Uncommon Birds in North Carolina
Our list for North Carolina has 89 uncommon birds recorded regularly there: 23 residents, 21 summer visitors, 30 winter visitors and 15 passage migrants
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 89, most common first
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatusWinter visitorUncommon24–34 cmRecorded all year
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusSummer visitorUncommon23–32 cmRecorded all year
Orange-crowned WarblerLeiothlypis celataWinter visitorUncommon11–14 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataWinter visitorUncommon53–69 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Sep–Jun
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusWinter visitorUncommon31–38 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRecorded all year
Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensisPassage migrantUncommon12–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Great ShearwaterArdenna gravisSummer visitorUncommon43–51 cmRegularly May–Oct
RazorbillAlca tordaWinter visitorUncommon38–43 cmRegularly Dec–Mar
Marsh WrenCistothorus palustrisWinter visitorUncommon10–14 cmRecorded all year
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorUncommon24–33 cmRegularly Sep–May
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianusResidentUncommon46–63 cmRecorded all year
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusWinter visitorUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year
Painted BuntingPasserina cirisSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Dec–Oct
White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrysWinter visitorUncommon15–16 cmRegularly Oct–May
BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorusPassage migrantUncommon16–20 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Gray-cheeked ThrushCatharus minimusPassage migrantUncommon16–17 cmRegularly May–Oct
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantUncommon18–19 cmRegularly May–Oct
American AvocetRecurvirostra americanaWinter visitorUncommon43–51 cmRecorded all year
Piping PloverCharadrius melodusSummer visitorUncommon17–18 cmRecorded all year
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentUncommon66–84 cmRecorded all year
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