Birds of North Carolina
What’s that bird?
North Carolina is full of great birds. See one you don’t recognize? Scroll down to see some of the common (and not so common) birds that live here. More common birds are listed toward the top, with birds (generally) becoming less common as you scroll down the page. Maps and time series show the distribution of sightings over the past decade. See the About page for some notes on commonness.
Note that, for many birds, colors and behavior can vary based on sex, age, and season. Male birds tend to be more colorful, while female and adolescent birds may have better camouflage. So even if you see a common species, it might not look like the examples below. Use the AllAboutBirds links to learn more about each species. (This website is a work in progress, and will be expanded over time. Please do not use the information here for anything important until it is more finalized.)
1. Northern Cardinal
What’s the most commonly reported bird in North Carolina? It’s the Northern Cardinal! It has a bright red bird with a pointed crest on its head. The female looks similar, but a more brownish shade of red.
Range map. Learn more at AllAboutBirds
2. Carolina Wren
Range map. Learn more at AllAboutBirds
3. Carolina Chickadee
Range map. Learn more at AllAboutBirds
4. Tufted Titmouse
The Tufted Titmouse gets its name from the small tuft of feathers on its head. This little gray bird is a frequent visitor to feeders and seems most common in winter.
Learn more at: AllAboutBirds
5. American Crow
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6. Mourning Dove
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7. Red-bellied Woodpecker
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8. Blue Jay
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9. Eastern Bluebird
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11. American Robin
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12. Eastern Towhee
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13. Northern Mockingbird
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14. American Goldfinch
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15. House Finch
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16. Song Sparrow
Song Sparrows are quite loud, especially on windy November mornings like the one here.
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17. White-breasted Nuthatch
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18. Turkey Vulture
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23. Canada Goose
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24. Great Blue Heron
Tall and glaceful, with a long neck and long legs, the Great Blue Heron reminds the viewer of dinosaurs of old.
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30. Dark-eyed Junco
Dark-eyed Juncos have different colors in different regions of the U.S. In the eastern U.S., we have the “slate-colored” Dark-eyed Junco, shown here.
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32. Red-winged Blackbird
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36. Gray Catbird
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37. Common Grackle
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38. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
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40. Mallard
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41. Double-Crested Cormorant
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43. Killdeer
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44. Belted Kingfisher
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60. Osprey
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61. Cedar Waxwing
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78. Tree Swallow
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85. Hooded Warbler
Hooded Warblers have a yellow mask and a black head (and are normally in focus).
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87. Wood Duck
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90. Green Heron
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102. Yellow-throated Warbler
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109. Black-throated Blue Warbler
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