BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

North Carolina Breeding Birds

193 species recorded across 112 survey routes, 1966 to 2024. Browse by family or guild below.

North Carolina Bird Population Trends

long arc declinecomputed index

Northern Bobwhite has collapsed in North Carolina: down 95% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Loggerhead Shrike has collapsed in North Carolina: down 93% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

American Black Duck has collapsed in North Carolina: down 91% on the route-weighted index since 1975.

long arc declinecomputed index

House Sparrow has collapsed in North Carolina: down 91% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Gull-billed Tern has collapsed in North Carolina: down 90% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Glossy Ibis has collapsed in North Carolina: down 90% on the route-weighted index since 1970.

How Bird Guilds Are Faring in North Carolina

-96%

Game birds

3 species
-85%

Grassland birds

7 species
-56%

Generalists

12 species
-32%

Wetland birds

31 species
-23%

Aerial insectivores

17 species
-13%

Forest birds

72 species
+332%

Birds of prey

14 species
+526%

Shorebirds

4 species
13×

Waterfowl

4 species

North Carolina Bird Survey Routes

Browse North Carolina Birds By Family

Each species links to its trend in North Carolina.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Bald Eagle +730%Broad-winged Hawk -13%Cooper's Hawk +102%Mississippi Kite 11×Red-shouldered Hawk 17×Red-tailed Hawk +164%Sharp-shinned Hawk -79%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark +461%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -49%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

American Black Duck -91%Canada Goose 17×Mallard +101%Wood Duck +334%

Anhingas Anhingidae

Anhinga -23%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -59%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

Black-crowned Night Heron -51%Great Blue Heron +406%Great Egret +194%Green Heron -50%Least Bittern -77%Little Blue Heron -84%Snowy Egret -89%Tricolored Heron -76%Western Cattle-Egret -36%Yellow-crowned Night Heron -52%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +310%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Chuck-will's-widow +7%Common Nighthawk -49%Eastern Whip-poor-will -56%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Blue Grosbeak +50%Dickcissel -21%Indigo Bunting -23%Northern Cardinal -16%Painted Bunting -78%Rose-breasted Grosbeak -83%Scarlet Tanager +96%Summer Tanager +21%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Black Vulture +610%Turkey Vulture +905%

Treecreepers Certhiidae

Brown Creeper +13%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer 21×

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Eurasian Collared-Dove +284%Mourning Dove -23%Rock Pigeon +5%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow +55%Blue Jay -58%Common Raven +148%Fish Crow +244%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -82%Yellow-billed Cuckoo -20%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel -82%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch +276%House Finch 49×

Oystercatchers Haematopodidae

American Oystercatcher -76%

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -88%Barn Swallow +186%Cliff Swallow +108%Northern Rough-winged Swallow +53%Purple Martin -15%Tree Swallow 22×

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole -2%Boat-tailed Grackle +21%Brown-headed Cowbird +188%Common Grackle -69%Eastern Meadowlark -79%Orchard Oriole -31%Red-winged Blackbird -31%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat -20%

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike -93%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Black Skimmer +17%Common Tern -75%Forster's Tern -32%Great Black-backed Gull -88%Gull-billed Tern -90%Herring Gull -77%Laughing Gull +293%Least Tern -39%Ring-billed Gull -79%Royal Tern -81%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -25%Gray Catbird -36%Northern Mockingbird -40%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -95%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey -4%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee +26%Carolina Chickadee +78%Tufted Titmouse +97%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart -39%Black-and-white Warbler +157%Black-throated Blue Warbler 13×Black-throated Green Warbler +511%Blackburnian Warbler +95%Canada Warbler +6%Cerulean Warbler -65%Chestnut-sided Warbler -11%Common Yellowthroat -46%Golden-winged Warbler -83%Hooded Warbler +40%Kentucky Warbler -63%Louisiana Waterthrush +385%Northern Parula +46%Ovenbird +192%Pine Warbler +130%Prairie Warbler -53%Prothonotary Warbler +308%Swainson's Warbler +624%Worm-eating Warbler +129%Yellow Warbler -78%Yellow-throated Warbler +91%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Bachman's Sparrow -7%Chipping Sparrow +48%Eastern Towhee -55%Field Sparrow -75%Grasshopper Sparrow +5%Henslow's Sparrow -68%Savannah Sparrow -22%Song Sparrow +54%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -91%

Pelicans Pelecanidae

Brown Pelican -56%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant +147%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Ruffed Grouse -41%Wild Turkey 21×

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker +60%Hairy Woodpecker +51%Pileated Woodpecker +198%Red-bellied Woodpecker +52%Red-cockaded Woodpecker -72%Red-headed Woodpecker -33%

Grebes Podicipedidae

Pied-billed Grebe -61%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher +697%

Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae

Clapper Rail -47%King Rail -56%

Kinglets Regulidae

Golden-crowned Kinglet +7%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

American Woodcock -72%Willet -88%

Nuthatches Sittidae

Brown-headed Nuthatch +127%Red-breasted Nuthatch +209%White-breasted Nuthatch +410%

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +225%Eastern Screech-Owl -77%Great Horned Owl +36%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling -52%

Ibises & Spoonbills Threskiornithidae

Glossy Ibis -90%White Ibis +148%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird +52%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Carolina Wren +171%Northern House Wren +72%Winter Wren -50%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin +29%Eastern Bluebird +413%Veery +162%Wood Thrush -68%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher +122%Eastern Kingbird -30%Eastern Phoebe +119%Eastern Wood-Pewee -51%Great Crested Flycatcher +10%Least Flycatcher -72%Willow Flycatcher +0%

Vireos Vireonidae

Blue-headed Vireo 11×Red-eyed Vireo +19%Warbling Vireo -26%White-eyed Vireo +155%Yellow-throated Vireo +97%

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22.