Birds of North Carolina
their Distribution and Abundance
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
SULIDAE Members:
General Comments
This Tropical waterbird, found in the warmer portions of both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, had been expected on the state's bird list for several decades, ever since numerous pelagic trips had been taken off our coast starting in the 1980's. The first state record was one seen and photographed "from a cruise ship nearly 200 miles at sea, assigned to Carteret County by closest point of land", on 8 Jun 2019* (Chat 85:139). Acceptance of photographs by the NC BRC places the species directly onto the Definitive List. One of the most remarkable sightings ever in the state was the finding of a dark-morph bird sitting on a boardwalk railing over Yates Mill Pond (Wake) on the surprisingly early date of 3 Mar 2023* (Chat 87:57), (Chat 88:25-26), (Chat 88:53). Many dozens of people saw and photographed the bird, and photos are on the Carolina Bird Club Photo Gallery. This may be the farthest inland record anywhere for this strictly ocean-going species. The third state record was a dark-morph bird photographed perched on a boat railing well off Oregon Inlet (Dare) on 11 Jul 2025 (Chat 89:146); this report is expected to be reviewed by the NC BRC. Thus, even through 2025, despite hundreds and hundreds of pelagic trips taken by birders off the NC coast, none of the three state records was reported from any of them, despite two of the three being well offshore.
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
Two records (see above).
Piedmont
One record (see above).
Mountains
No records.
Finding Tips
1/2*