Birds

We love them. Now protect them and their habitats.

Photo: Lindsay Addison

"Why do birds matter?” is one of those questions like “What is love?” or “Why are we here?” or even “Is there a God?” Unanswerable, I think, by logic. One could cite facts like, birds eat lots of harmful insects, charm us at our feeders, or challenge us to learn their field marks, molts, and names both common and scientific. But perhaps the answer lies deeper. Since the beginning birds have lifted our eyes to the skies. They’ve shown us we’re not gravity’s slave, that flight is possible and limitless. It can hover and soar, dive and display, and take us from one end of the planet to the other in a single, impossible burst of energy and purpose. Inspiration is the gift birds have given us from the start. But now they give us a question as well. Like the canary in the mine, they hold the planet up to us like a mirror and ask: “Can you not see that if we pass away, soon you will as well?” That’s a good question, and since birds pose it, they matter a lot.

Wes Craven, Hollywood director

Birdwatching in North Carolina

FAQs About Birds
Birds

FAQs About Birds

From "I found an injured bird" to "A bird keeps attacking my window! What do I do?" we answer your most common questions here.

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Bird Feeding Basics
Joy Of Birds

Bird Feeding Basics

Bird feeding can benefit birds and also provides great bird watching from your own backyard. Get easy tips to feed the birds.

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Birds
Birding And Bird Watching

Bird Watching in North Carolina

Not sure which birds to look for, or where to go? We've got all the information you need right here.

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Birding with Kids
Birds

Birding with Kids

Birding can be simple, too, and you don't need to know how to identify a single species to help your kids get started.

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Helping Birds in North Carolina

Priority Species
Priority Birds

Priority Species

A priority species is one that is particularly threatened in terms of the species' long-term survival.  

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52 Actions to Support Birds in 2018
Advocacy

52 Actions to Support Birds in 2018

The birds you love are counting on you to raise your voice and recruit friends! Commit to a weekly action this year and make sure our birds stay resilient in 2018.

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Saving North Carolina's Climate Threatened Birds
Climate

Saving North Carolina's Climate Threatened Birds

Learn about 13 climate-threatened species in North Carolina, and see how we are working to help them survive and thrive.

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Bird species included in the Audubon North Carolina Conservation Plan

American Oystercatcher
Priority Birds

American Oystercatcher

American Oystercatchers are the most recognizable of all North Carolina shorebirds. They can be found along the North Carolina coast year-round, nesting on sandy beaches and islands. 

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Black Skimmer
Priority Birds

Black Skimmer

The global population of Black Skimmers has been reduced to 165,000, and they have been classified as a Species of Special Concern in NC, due to loss of breeding habitat.

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Bobolink
Priority Birds

Bobolink

With reforestation of abandoned farmland and further development of the region, the Bobolink population has seen a dramatic decline. 

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Brown-headed Nuthatch
Priority Birds

Brown-headed Nuthatch

The Brown-headed Nuthatch is fondly known to Audubon North Carolina (ANC) as our quintessential southern bird. 

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Brown Pelican
Priority Birds

Brown Pelican

In North Carolina, Brown Pelicans are found in coastal marine and estuarine waters. .

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Cerulean Warbler
Priority Birds

Cerulean Warbler

Cerulean Warbler is one of the species of highest conservation concern and is been considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

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Chimney Swift
Priority Birds

Chimney Swift

The small, agile, fast-flying Chimney Swift is readily identified by its characteristic "flying cigar" profile. 

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Golden-winged Warbler
Priority Birds

Golden-winged Warbler

The rapid decline of the Golden-winged Warbler since the 1980s cannot be explained solely by habitat loss, and that mystery has attracted many scientists to study this beautiful warbler.

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Green-winged Teal
Priority Birds

Green-winged Teal

The first to arrive and last to leave, the Green-winged Teal spends a very short period wintering in southern states including North Carolina, so spotting one may require some planning. 

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Least Tern
Priority Birds

Least Tern

Colloquially known as the “little striker” for its headlong dives in pursuit of fish, the Least Tern is, as its name suggests, North America’s smallest tern.

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Piping Plover
Priority Birds

Piping Plover

Piping Plovers are federally threatened and endangered shorebirds, which inhabit wide, open beaches, shorelines and dry lakebeds in North America.

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Saltmarsh Sparrow
Priority Birds

Saltmarsh Sparrow

Saltmarsh Sparrows are tiny, social birds weighing less than 1 ounce. It can be difficult to spot this bird as they spend most of their time on the ground within the tall grasses of a salt marsh where they make a home.

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Tundra Swan
Priority Birds

Tundra Swan

The Tundra Swan is known for its exquisite features and courting rituals, which have made it revered throughout history.

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White Ibis
Priority Birds

White Ibis

White Ibis may be seen foraging on lawns or neighborhood ponds, especially in August after nesting season concludes, but marshes, swamps and other wetlands are their native habitat.

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Wood Thrush
Priority Birds

Wood Thrush

As its population has declined nearly 40 percent, the Wood Thrush has been designated a priority for conservation within our global and state IBAs. 

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More Birds Posts

Looking for an Escape? Try These 360 Videos of Bird Nesting Colonies
Joy Of Birds

Looking for an Escape? Try These 360 Videos of Bird Nesting Colonies

Immerse yourself in the beautiful, chaotic scenes of the Lower Cape Fear River.

Six Birdy and Binge-worthy Videos on North Carolina Birds
Birds

Six Birdy and Binge-worthy Videos on North Carolina Birds

Get your fill of North Carolina birds with these short films, TV shows, and virtual presentations featuring Audubon.

Reigniting a Childhood Love of the Outdoors Through Birds
News

Reigniting a Childhood Love of the Outdoors Through Birds

Bobbing sandpipers. Tiny toads. Swimming geese. Audubon intern London Thompson finds a lot to love on her first-ever bird walk.

Why You Shouldn't Feed Pelicans
Coast

Why You Shouldn't Feed Pelicans

They may look hungry, but tossing food scraps to Brown Pelicans does more harm than good.

A City Girl’s First Time Birding
Birds

A City Girl’s First Time Birding

Audubon intern Daija Graves recounts the lessons learned on her first journey into the woods with binoculars.

8 Fast and Furious Spring Bird Arrivals to Watch for in April
Bird-Friendly Communities

8 Fast and Furious Spring Bird Arrivals to Watch for in April

The start of April means scores of spring birds are en route to North Carolina. Read on for eight arrivals to watch for this month.

2019 Great Backyard Bird Count NC Results
Birds

2019 Great Backyard Bird Count NC Results

North Carolina birders made a strong showing again this year with more than 4,000 checklists.

7 Early Birds to Kick Off Spring Migration
Bird-Friendly Communities

7 Early Birds for Spring

Ready for some spring birds to return? Read on for seven birds to seek this month in North Carolina.

Join the 119th Audubon Christmas Bird Count
Bird-Friendly Communities

Join the 119th Audubon Christmas Bird Count

We need volunteers for the longest-running community science project in the world, this Dec. 14 through Jan. 5.

Baseball for the Birds: A New North Carolina Team Rallies Around an Endangered Species
Working Lands

Baseball for the Birds: A New North Carolina Team Rallies Around an Endangered Species

Inspired by the Red-cockaded Woodpecker's resilience, the Houston Astros affiliate has chosen the bird to be its official mascot.

How you can help, right now