Birds of North Carolina
their Distribution and Abundance
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
ANATIDAE Members: White-cheeked Pintail 12245
General Comments
The White-cheeked Pintail is a species native to the West Indies and southward far into South America, favoring coastal freshwater habitats (ponds, lagoons, etc.). Not surprisingly, there are a number of records for FL. However, as the species is sometimes kept in captivity at zoos and in waterfowl collections, records out of the normal range are typically open to provenance questions, especially far from FL. There are now (2023) three well-documented records for NC, all with photographs, from coastal areas (Pea Island NWR and the lower Cape Fear River). Perhaps to be conservative, the first two records -- on the Cape Fear River off Fort Fisher on 9 Jul 2008, and at New Field in Pea Island NWR from 4-18 Oct 2010 -- were accepted at the species level by the NC BRC but only to Unaccepted Origin and thus not afforded a place on the NC Accepted List. However, another pintail, photographed at North Pond on this refuge, on 30 Sep 2015 was accepted by the NC BRC as a wild and valid record, based heavily on comments from several FL birders on the provenance of the species in that state. Thus, the photos of the 2015 bird place the species on the Definitive List. It seems prudent for the NC BRC to re-review the previous two records in light of the FL situation and the acceptance of the last record. Photos of the 2008 bird on the Cape Fear River and the 2015 bird at North Pond (Pea Island) are on the Carolina Bird Club Photo Gallery.
Breeding Status
Nonbreeder
NC BRC List
Definitive
State Status
none
U.S. Status
Definitive
State Rank
SA
Global Rank
G5
Coastal Plain
Three records (see above), though only one accepted as wild (and thus valid).
Piedmont
No records.
Mountain
No records.
Finding Tips
The species is likely to appear again in the state in the near future, as wild or escaped, and thus should be looked for on coastal ponds, impoundments, etc., primarily in late summer or fall. Records away from coastal regions of the state would certainly be suspected of being escaped birds.