Birdsong field guide

Birds of North Carolina

518 species have been recorded in North Carolina. Tap any bird to hear its call and learn how to identify it.

Acadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescens African Collared-DoveStreptopelia roseogrisea Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum Allen's HummingbirdSelasphorus sasin American AvocetRecurvirostra americana American Barn OwlTyto furcata American BitternBotaurus lentiginosus American Black DuckAnas rubripes American CootFulica americana American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos American FlamingoPhoenicopterus ruber American Golden-PloverPluvialis dominica American GoldfinchSpinus tristis American GoshawkAstur atricapillus American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus American KestrelFalco sparverius American OystercatcherHaematopus palliatus American PipitAnthus rubescens American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla American RobinTurdus migratorius American Tree SparrowSpizelloides arborea American White PelicanPelecanus erythrorhynchos American WigeonMareca americana American WoodcockScolopax minor AnhingaAnhinga anhinga Anna's HummingbirdCalypte anna Antillean NighthawkChordeiles gundlachii Arctic TernSterna paradisaea Ash-throated FlycatcherMyiarchus cinerascens Atlantic PuffinFratercula arctica Atlantic Yellow-nosed AlbatrossThalassarche chlororhynchos Bachman's SparrowPeucaea aestivalis Bachman's WarblerVermivora bachmanii Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdii Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbula Band-rumped Storm-PetrelHydrobates castro Band-tailed PigeonPatagioenas fasciata Bank SwallowRiparia riparia Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponica Barn SwallowHirundo rustica Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis Barred OwlStrix varia Bay-breasted WarblerSetophaga castanea Bell's VireoVireo bellii Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon Bermuda PetrelPterodroma cahow Bewick's WrenThryomanes bewickii Bicknell's ThrushCatharus bicknelli Black GuillemotCepphus grylle Black RailLaterallus jamaicensis Black ScoterMelanitta americana Black SkimmerRynchops niger Black SwanCygnus atratus Black TernChlidonias niger Black VultureCoragyps atratus Black-and-white WarblerMniotilta varia Black-bellied PloverPluvialis squatarola Black-bellied Storm-PetrelFregetta tropica Black-bellied Whistling-DuckDendrocygna autumnalis Black-billed CuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmus Black-browed AlbatrossThalassarche melanophris Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus Black-capped PetrelPterodroma hasitata Black-chinned HummingbirdArchilochus alexandri Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax Black-headed GrosbeakPheucticus melanocephalus Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus Black-legged KittiwakeRissa tridactyla Black-necked StiltHimantopus mexicanus Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosa Black-tailed GullLarus crassirostris Black-throated Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescens Black-throated Gray WarblerSetophaga nigrescens Black-throated Green WarblerSetophaga virens Black-whiskered VireoVireo altiloquus Blackburnian WarblerSetophaga fusca Blackpoll WarblerSetophaga striata Blue GrosbeakPasserina caerulea Blue JayCyanocitta cristata Blue-gray GnatcatcherPolioptila caerulea Blue-headed VireoVireo solitarius Blue-winged TealSpatula discors Blue-winged WarblerVermivora cyanoptera Boat-tailed GrackleQuiscalus major BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorus Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphia BramblingFringilla montifringilla BrantBranta bernicla Brewer's BlackbirdEuphagus cyanocephalus Bridled TernOnychoprion anaethetus Broad-billed HummingbirdCynanthus latirostris Broad-tailed HummingbirdSelasphorus platycercus Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus Bronzed CowbirdMolothrus aeneus Brown BoobySula leucogaster Brown CreeperCerthia americana Brown NoddyAnous stolidus Brown PelicanPelecanus occidentalis Brown ThrasherToxostoma rufum Brown-headed CowbirdMolothrus ater Brown-headed NuthatchSitta pusilla BudgerigarMelopsittacus undulatus Buff-bellied HummingbirdAmazilia yucatanensis Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollis BuffleheadBucephala albeola Bullock's OrioleIcterus bullockii Bulwer's PetrelBulweria bulwerii Burrowing OwlAthene cunicularia Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsii California GullLarus californicus Calliope HummingbirdSelasphorus calliope Canada GooseBranta canadensis Canada WarblerCardellina canadensis CanvasbackAythya valisineria Cape May WarblerSetophaga tigrina Cape Verde ShearwaterCalonectris edwardsii Carolina ChickadeePoecile carolinensis Carolina WrenThryothorus ludovicianus Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia Cassin's KingbirdTyrannus vociferans Cassin's SparrowPeucaea cassinii Cave SwallowPetrochelidon fulva Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum Cerulean WarblerSetophaga cerulea Chestnut-collared LongspurCalcarius ornatus Chestnut-sided WarblerSetophaga pensylvanica Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagica Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina Chuck-will's-widowAntrostomus carolinensis ChukarAlectoris chukar Cinnamon TealSpatula cyanoptera Clapper RailRallus crepitans Clark's GrebeAechmophorus clarkii Clay-colored SparrowSpizella pallida Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota Common EiderSomateria mollissima Common GallinuleGallinula galeata Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula Common Ground DoveColumbina passerina Common GullLarus canus Common LoonGavia immer Common MerganserMergus merganser Common MurreUria aalge Common NighthawkChordeiles minor Common RavenCorvus corax Common RedpollAcanthis flammea Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula Common SwiftApus apus Common TernSterna hirundo Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas Connecticut WarblerOporornis agilis Cooper's HawkAstur cooperii Cory's ShearwaterCalonectris borealis Crested CaracaraCaracara plancus Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferruginea Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis Desertas PetrelPterodroma deserta DickcisselSpiza americana Double-crested CormorantNannopterum auritum DovekieAlle alle Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens DunlinCalidris alpina Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis Eastern BluebirdSialia sialis Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus Eastern MeadowlarkSturnella magna Eastern PhoebeSayornis phoebe Eastern Screech-OwlMegascops asio Eastern TowheePipilo erythrophthalmus Eastern Whip-poor-willAntrostomus vociferus Eastern Wood-PeweeContopus virens Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca Elegant TernThalasseus elegans Eurasian Collared-DoveStreptopelia decaocto Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope European StarlingSturnus vulgaris European Storm-PetrelHydrobates pelagicus Evening GrosbeakHesperiphona vespertina Field SparrowSpizella pusilla Fish CrowCorvus ossifragus Fork-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus savana Forster's TernSterna forsteri Fox SparrowPasserella iliaca Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcan Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolor GadwallMareca strepera GarganeySpatula querquedula Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreus Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus Golden EagleAquila chrysaetos Golden PheasantChrysolophus pictus Golden-crowned KingletRegulus satrapa Golden-crowned SparrowZonotrichia atricapilla Golden-winged WarblerVermivora chrysoptera Grasshopper SparrowAmmodramus savannarum Gray CatbirdDumetella carolinensis Gray FlycatcherEmpidonax wrightii Gray KingbirdTyrannus dominicensis Gray-cheeked ThrushCatharus minimus Graylag GooseAnser anser Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus Great Blue HeronArdea herodias Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo Great Crested FlycatcherMyiarchus crinitus Great EgretArdea alba Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus Great ShearwaterArdenna gravis Great SkuaStercorarius skua Greater ScaupAythya marila Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleuca Green HeronButorides virescens Green-breasted MangoAnthracothorax prevostii Green-tailed TowheePipilo chlorurus Green-winged TealAnas crecca Groove-billed AniCrotophaga sulcirostris Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica GyrfalconFalco rusticolus Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus Hammond's FlycatcherEmpidonax hammondii Harlequin DuckHistrionicus histrionicus Harris's SparrowZonotrichia querula Heermann's GullLarus heermanni Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagris Henslow's SparrowCentronyx henslowii Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatus Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatus Hooded OrioleIcterus cucullatus Hooded WarblerSetophaga citrina Horned GrebePodiceps auritus Horned LarkEremophila alpestris House FinchHaemorhous mexicanus House SparrowPasser domesticus House WrenTroglodytes aedon Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemastica Hudsonian WhimbrelNumenius hudsonicus Iceland GullLarus glaucoides Indian PeafowlPavo cristatus Indigo BuntingPasserina cyanea Kentucky WarblerGeothlypis formosa KilldeerCharadrius vociferus King EiderSomateria spectabilis King RailRallus elegans Kirtland's WarblerSetophaga kirtlandii Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus Lark BuntingCalamospiza melanocorys Lark SparrowChondestes grammacus Laughing GullLeucophaeus atricilla Lazuli BuntingPasserina amoena Leach's Storm-PetrelHydrobates leucorhous Least BitternBotaurus exilis Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimus Least SandpiperCalidris minutilla Least TernSternula antillarum LeConte's SparrowAmmospiza leconteii Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus Lesser GoldfinchSpinus psaltria Lesser ScaupAythya affinis Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipes LimpkinAramus guarauna Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolnii Little Blue HeronEgretta caerulea Little EgretEgretta garzetta Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus Little StintCalidris minuta Loggerhead ShrikeLanius ludovicianus Long-billed CurlewNumenius americanus Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceus Long-billed MurreletBrachyramphus perdix Long-eared OwlAsio otus Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalis Long-tailed JaegerStercorarius longicaudus Louisiana WaterthrushParkesia motacilla MacGillivray's WarblerGeothlypis tolmiei Magnificent FrigatebirdFregata magnificens Magnolia WarblerSetophaga magnolia MallardAnas platyrhynchos Mandarin DuckAix galericulata Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinus Marbled DuckMarmaronetta angustirostris Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoa Marsh WrenCistothorus palustris Masked BoobySula dactylatra Masked DuckNomonyx dominicus MerlinFalco columbarius Mexican VioletearColibri thalassinus Mississippi KiteIctinia mississippiensis Monk ParakeetMyiopsitta monachus Mottled DuckAnas fulvigula Mountain BluebirdSialia currucoides Mountain PloverAnarhynchus montanus Mourning DoveZenaida macroura Mourning WarblerGeothlypis philadelphia Muscovy DuckCairina moschata Mute SwanCygnus olor Nanday ParakeetAratinga nenday Nashville WarblerLeiothlypis ruficapilla Nelson's SparrowAmmospiza nelsoni Neotropic CormorantNannopterum brasilianum Northern BobwhiteColinus virginianus Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis Northern FlickerColaptes auratus Northern FulmarFulmarus glacialis Northern GannetMorus bassanus Northern HarrierCircus hudsonius Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos Northern ParulaSetophaga americana Northern PintailAnas acuta Northern Red BishopEuplectes franciscanus Northern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx serripennis Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicus Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata Northern ShrikeLanius borealis Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensis Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe Northern Yellow WarblerSetophaga aestiva Olive-sided FlycatcherContopus cooperi Orange-cheeked WaxbillEstrilda melpoda Orange-crowned WarblerLeiothlypis celata Orchard OrioleIcterus spurius OspreyPandion haliaetus OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapilla Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulva Pacific LoonGavia pacifica Painted BuntingPasserina ciris Painted RedstartMyioborus pictus Palm WarblerSetophaga palmarum Parasitic JaegerStercorarius parasiticus Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus Philadelphia VireoVireo philadelphicus Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podiceps Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatus Pine SiskinSpinus pinus Pine WarblerSetophaga pinus Piping PloverCharadrius melodus Plumbeous VireoVireo plumbeus Plumed Whistling-DuckDendrocygna eytoni Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinus Prairie WarblerSetophaga discolor Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citrea Purple FinchHaemorhous purpureus Purple GallinulePorphyrio martinica Purple MartinProgne subis Purple SandpiperCalidris maritima RazorbillAlca torda Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra Red JunglefowlGallus gallus Red KnotCalidris canutus Red PhalaropePhalaropus fulicarius Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinus Red-billed TropicbirdPhaethon aethereus Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis Red-cockaded WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus borealis Red-eyed VireoVireo olivaceus Red-footed BoobySula sula Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalus Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus Red-shouldered HawkButeo lineatus Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis Red-throated LoonGavia stellata Red-whiskered BulbulPycnonotus jocosus Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus Reddish EgretEgretta rufescens RedheadAythya americana Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris Ring-necked PheasantPhasianus colchicus Rock PigeonColumba livia Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianus Roseate SpoonbillPlatalea ajaja Roseate TernSterna dougallii Ross's GooseAnser rossii Rosy-faced LovebirdAgapornis roseicollis Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopus Royal TernThalasseus maximus Ruby-crowned KingletCorthylio calendula Ruby-throated HummingbirdArchilochus colubris Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensis Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres RuffCalidris pugnax Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellus Rufous HummingbirdSelasphorus rufus Rusty BlackbirdEuphagus carolinus Sabine's GullXema sabini Sage ThrasherOreoscoptes montanus Saltmarsh SparrowAmmospiza caudacuta SanderlingCalidris alba Sandhill CraneAntigone canadensis Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis Sargasso ShearwaterPuffinus lherminieri Savannah SparrowPasserculus sandwichensis Say's PhoebeSayornis saya Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivacea Scissor-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus forficatus Scopoli's ShearwaterCalonectris diomedea Scott's OrioleIcterus parisorum Seaside SparrowAmmospiza maritima Sedge WrenCistothorus stellaris Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatus Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusilla Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatus Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminata Shiny CowbirdMolothrus bonariensis Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseus Short-billed GullLarus brachyrhynchus Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus Slaty-backed GullLarus schistisagus Smith's LongspurCalcarius pictus Smooth-billed AniCrotophaga ani Snail KiteRostrhamus sociabilis Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalis Snow GooseAnser caerulescens Snowy EgretEgretta thula Snowy OwlBubo scandiacus Snowy PloverAnarhynchus nivosus Solitary SandpiperTringa solitaria Song SparrowMelospiza melodia Sooty ShearwaterArdenna grisea Sooty TernOnychoprion fuscatus SoraPorzana carolina South Polar SkuaStercorarius maccormicki Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius Spotted TowheePipilo maculatus Sprague's PipitAnthus spragueii Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopus Summer TanagerPiranga rubra Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillata Swainson's HawkButeo swainsoni Swainson's ThrushCatharus ustulatus Swainson's WarblerLimnothlypis swainsonii Swallow-tailed KiteElanoides forficatus Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgiana Swan GooseAnser cygnoides Swinhoe's Storm-PetrelHydrobates monorhis Tahiti PetrelPseudobulweria rostrata Tennessee WarblerLeiothlypis peregrina Thick-billed LongspurRhynchophanes mccownii Thick-billed MurreUria lomvia Townsend's SolitaireMyadestes townsendi Townsend's WarblerSetophaga townsendi Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor Tricolored HeronEgretta tricolor Trindade PetrelPterodroma arminjoniana Tropical KingbirdTyrannus melancholicus Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinator Tufted DuckAythya fuligula Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolor Tundra SwanCygnus columbianus Turkey VultureCathartes aura Upland SandpiperBartramia longicauda Varied ThrushIxoreus naevius VeeryCatharus fuscescens Vermilion FlycatcherPyrocephalus rubinus Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineus Violet-green SwallowTachycineta thalassina Virginia RailRallus limicola Warbling VireoVireo gilvus Wedge-tailed ShearwaterArdenna pacifica Western Cattle-EgretArdea ibis Western FlycatcherEmpidonax difficilis Western GrebeAechmophorus occidentalis Western KingbirdTyrannus verticalis Western MeadowlarkSturnella neglecta Western SandpiperCalidris mauri Western TanagerPiranga ludoviciana WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus White IbisEudocimus albus White WagtailMotacilla alba White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis White-cheeked PintailAnas bahamensis White-crowned PigeonPatagioenas leucocephala White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys White-eyed VireoVireo griseus White-faced IbisPlegadis chihi White-faced Storm-PetrelPelagodroma marina White-faced Whistling-DuckDendrocygna viduata White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollis White-tailed KiteElanus leucurus White-tailed TropicbirdPhaethon lepturus White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis White-throated SwiftAeronautes saxatalis White-winged CrossbillLoxia leucoptera White-winged DoveZenaida asiatica White-winged ScoterMelanitta deglandi White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus Whooping CraneGrus americana Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo WilletTringa semipalmata Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolor Wilson's PloverAnarhynchus wilsonia Wilson's SnipeGallinago delicata Wilson's Storm-PetrelOceanites oceanicus Wilson's WarblerCardellina pusilla Winter WrenTroglodytes hiemalis Wood DuckAix sponsa Wood StorkMycteria americana Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina Worm-eating WarblerHelmitheros vermivorum Yellow RailCoturnicops noveboracensis Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventris Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus varius Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus Yellow-breasted ChatIcteria virens Yellow-crowned Night-HeronNyctanassa violacea Yellow-green VireoVireo flavoviridis Yellow-headed BlackbirdXanthocephalus xanthocephalus Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronata Yellow-throated VireoVireo flavifrons Yellow-throated WarblerSetophaga dominica Zino's PetrelPterodroma madeira