Birds of North Carolina
their Distribution and Abundance
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
CHARADRIIDAE Members: Snowy Plover 231
General Comments
In 2011, the American Ornithologists' Union split the European subspecies and the American subspecies of the Snowy Plover into separate species -- the former becomes the Kentish Plover, retaining the original scientific name ofCharadrius alexandrinus, whereas "our" bird retains the common name of Snowy Plover, but is now C. nivosus. This smallest of plovers, of the Western States and the Gulf Coast, was for a long time sadly missing from the North Carolina bird list. Finally, a sight record of the Snowy Plover came in 1994 from remote New Drum Inlet in coastal Carteret, hardly at a "chase-able" location. Then, starting in 2006, Snowies started showing up practically annually somewhere along the coast, and because birds showed up in successive years at the same locale (e.g., Bear Island and Ocracoke Island), it is practically impossible to say how many distinct records there are for the state. The species is a bird of saline flats and pools, appearing exclusively in the state on ocean beaches and inlet flats.
Breeding Status
Nonbreeder
NC BRC List
Definitive
State Status
none
U.S. Status
Definitive
State Rank
SZ
Global Rank
G3
Coastal Plain
Very rare stray along the central and southern coast, from spring to fall; one winter record. There are about 16 records, all of single birds. The first record came from New Drum Inlet (Carteret) in 1994 (Chat 63:85). Most records fall between Bear Island (Onslow) on the north and Wrightsville Beach (New Hanover) on the south, but there are scattered records north to Cape Hatteras Point (Dare). Most records were from the late 1990s into the early 2010s; one photographed at Cape Hatteras Point from 6-14 May 2025 was the first record since 2017, and it or another was photographed at Pea Island (Dare) on 13 Jul 2025. Primarily from late Apr to late Sep. The only winter record is from Bear Island, 18 Feb - 6 Apr 2013. Most records were documented by photographs, and most have been accepted by the NC BRC. There are no inland records, nor coastal records north of Cape Hatteras.
Piedmont
No records.
Mountain
No records.
Finding Tips
In the warmer months, it doesn't hurt to carefully scrutinize small plovers along the beaches and inlets, as a Snowy could be overlooked as a Piping Plover by inexperienced birders, or by birders without scopes.