Birds of North Carolina
their Distribution and Abundance
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
ALCIDAE Members:
General Comments
Of the six Atlantic alcids, the Black Guillemot was the last one to be added to the state's Definitive List; even a Pacific Ocean species -- Long-billed Murrelet -- was added before the guillemot. This species is also the most coastally oriented of the Atlantic species, as birds tend to forage close to rocky shores at all seasons, not showing an affinity to wander far offshore. Thus, most records for the mid-Atlantic coast tend to be in the vicinity of jetties. Oddly enough, despite being farther from the range of the species, South Carolina had a definitive record of Black Guillemot before North Carolina did, and that state also has several verified records. Until late in 2018, the two accepted records for North Carolina were sightings only, but finally one was photographed in Dec 2018. This last record was accepted by the NC BRC and thus the photos place the species on the Definitive List; photos are available on the Carolina Bird Club Photo Gallery. A few additional coastal records have been made in recent years.
Breeding Status
Nonbreeder
NC BRC List
The species' status on the List of Bird Species of North Carolina: either Definitive, Provisional, or Extinct, as administered by the NC Bird Records Committee. The Provisional List contains species for which there are less than three accepted sight (i.e., non-documented) records. Species of unaccepted origin are not included on the List of Bird Species of North Carolina.
Definitive
State Status
none
U.S. Status
Definitive
State Rank
SA
Global Rank
G5
Coastal Plain
Casual winter visitor to the coast. The five accepted records are of single birds in basic plumage seen at the Wrightsville Beach jetty from 24 Apr - 10 May 1993* (Chat 62:32-33); in the surf at Kill Devil Hills on 15 Feb 2003* (Chat 67:68); photographed at Nags Head on 26 Dec 2018* (Chat 83:20), (Chat 83:60); seen at Nags Head -- from Jennette's Pier as was the bird the previous winter -- on 9 Feb 2020* (Chat 84:63); and photographed at a pier at Wrightsville Beach from 17-19 Dec 2022* (Chat 88:55). A recent Dec report from Portsmouth Island was not accepted by the NC BRC, in part because the bird was said to be in mostly breeding plumage (unlikely for the winter season).
Piedmont
No records.
Mountains
No records.
Finding Tips
1/2*
This species is strictly coastal in winter, and it strongly favors the vicinity of jetties and piers. Thus, look for it at Jennette's Pier in Nags Head, Johnnie Mercer's pier in Wrightsville Beach, and around jetties such as at the south end of Oregon Inlet and the south end of Wrightsville Beach.