Birds of North Carolina - their Distribution and Abundance

Scientific Name:	Common Name:		Family (Alpha):

PASSERELLIDAE Members:

General Comments

Despite the Lincoln's Sparrow having a very wide breeding range, from Alaska to Newfoundland, and south through most of the Western mountain ranges, it is not a common bird in the East. The species' main abundance lies in the center and western part of the range. It winters in the southern part of the United States, southward into Mexico; the winter range includes the North Carolina Coastal Plain. Interestingly, it was essentially known only as a transient until the late 1960's or 1970's, when birders starting finding them on CBC's. In fact, this species is not often seen by the casual or inexperienced birder; most are seen with purposeful search -- by pishing, squeaking, or playback calls. Lincoln's are most frequently found in brush piles and hedgerows in otherwise large areas of fields (as opposed to wooded borders). They also are found in damp weedy fields and marsh edges (in shrubs), but they are not usually found in open marshes, nor in very dry fields and thickets.

Breeding Status

Nonbreeder

NC BRC List

Definitive

State Status

none

U.S. Status

Definitive

State Rank

S2N

Global Rank

Coastal Plain

Winter resident, and poorly known transient. In winter, uncommon and easily overlooked in the southern Tidewater region (south of Albemarle Sound), and generally rare to locally uncommon elsewhere. Several NC Bird Atlas biologists surveyed intensively for this species in winter 2025-26 and found them in perhaps half of the counties, from the VA border to the SC border, to confirm that it is not at all rare in the region in winter. Mainly mid-Oct to mid-Apr; earliest date is 1 Oct, and the latest is 26 May (the only May date from the province). Peak counts: 8, Pettigrew SP CBC, 30 Dec 2005; 7, Holly Shelter & Lea-Hutaff Island CBC, 16 Dec 2012; 7, in the Dare County Bombing Range, 30 Dec 2013; 7, east of Newport (Carteret), 11 Dec 2016.

Piedmont

Transient, with a few lingering into early winter. In fall, rare to uncommon and easily overlooked; in spring, generally rare over the region (definitely more numerous in fall than in spring). Mainly mid-Oct to mid-Nov, and from mid-Apr to early May. Very rare in winter, mainly in Dec, but scattered records in Jan and Feb; very few likely overwinter in the region. One at the Dan River Game Land (Rockingham) from 20-23 Sep 2020 was quite early. Peak counts: 6, North Wilkesboro, 10 Nov 1961.

Mountains

Transient. In fall, uncommon and easily overlooked, at least at the lower elevations; poorly known above 3,500 feet. In spring, rare to uncommon, at least in the lower elevations. Mainly late Sep to mid-Nov, and mid-Apr to early May. More "numerous" in migration in the mountains than farther eastward, though it still takes diligent observers to find them. Very rare in winter, though it was found in five counties in winter 2025-26; probably does not overwinter in the region. Peak counts: 13, Warren Wilson College (Buncombe), 16 Oct 2014; 8, Warren Wilson College, 18 and 23 Oct 2018; 7, Boone, 25 Sep 1981; 6, Hooper Lane (Henderson), 16 Oct 2000; 6, Brookshire Park (Watauga), 16 Oct 2016; 6, Valle Crucis (Watauga), 24 Oct 2018; 6, Brevard (Transylvania), 1 Nov 2022.

Finding Tips

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If you bird around brush piles and thickets in winter in the Lake Phelps to Lake Mattamuskeet areas, you have a chance to find one or two. Birding in mountain valleys, such as at Jackson Park in Hendersonville or at Valle Crucis Park (Watauga), in mid-Oct, also could turn up a bird or two.