Birds of North Carolina
their Distribution and Abundance
Birds of NC Home
Recent Records
Recent Account Updates
General Search
Maps
CBC Home
Definitive/Provisional
Not Established List
Formerly Accepted
NC Checklist
NC Biodiversity Project
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
TYRANNIDAE Members:
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Contopus cooperi
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Contopus virens
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Empidonax alnorum
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Empidonax difficilis
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Empidonax flaviventris
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Empidonax hammondii
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Empidonax minimus
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Empidonax traillii
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Empidonax virescens
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Empidonax wrightii
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Myiarchus cinerascens
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Myiarchus crinitus
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Pyrocephalus rubinus
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Sayornis phoebe
Sayornis saya
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Tyrannus dominicensis
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Tyrannus forficatus
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Tyrannus melancholicus
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Tyrannus savana
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Tyrannus tyrannus
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Tyrannus verticalis
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Notice
: Undefined variable: name_sn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
449
Tyrannus vociferans
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Acadian Flycatcher
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Alder Flycatcher
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Cassin's Kingbird
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Eastern Kingbird
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Eastern Phoebe
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Gray Flycatcher
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Gray Kingbird
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Great Crested Flycatcher
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Hammond's Flycatcher
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Least Flycatcher
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Say's Phoebe
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Tropical Kingbird
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Vermilion Flycatcher
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Western Flycatcher
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Western Kingbird
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Willow Flycatcher
Notice
: Undefined variable: cn in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Notice
: Undefined index: checklist_number in
/home/tom/ncbirds/view.php
on line
457
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
General Comments
The Say's Phoebe breeds over much of the Western United States and Western Canada, but it withdraws from most of the northern portions of the range during the winter. Its normal winter range is in the southwestern United States and Mexico, though strays to the Southeastern states are not overly unusual. It has been found in North Carolina about 24 times, all in the eastern half of the state during fall or winter, except for two mountain reports. Thankfully, records have been increasing in the past decade, though this may be due to better observer coverage.
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
SZ
Global Rank
G5
Coastal Plain
Very rare fall migrant/stray, occasionally lingering into the winter; 16 records. One was seen near the Pony Pens at Ocracoke Island (
Hyde
) on 11 Oct 1991 (Chat 57:56); one was present in central
Carteret
from 1-6 Dec 2005 (Chat 70:10); one stayed at the O'Berry Center near Goldsboro (
Wayne
) from 9 Jan - 18 Mar 2007 (Chat 72:8-9), for a remarkable midwinter record; one was noted on the beach at Bald Head Island (
Brunswick
) on 3 Sep 2010 (Chat 75:2), (Chat 75:47); one was seen at Alligator River NWR, 24 Nov 2012 (Chat 77:29); and one was seen in Cherry (
Washington
) from 27 Dec 2012 - 7 Feb 2013 (Chat 77:58). Two were found at well separated locations in
Washington
on 27 Dec 2013 (Chat 78:74) -- one just west of Lake Phelps, seen only on that date; and one near Beasley Road and US 64, which remained to 19 Jan 2014 and was seen and photographed by numerous people. One was seen at North River Farms (
Carteret
) on 28 Sep 2014. Fall 2017 saw two additional reports: one at the Voice of America site in northwestern
Beaufort
, 16 Oct - 5 Dec, and one in southeastern
Washington
, 24-27 Nov. One was seen and photographed at Waves (
Dare
) on 5-6 Oct 2020; and another was photographed at Ocracoke Island (
Hyde
) on 5 Oct 2022. One was again found at the
Beaufort
Voice of America site, this time on 10 Oct 2023. In 2024, singles were photographed at Ocracoke Island (
Hyde
) on 22 Sep and between Salvo and Avon (
Dare
) on 12 Oct.
Piedmont
Casual; six or seven records. One was seen near Raleigh (
Wake
) on 23 Oct 1965 (Chat 30:28), (Chat 54:56). Another was seen near Lillington (
Harnett
) from 7-12 Dec 1985 (Chat 51:75-76), (Chat 54:56). The third and fourth were both in 2021: one along Zion Church Road in southeastern
Union
from 10-16 Oct*, and one along Howerton Road in northeastern
Guilford
from 16 Oct - 11 Apr 2022* (Chat 86:40), (Chat 86:61). [Both birds were seen within 1.5 hours on 16 Oct and thus were different birds.] One seen in southern
Rockingham
on 15 Apr 2022 may well have been the
Guilford
individual (Chat 86:84-85). One seen again along Howerton Road from 29 Sep 2022 into the winter (Chat 87:16) certainly has to be the same individual as the one that overwintered there a year ago. In fact, it spent the entire winter and was seen into the spring season (Chat 87:40), last seen on 6 Apr 2023. One was photographed south of Raleigh from 18 Nov - 17 Dec 2025 (Chat 90:25) (Chat 90:59).
Mountains
Accidental to casual. One was photographed at Jackson Park (
Henderson
) on 19 Sep 2023* (Chat 88:16), (Chat 88:57). Another was photographed at the Biltmore Estate (
Buncombe
) from 8-10 Sep 2025 (Chat 90:25).
Finding Tips
*
The bird along Howerton Road in northeastern
Guilford
has been present for the past two falls and winters (2021-22 and 2022-23), giving people across the state ample chances to add the species to their state or life lists. Otherwise, the species can appear at random in migration, mainly near the coast in fall.
