 at Lake Norman on 11 Sep 2004 (after Tropical Storm Frances); 1 at Falls Lake on 10-11 Sep 2011; 1 adult at Jordan Lake on 14 Sep 2018 (after Hurricane Florence); an immature at the last lake on 17 Sep 2018; and a dark-phase bird at Lake Norman on 31 Aug 2023 (after Hurricane Idalia). | Accidental migrant. One was photographed sitting on the ground at Hooper Lane (Henderson) on 23 May 2026 (Chat 90:83). The report has yet to be reviewed by the NC BRC. | This species can be seen from shore almost anywhere along the coast, though Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras Point are the best spots in spring, and the Bodie-Pea Island beaches are best in fall, as well as at nearby Jennette's Pier in Nags Head. The best times to look are during or just after strong E winds, in May and from late Oct to early Dec. Several can be seen in a few hours on good days. On pelagic trips, this is an uncommon bird, even during the peak of migration; your best bet on a pelagic trip is in late May, and in Oct. | ** | 2026-08-26 | ||
| Phalaropus fulicarius Red Phalarope | In breeding plumage, both sexes of the Red Phalarope are quite stunning, with the female a rich rufous color below. Like the Red-necked, this bird is normally seen in the state only well offshore, and it is much less likely than that species to be seen on land. However, this species winters regularly offshore, but as relatively few pelagic trips are taken off the East Coast in winter, exact/normal distribution of this and other pelagic species is not well known. Even so, as the species may occur in tight flocks of dozens, it is possibly, by number of individuals, one of the more frequent purely pelagic species in the winter season. It normally occurs in our waters later in fall, and earlier in spring, than does the Red-necked, and thus relatively few pelagic trips record both species. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | S2N | G5 | Transient and winter resident, essentially offshore. Mostly uncommon in fall migration, but fairly common to at times common in spring migration, out of sight of land, in both cool and Gulf Stream waters; uncommon to fairly common (possibly more numerous) in winter, offshore, in at least cool waters (few winter trips go to the Gulf Stream because of fog). Onshore, very rare on the Outer Banks, and casual elsewhere (and nearly all in fall, but a few in winter). Perhaps unprecedented in Jun was one that remained at Cape Hatteras Point (Dare) from 8-28 Jun 2018. One at an impoundment at Pea Island NWR (Dare) was notable and early on 25-28 Aug 2023. Far inland records are: 1 (specimen), Rocky Mount, 17 Nov 1939; 1, Forest Lake (Cumberland), 15 Dec 1960; 1, Goldsboro, 30 Sep 1991; 3, Buckhorn Reservoir (Wilson), 1 Sep 2006 (after Tropical Storm Ernesto); 2 at that reservoir, 6 Sep 2008 (after Hurricane Hanna); 1, Lake Waccamaw, 6 Sep 2008 (after Hurricane Hanna); and 1 at Roper (Washington), 17 Sep 2011. Normal offshore dates are mid-Sep to early May, rarely from early Aug to late May. One of the more amazing phenomena in NC ornithological history was a remarkable concentration of an estimated 10,000 birds seen inside of Beaufort Inlet and along the adjacent coastal waters of Bogue Banks from 3-5 Feb 1989! Other peak counts: 3,765, off Hatteras, 26 Jan 2002; 3,152, off Oregon Inlet, 28 Jan 2023; 1,100, off Oregon Inlet, 17 Apr 1978. Notable high totals off the southern coast (New Hanover) were 120 on 1 Mar and 87 on 30 Mar, both in 2026. | Transient; the great majority of records in fall. Casual to very rare in fall, at reservoirs, with about 14 records, between 6 Sep and 18 Nov. Casual in winter, with only five known records: one at Falls Lake, 14-15 Dec 2008; one at Harris Lake (Wake), 2-3 Jan 2020; one in Jan (no day or year given in Pearson et al., 1959) at Lenoir (Caldwell); one photographed at Pee Dee NWR (Anson) on 18 Feb 2015 (Chat 79:97-98); and one photographed at Jordan Lake (Chatham) from 15-19 Jan 2024. Casual in spring, all single birds: seen at Lake Crabtree (Wake), 29-30 Mar 2009; photographed at a small pond along Wyatt Lane in Alamance on 13 Apr 2019; photographed on Lake Norman (Mecklenburg) on 5 Mar 2022; and photographed on Lake Norman on the very late date of 31 May 2026. Most or all records were associated with hurricanes or other severe storms. Peak count: all reports are of single individuals. | Casual. Pearson et al. (1959) list reports from "Smoky Mountain Park" in Dec and at Fontana (Graham) in Oct, but no day or year was given for either report. Remains of 1 were found in a Peregrine Falcon nest in Linville Gorge in spring 1987 (Chat 52:67); 1 was seen at Brevard, 10 Nov 2000 (Chat 65:77); and 1 was photographed on Lake Julian (Buncombe), 24-25 Oct 2022 (Chat 87:10). A photograph of the last individual is on the Carolina Bird Club Photo Gallery. | The only way to have a realistic chance of seeing a Red Phalarope is to take a winter or early spring pelagic trip -- mainly Jan into early May. Though peak counts are probably in Mar and Apr, few trips go offshore then, so it is best to try a mid- or late winter one, which are targeted more for alcids, Great Skuas, etc. | ** | 2026-08-26 | ||
| Phalaropus lobatus Red-necked Phalarope | The Red-necked Phalarope and the Red Phalarope are the two pelagic shorebirds, and to see both in the state, one must normally head to sea. Both breed in the Arctic tundra, and both winter mostly in waters (in both the Atlantic and the Pacific) south of North Carolina, including as far south as South America. As with the Wilson's Phalarope, the female is more colorful than the male in breeding plumage; in winter plumage, this species can be confused with the Red Phalarope, especially when seen from a rocking boat on a choppy ocean. Red-neckeds are normally seen in the state only in migration, typically well out of sight of land, both in colder waters and in the Gulf Stream. A few birds appear at ponds or lakes along the coast or inland, typically during and after a hurricane or tropical storm, or at times after strong thunderstorms. | Nonbreeder | Definitive | SZ | G4G5 | Transient, primarily offshore. Generally a fairly common offshore migrant in both spring and fall, but rare onshore on the Outer Banks, and very rare elsewhere along the coast. Casual or accidental in the Tidewater zone, but more records farther inland, where very rare in spring (six reports) and very rare in fall. Along the coast and offshore mostly early May to early Jun, and mid-Aug to mid-Oct, with a few scattered records between early Jun and mid-Aug. Three winter reports: 1 at Bodie Island (lighthouse pond) on 29 Dec 1987 (Chat 53:20-21); 1 at Cape Hatteras on 5 Feb 1940 (Birds of North Carolina, 1942); and one photographed among a flock of Red Phalaropes offshore of Oregon Inlet (Dare) on 5 Feb 2023. Farther inland, records fall from 11-27 May, and late Aug to early Nov, plus 1 on 20 Jul. Peak counts: 2,125 in eastbound flight from Cape Hatteras Point (Dare), 24 May 2021; 714, in flight at this locale, 14 May 2026; 486, in eastbound flight from this same locale, 6 May 2022; 250, off of Oregon Inlet, 20 Aug 1988; 221, from shore at Cape Hatteras point, 2 May 2024; 211, off Oregon Inlet, 2 Sep 2000; inland peak -- 122, at Buckhorn Reservoir (Wilson), 1 Sep 2006 (after Tropical Storm Ernesto). Notable inland were 47 phalaropes at Buckhorn Reservoir on 11 May 2015, after passage of Tropical Storm Ana; of these, 12 were close enough to identify as Red-necked, though it is likely that all were Red-neckeds as well. A group of 14 was seen at a turf farm in Washington on 6 Sep 2019, immediately following Hurricane Dorian. | Transient. Very rare to rare, in both spring and fall, usually seen only during and after storms, and typically at the larger reservoirs. About 29 spring reports, from 28 Apr - 31 May only; in fall, mainly from early Sep to early Oct, with records from 11 Aug to 10 Nov, though most birds pass through in Sep. Peak counts: 41, Jordan Lake, 6-7 Sep 1996 (after Hurricane Fran); 35, Falls Lake, on the same dates; 16, Jordan Lake, 12 Sep 2017 (after Hurricane Irma); 12, Falls Lake, 6 Sep 1999 (after Hurricane Dennis); spring peaks -- 8, Lake Crabtree (Wake), 20 May 2020; 5, Meadow View Road (Orange), 19 May 2023; 4, Maple View Farm near Chapel Hill (Orange), 21 May 2021; 3, Lake Townsend (Guilford), 7 May 2013; 2-3, Winston-Salem, 19-23 May 1991. | Transient. Casual/very rare in spring, with apparently only six records: 1 in Linville (Avery) on 17-18 May 2009; 1 at Hooper Lane (Henderson) on 5 May 2013; 2 along Butler Bridge Road (Henderson) on 19 Apr 2019; 1 at the Mills River WTP (Transylvania) on 26 May 2020; 1 at Lake Junaluska (Haywood) on the very early date of 26-27 Mar 2021; and 1 spinning in the Little Tennessee River (Macon) on 20 May 2026. Very rare in fall, with ten records -- 1, Sherwood Forest (Transylvania), 9 Sep 1974; 2, Hooper Lane (Henderson), 9 Sep 2004 (after Tropical Storm Frances); 2, Mills River, 17 Sep 2004 (after Hurricane Ivan); 1, Asheville, 14 Sep 2008; 4, Hooper Lane, 3-6 Oct 2015; 1-2, Hooper Lane, 12-13 Sep 2017; 1, Haywood Road (Henderson), 13 Sep 2017; a remarkable 23 at Hooper Lane, 16 Sep 2018 (following the passage of Hurricane Florence); 1, Hooper Lane, 31 Oct - 1 Nov 2019; and 2, Grandfather Lake (Avery), 29 Aug 2020, following passage of Hurricane Laura. Peak count: 23, Hooper Lane, 16 Sep 2018. | Take a pelagic trip out of Hatteras or Oregon inlets -- either in the latter part of May, or in the latter part of Aug or the first half of Sep. Though it is not a scarce bird in migration, it can often be missed on a trip during the peak times because birds can be easily overlooked while sitting on a choppy sea. They are most readily found when seas are fairly calm and when and where areas of seaweed/sargassum are located, as the birds often feed at these weed lines. | ** | 2026-08-26 | ||