Birds of North Carolina
their Distribution and Abundance
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Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ACCIPITRIDAE
ALAUDIDAE
ALCEDINIDAE
ALCIDAE
ANATIDAE
ANHINGIDAE
APODIDAE
ARAMIDAE
ARDEIDAE
BOMBYCILLIDAE
CALCARIIDAE
CAPRIMULGIDAE
CARDINALIDAE
CATHARTIDAE
CERTHIIDAE
CHARADRIIDAE
CICONIIDAE
COLUMBIDAE
CORVIDAE
CUCULIDAE
DIOMEDEIDAE
FALCONIDAE
FREGATIDAE
FRINGILLIDAE
GAVIIDAE
GRUIDAE
HAEMATOPODIDAE
HIRUNDINIDAE
HYDROBATIDAE
ICTERIDAE
LANIIDAE
LARIDAE
MIMIDAE
MOTACILLIDAE
MUSCICAPIDAE
ODONTOPHORIDAE
PANDIONIDAE
PARIDAE
PARULIDAE
PASSERELLIDAE
PASSERIDAE
PELECANIDAE
PHAETHONTIDAE
PHALACROCORACIDAE
PHASIANIDAE
PHOENICOPTERIDAE
PICIDAE
PODICIPEDIDAE
POLIOPTILIDAE
PROCELLARIIDAE
PSITTACIDAE
RALLIDAE
RECURVIROSTRIDAE
REGULIDAE
SCOLOPACIDAE
SITTIDAE
STERCORARIIDAE
STRIGIDAE
STURNIDAE
SULIDAE
THRESKIORNITHIDAE
TROCHILIDAE
TROGLODYTIDAE
TURDIDAE
TYRANNIDAE
TYTONIDAE
VIREONIDAE
Home
SCOLOPACIDAE Members:
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Actitis macularius
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Arenaria interpres
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Bartramia longicauda
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Calidris acuminata
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Calidris alba
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Calidris alpina
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Calidris bairdii
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Calidris canutus
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Calidris ferruginea
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Calidris fuscicollis
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Calidris himantopus
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Calidris maritima
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Calidris mauri
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Calidris melanotos
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Calidris minuta
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Calidris minutilla
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Calidris pugnax
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Calidris pusilla
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Calidris subruficollis
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Gallinago delicata
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Limnodromus griseus
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Limnodromus scolopaceus
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Limosa fedoa
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Limosa haemastica
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Limosa lapponica
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Limosa limosa
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Numenius americanus
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Numenius phaeopus
Phalaropus fulicarius
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Phalaropus lobatus
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Phalaropus tricolor
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Scolopax minor
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Tringa erythropus
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Tringa flavipes
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Tringa melanoleuca
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Tringa semipalmata
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Tringa solitaria
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Spotted Sandpiper
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Ruddy Turnstone
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Upland Sandpiper
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Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
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Sanderling
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Dunlin
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Baird's Sandpiper
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Red Knot
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Curlew Sandpiper
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White-rumped Sandpiper
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Stilt Sandpiper
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Purple Sandpiper
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Western Sandpiper
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Pectoral Sandpiper
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Little Stint
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Least Sandpiper
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Ruff
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Semipalmated Sandpiper
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Buff-breasted Sandpiper
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Wilson's Snipe
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Short-billed Dowitcher
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Long-billed Dowitcher
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Marbled Godwit
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Hudsonian Godwit
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Bar-tailed Godwit
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Black-tailed Godwit
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Long-billed Curlew
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Whimbrel
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Red Phalarope
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Red-necked Phalarope
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Wilson's Phalarope
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American Woodcock
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Spotted Redshank
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Lesser Yellowlegs
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Greater Yellowlegs
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Willet
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Solitary Sandpiper
Red Phalarope 275
General Comments
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.
Breeding Status
Nonbreeder
NC BRC List
Definitive
State Status
none
U.S. Status
Definitive
State Rank
S2N
Global Rank
G5
Coastal Plain
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.
Piedmont
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. Accidental to casual in spring: 1 seen at Lake Crabtree (
Wake
), 29-30 Mar 2009; 1 photographed at a small pond along Wyatt Lane in
Alamance
on 13 Apr 2019; and 1 photographed on Lake Norman (
Mecklenburg
) on 5 Mar 2022. Most or all records were associated with hurricanes or other severe storms. Peak count: all reports are of single individuals.
Mountain
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.
Finding Tips
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.