Birds

We love them. Now protect them and their habitats.

American Oystercatcher female with nestlings. Photo: Michael Cassella/Audubon Photography Awards

Because birds live everywhere, what affects them eventually affects us. And birds are telling us that their survival—and ours—depends on healthy natural spaces and clean air and water to curb the effects of climate change.

Can you imagine a world without the flute-like eee-oh-lay of a Wood Thrush? Forty percent of the Atlantic Flyway’s bird species are species of conservation need -- including the Wood Thrush, the most widespread of our eastern forest neotropical migratory species, whose population has been reduced by half in the past 40 years.

Scientific studies show that climate change is the biggest threat to birds and people alike, with two-thirds of North American bird species at risk of extinction due to our warming planet. Birds tell us it is not too late, but there is no time to lose. If we stand together and act now, we can still protect our most vulnerable birds and build healthier, stronger human communities too.

Birdwatching in North Carolina

Common Questions
Birds

Common Questions

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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NC Bird Watching Resources
Birding And Bird Watching

NC Bird Watching Resources

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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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

Famous NC Tree Hosts “Incredibly Unique” Swift Roost
Birds

Famous NC Tree Hosts “Incredibly Unique” Swift Roost

Chimney Swifts adapted to humans long ago. The discovery of a natural roost site on a college campus underscores all the ways we’re pushing swifts to the limit again.

Famous UNC Tree Hosts Rare Swift Roost 
Media Releases

Famous UNC Tree Hosts Rare Swift Roost 

Davie Poplar roost offers close-up of migration spectacle and highlights threats facing Chimney Swifts.

Seabird that Depends on NC’s Offshore Waters Gains Federal Protections
Conservation

Seabird that Depends on NC’s Offshore Waters Gains Federal Protections

Endangered species protections will help Black-capped Petrel as offshore wind energy ramps up.

Your Guide to the Sights and Songs of North Carolina’s Overwintering Birds
Birds

Your Guide to the Sights and Songs of North Carolina’s Overwintering Birds

Winter is a great time to catch a glimpse of unique winter residents as well as some familiar favorites right in your backyard.

Storm-blown Flamingos Show Up in North Carolina and Beyond
Birds

Storm-blown Flamingos Show Up in North Carolina and Beyond

Eleven of the leggy, pink waders were spotted on the Outer Banks.

Curtis Smalling: Five Highlights from the Bird Migration Explorer
Bird Migration Explorer

Curtis Smalling: Five Highlights from the Bird Migration Explorer

We asked our conservation director to give us his favorite insights and bird stories from the new interactive platform.

2022 U.S. State of the Birds Report Reveals Widespread Losses of Birds in All Habitats—Except for One
Conservation

2022 U.S. State of the Birds Report Reveals Widespread Losses of Birds in All Habitats—Except for One

In 50 years, birds have increased overall in wetlands, a singular exception that shows the way forward for saving birds and benefiting people.

New Tower Connects NC Barrier Island to Global Bird Tracking Network
Media Releases

New Tower Connects NC Barrier Island to Global Bird Tracking Network

— Cape Fear Audubon, Audubon North Carolina and UNC Wilmington partner to install Motus tower at Lea Island.
Audubon Members Celebrate Spring, Honor Award Winners at 2022 Summit
Chapters

Audubon Members Celebrate Spring, Honor Award Winners at 2022 Summit

Mecklenburg Audubon hosts chapters and campus clubs from across the state at UNC Charlotte.

Audubon Joins Groups Opposing the Removal of Red-cockaded Woodpecker Protections
Birds

Audubon Joins Groups Opposing the Removal of Red-cockaded Woodpecker Protections

A revised proposal from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service strengthens some protections, but would still prematurely remove endangered status for this bird on the brink.

How you can help, right now