Birds of North Carolina
their Distribution and Abundance
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
VIREONIDAE Members:
General Comments
For a species that nests in the West Indies and north to the western and southern coasts of Florida, one might expect at best only one or two state records for this cousin of the Red-eyed Vireo. However, the Black-whiskered Vireo "overshoots" its breeding range enough in spring that sharp-eyed or sharp-eared birders can recognize it from the very common Red-eyed. Amazingly, there are over a dozen state records, all from the Coastal Plain in spring or early summer. This is in stark contract to South Carolina, which, despite lying closer to Florida, has just three records for the species (as of 2024).
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
Now a very rare overshooting stray along and near the coast, in spring; a remarkable 15+ records so far. One was seen at Wrightsville Beach (New Hanover) on 1 Apr 1960 (Chat 25:17-18); one was near Masonboro Sound (New Hanover) on 8 May 1983 (Chat 47:110); a bird acting territorial at Cape Lookout (Carteret) was present from 23 May - 2 Jul 1994 (Chat 59:87); one was seen in Beaufort (Carteret) on 6 May 1994 (Chat 60:140); another was at Cape Lookout on 20 May 2000 (Chat 64:156); one was found at Bald Head Island (Brunswick) from 6-22 Jun 2001 (Chat 66:33); and one was in Manteo (Dare) on 29 Jun 2006 (Chat 71:3). One was observed singing at Morehead City (Carteret) from 17-20 Jun 2019 (Chat 83:117); and one was photographed at Duck (Dare) on 1 May 2020 (Chat 84:99). Singles were seen in coastal Dare at Buxton on 30 Apr 2021 and likely the same not far away on 30 Apr; supposedly a different one was seen on the Hatteras Inlet peninsula on 6-15 May 2021 (Chat 85:127). Probably a different bird from the 2021 one was seen at Cape Hatteras Point on 4 May and 14 May 2022. A singing bird was photographed at Beaufort (Carteret) on 16-17 Jun 2023. Along the central coast of Dare in spring 2024, seemingly a single bird was noted singing at Oregon Inlet on 9-11 May, Bodie Island on 23 May, and at a Nags Head golf course from 25 May - 10 Jun! A few report in spring 2025 on the Dare Outer Banks lacked details. One found along Billfinger Road in Croatan National Forest (Craven) on 13 Jun 2009 is the only somewhat inland record (Chat 73:162).
Piedmont
No records.
Mountains
No records.
Finding Tips
*
If one is birding along the southern coastline in May or early June, especially on islands, it doesn't hurt to learn or be familiar with the song of the Black-whiskered Vireo. Many of the state records were of birds that were first heard singing, and the observers either recognized the species from the song, or realized that these were not likely Red-eyed Vireos and needed visual confirmation.