Birds of North Carolina
their Distribution and Abundance
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Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ACCIPITRIDAE - Kites, Eagles, & Hawks
ALAUDIDAE - Larks
ALCEDINIDAE - Kingfishers
ALCIDAE - Auks
ANATIDAE - Ducks, Geese, & Swans
ANHINGIDAE - Darters
APODIDAE - Swifts
ARAMIDAE - Limpkin
ARDEIDAE - Bitterns, Herons, & Allies
BOMBYCILLIDAE - Waxwings
CALCARIIDAE - Longspurs & Allies
CAPRIMULGIDAE - Goatsuckers
CARDINALIDAE - Cardinals, Grosbeaks, & Allies
CATHARTIDAE - New World Vultures
CERTHIIDAE - Treecreepers
CHARADRIIDAE - Plovers
CICONIIDAE - Storks
COLUMBIDAE - Doves
CORVIDAE - Jays, Crows, & Ravens
CUCULIDAE - Cuckoos & Anis
DIOMEDEIDAE - Albatrosses
FALCONIDAE - Falcons
FREGATIDAE - Frigatebirds
FRINGILLIDAE - Cardueline Finches & Allies
GAVIIDAE - Loons
GRUIDAE - Cranes
HAEMATOPODIDAE - Oystercatchers
HIRUNDINIDAE - Swallows
HYDROBATIDAE - Storm-Petrels
ICTERIDAE - Blackbirds & Orioles
LANIIDAE - Shrikes
LARIDAE - Gulls & Terns
MIMIDAE - Mockingbirds & Thrashers
MOTACILLIDAE - Wagtails & Pipits
MUSCICAPIDAE - Old World Flycatchers
ODONTOPHORIDAE - New World Quails
PANDIONIDAE - Osprey
PARIDAE - Chickadees & Titmice
PARULIDAE - Wood-Warblers
PASSERELLIDAE - New World Sparrows & Allies
PASSERIDAE - Old World Sparrows
PELECANIDAE - Pelicans
PHAETHONTIDAE - Tropicbirds
PHALACROCORACIDAE - Cormorants
PHASIANIDAE - Grouse and Allies
PHOENICOPTERIDAE - Flamingo
PICIDAE - Woodpeckers
PODICIPEDIDAE - Grebes
POLIOPTILIDAE - Gnatcatchers
PROCELLARIIDAE - Petrels & Shearwaters
PSITTACIDAE - Parrots
RALLIDAE - Rails, Gallinules, & Coots
RECURVIROSTRIDAE - Stilts & Avocets
REGULIDAE - Kinglets
SCOLOPACIDAE - Sandpipers
SITTIDAE - Nuthatches
STERCORARIIDAE - Skuas & Jaegers
STRIGIDAE - Owls
STURNIDAE - Starlings
SULIDAE - Boobies & Gannets
THRESKIORNITHIDAE - Ibises & Spoonbills
TROCHILIDAE - Hummingbirds
TROGLODYTIDAE - Wrens
TURDIDAE - Thrushes
TYRANNIDAE - Tyrant Flycatchers
TYTONIDAE - Barn-Owls
VIREONIDAE - Vireos
Home
PROCELLARIIDAE Members:
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Ardenna gravis
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Ardenna grisea
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Ardenna pacifica
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Bulweria bulwerii
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Calonectris borealis
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Calonectris diomedea
Calonectris edwardsii
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Fulmarus glacialis
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Pseudobulweria rostrata
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Pterodroma arminjoniana
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Pterodroma cahow
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Pterodroma feae
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Pterodroma hasitata
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Pterodroma madeira
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Puffinus lherminieri
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Puffinus puffinus
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Bermuda Petrel
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Black-capped Petrel
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Bulwer's Petrel
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Cape Verde Shearwater
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Cory's Shearwater
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Fea's Petrel
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Great Shearwater
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Manx Shearwater
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Northern Fulmar
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Sargasso Shearwater
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Scopoli's Shearwater
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Sooty Shearwater
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Tahiti Petrel
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Trindade Petrel
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Wedge-tailed Shearwater
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Zino's Petrel
General Comments
This eastern Atlantic species has recently been split from Cory's Shearwater. The Cape Verde Shearwater is known to nest on a handful of islands in the Cape Verde archipelago, off the northwestern coast of Africa. Because a handful of other breeders in this island complex have made their way across the Atlantic to the Gulf Stream waters off North Carolina, it was to be looked for, if not expected (because of a small population estimated at 10,000 pairs), on pelagic trips off our coast in the warmer months. It is noticeably smaller than a Cory's and has a dusky bill color, making it look somewhat intermediate between a Cory's and a Great Shearwater or the smaller Manx Shearwater. The first documented record for North American waters came off the North Carolina coast in 2004. Thankfully, several recent field guides to pelagic birds -- Oceanic Birds of the World: a Field Guide by Howell and Zufelt (2019) and Seabirds: the New Identification Guide by Harrison et al. (2021) -- contain excellent photos and paintings, respectively, of this and all other pelagic species in our waters.
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
GNR
Coastal Plain
Accidental, if not casual (and overlooked), offshore visitor. The sole documented record, with multiple photos, is from the Gulf Stream southeast of Hatteras Inlet on 15 Aug 2004* (N. Am. Birds 58:468-473), (Chat 69:29-34). Because of the uncertain taxonomy (not considered a good species until the early 21st Century) and lack of any descriptions and paintings/photos in most field guides, it likely had been seen offshore on previous occasions -- there are a few possible sightings of this species -- and simply passed off as an unidentified shearwater.
Piedmont
No records.
Mountains
No records.
Finding Tips
1/2*
