Rare Birds in North Carolina
Our list for North Carolina has 77 rare birds recorded regularly there: 10 residents, 10 summer visitors, 29 winter visitors, 27 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · Oct
Share of all bird records in North Carolina in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 77, most common first
Black-billed CuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmusSummer visitorRare28–32 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorRare64–81 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusWinter visitorRare38–44 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorRare42–51 cmRegularly Oct–Feb
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellusSummer visitorRare41–50 cmRecorded all year
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorRare53–76 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Western KingbirdTyrannus verticalisPassage migrantRare20–24 cmRegularly Sep–Jan
Great SkuaStercorarius skuaPassage migrantRare50–58 cmRegularly Feb
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaPassage migrantRare37–41 cmRegularly Nov–Jan
Black-necked GrebePodiceps nigricollisWinter visitorRare28–34 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Swan GooseAnser cygnoidesWinter visitorRare81–94 cmRecorded all year
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantRare36–42 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusWinter visitorRare62–68 cmRegularly Dec–Apr
Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcanPassage migrantRare32–36 cmRegularly Oct–Nov
Sabine's GullXema sabiniPassage migrantRare27–33 cmRegularly Sep
Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegenaWinter visitorRare40–50 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Pacific LoonGavia pacificaWinter visitorRare58–74 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorRare46–59 cmRegularly Dec–Mar
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorResidentRare139–157 cmRegularly Jan–Feb
Scissor-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus forficatusPassage migrantRare28–38 cmRegularly Apr–Jun
King EiderSomateria spectabilisResidentRare46–64 cmRegularly Jan
Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicusResidentRare15–16 cmRegularly Nov–Jan
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made