Bird watchers worldwide submitted a record-breaking number of bird checklists – more than 200,000 – during the Great Backyard Bird Count again this year.

Participants counted birds in more than 170 countries, reporting a record 6,651 species – more than half the known bird species in the world.

North Carolina made a strong showing in the global Great Backyard Bird Count again this year, ranking ninth among states in the number of checklists submitted.

In North Carolina, bird watchers submitted 4,205 checklists reporting 199 species, 15 fewer than in 2018. Checklists represented 93 of 100 counties, with Wake County submitting the most at 592 checklists. Read on for more results.

Top Counties by Number of Checklists Submitted

1. Wake County – 592

2. Mecklenburg County – 443
3. Durham County – 210
4. Buncombe County – 207
5. Dare County – 184
6. Guilford County – 182
7. Forsyth County – 178
8. Orange County – 164
9. Brunswick County – 140
10. Henderson County – 110

Top Counties by Number of Species

1. Dare County – 148
2. New Hanover County – 127
3. Carteret County – 120
4. Brunswick County – 108
5. Wake County – 105
6. Onslow County – 97
7. Mecklenburg County – 92
8. Guilford County – 90
9. Forsyth County – 88
10. TIE: Buncombe County – 81/Currituck County – 81

Of all the birding hotspots in the state, birders submitted the most checklists at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge on the Outer Banks. How did your favorite birding hotspot rank? Check out the full list here. 

Largest Groups of Birds Counted at One Time in One Place

1. Double-crested Cormorant – 30,000
2. Ring-billed Gull – 8,000
3. Common Grackle – 8,000
4. Herring Gull – 2,270
5. Snow Goose – 5,000
6. Canada Goose – 5,000
7. Red-winged Blackbird – 1,100
8. Tundra Swan – 1,000
9. Razorbill – 950
10. Dunlin – 800

To see more results and learn more about how to take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count next year, visit birdcount.org. The Great Backyard Bird Count is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society with partner Bird Studies Canada and is made possible in part by founding sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited.