Birds of North Carolina
their Distribution and Abundance
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
PARULIDAE Members: MacGillivray's Warbler 12228
General Comments
Casual visitor, so far only in the Coastal Plain in fall and winter, except for a Piedmont record in winter 2025-26. There are four accepted records of this Western species, with two of them found near Lake Mattamuskeet (Hyde), separated by about 9 years and 10 miles. One freshly road-killed individual was found on 6 Nov 1998*; the specimen is preserved at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (Chat 65:108-112), (Chat 65:85). The second bird was found on the Lake Mattamuskeet CBC on 29 Dec 2007, and was relocated by several observers and photographed on 1 Jan 2008* (Chat 73:2). The third was a sight record in Manteo, (Dare), on 11-12 Oct 2012* (Chat 77:6-10), (Chat 77:33). The fourth was one photographed and seen by many people at Duck (Dare) from 3 Dec 2020 - 30 Jan 2021* (Chat 85:75). Photographs of the Mattamuskeet 2007-08 bird and the Duck 2020-21 bird are posted on the Carolina Bird Club Photo Gallery. One photographed at Lake Norman (Mecklenburg) on 1-2 Dec 2025 and again on 18 Jan 2026 (Chat 90:66) has yet to be reviewed by the NC BRC; this is the first record away from the coast. Another was well photographed in the inner Coastal Plain at Old Waynesborough Park (Wayne) from 27 Dec 2025 - 22 Jan 2026 (Chat 90:66); it also has yet to be reviewed by the NC BRC. Photos of each of these 2025-26 records are also on the Photo Gallery.
Breeding Status
Nonbreeder
NC BRC List
Definitive
State Status
none
U.S. Status
Definitive
State Rank
SA
Global Rank
G5
Coastal Plain
Five records (see above).
Piedmont
One record (see above).
Mountain
No records.
Finding Tips