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Birdsthreatened and/or endangeredAll familiesthreatened and/or endangeredEastern & Coastal North Carolina Area

1-40 of 261 species page: 1 | 2 | 3 | >>
Common Loon
Gavia immer

 

28-36" (71-91 cm). Heavy-bodied, thick, pointed, usually black or dark gray bill held horizontally. Breeding plumage, head, neck black with white bands on neck; back black with white spots. In winter, crown, hindneck, upperparts dark grayish; throat, underparts white.… read more

Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellata

 

24-27" (61-69 cm). A small loon seldom seen far from salt water. In breeding plumage, has gray head and neck, rusty throat, black back spotted with white. In winter, similar to Common Loon but smaller, paler, with bill thinner, seemingly upturned.… read more

Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritus

 

12-15" (30-38 cm). Small, slender-necked, with short, sharply pointed bill. In breeding plumage, body dark, with rufous neck and flanks; head blackish, with conspicuous buff ear tufts. In winter, upperparts dark; chin and foreneck white.… read more

Pied-billed Grebe
Podilymbus podiceps

 

12-15" (30-38 cm). Pigeon-sized. A stocky, uniformly brownish water bird, with stout whitish bill that has black ring around it during breeding season.… read more

Cory's Shearwater
Calonectris diomedea

20-22" (51-56 cm). Dull gray-brown above, whitish below; bill pale (usually yellow, sometimes marked with dusky color). Dull gray crown blends evenly with white sides of face.… read more

Black-capped Petrel
Pterodroma hasitata

14-18" (36-46 cm). A long-winged, long-tailed petrel, dark above with black cap; white collar and rump; white underparts. Viewed from below, wings have broad dark margins.… read more

Greater Shearwater
Puffinus gravis

18-20" (46-51 cm). A large shearwater, dull brown above, with pale scaling; white below, dusky belly; cap dark, contrasting with white face; may show white at base of tail; bill black.… read more

Sooty Shearwater
Puffinus griseus

16-18" (41-46 cm). Large shearwater. In the Atlantic, only one that appears uniformly dark sooty brown above, below, with silvery whitish wing linings. Bill, feet dark. Slender, narrow-winged, skims on stiff wings over waves, alternately gliding, flapping.… read more

Audubon's Shearwater
Puffinus lherminieri

11-12" (28-30 cm). A small shearwater, brownish-black above and white below except for dark undertail feathers. Half the size of Greater Shearwater.… read more

Wilson's Storm-Petrel
Oceanites oceanicus

7" (18 cm). Darts, skims over waves like a swallow. Black with white rump, square-tipped or rounded tail. Longer legs than other western storm-petrels, with yellow webs between toes.… read more

Band-rumped Storm-Petrel
Oceanodroma castro

7.5 - 9" (19-23 cm). Blackish-brown overall with pale wing bars and a clear, curved white band across rump; white on rump more extensive than on Leach's but less than on Wilson's. Tail slightly forked; legs do not extend beyond tail in flight.… read more

Northern Gannet
Morus bassanus

 

35-40" (89-102 cm). Adult white with black wing tips; head tinged with orange-buff. Long pointed tail, wings. Immature dark gray, variously speckled and patterned with white. Alternately flaps, glides in flight; plunge dives when feeding.… read more

Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis

45-54" (1.1-1.4 m). W. 7'6" (2.3 m). Large, stocky bird, dark brown body, long flat bill. Only non-white pelican in the world. Head whitish in adults, dark brown on hindneck during breeding season. Young birds have dark brown head, whitish bellies.… read more

Double-crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus

 

30-35 (76-89 cm). Orange throat pouch and long neck. Long hooked bill tilted upward when swimming. Adults have short tuft of feathers over each eye during breeding season. In flight, the neck shows a slight crook.… read more

Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo

35-40" (89-102 cm). A large, thick-necked cormorant. Adult black with white throat and yellow chin pouch; in breeding plumage, has white flank patches. Immature is dull brown, with dusky neck and white on belly.… read more

Anhinga
Anhinga anhinga

34-36" (86-91 cm). Long, slender, S-shaped neck; long, spear-like bill; fan-shaped tail. Male's plumage, greenish iridescence; upper surface of wings silvery gray. Female, tawny-brown neck and breast, sharply set off from black belly.… read more

Great Egret
Ardea alba

 

35-41" (89-104 cm). W. 4'7" (1.4 m). All-white heron with yellow bill, black legs. Breeding plumage, has long lacy plumes on back. Smaller Snowy Egret has black bill, legs, yellow feet.… read more

Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias

 

39-52" (99-132 cm). W. 5'10" (1.8 m). Large, mainly grayish heron with a pale or yellowish bill. Flies with neck folded, not extended. In southern Florida an all-white form, "Great White Heron," has greenish-yellow rather than black legs.… read more

American Bittern
Botaurus lentiginosus

 

23-34" (58-86 cm). Medium-sized, streaked brown heron. Outer wing appears blackish brown in flight, contrasting with lighter brown of inner wing and body. Adults show long black stripe down side of throat.… read more

Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibis

 

20" (51 cm). Small, stocky white heron, with buff on crown, breast, and back during breeding season. Legs pale yellow or orange in adults, blackish in some immatures. Bill short, yellow or orange; dark in juveniles. No other small white heron has a yellow bill.… read more

Green Heron
Butorides virescens

 

16-22" (41-56 cm). A dark, crow-sized heron. Crown black, back and wings dark gray-green or gray-blue (depending on lighting); neck chestnut colored. Bill dark; legs bright orange. Immatures have streaks on neck, breast, and sides.… read more

Little Blue Heron
Egretta caerulea

 

25-30" (64-76 cm). W. 3'5" (1 m). Adult slate blue with maroon neck. Bill grayish with black tip; legs greenish. Immature is white, usually with dusky tips on primaries. Snowy Egret, smaller, all white, with black bill and legs, yellow lores and feet.… read more

Snowy Egret
Egretta thula

 

20-27" (51-69 cm). W. 3'2" (97 cm). Small, white heron with a slender black bill, black legs, and yellow feet. In breeding season, it has long lacy plumes on its head, neck, and back. Immature bird has yellow stripe up back of leg.… read more

Tricolored Heron
Egretta tricolor

 

25-30" (64-76 cm). W. 3'2" (97 cm). A slender gray-blue heron with rufous neck and white belly.… read more

Least Bittern
Ixobrychus exilis

 

11-14" (28-36 cm). A tiny, secretive heron with blackish back and conspicuous buff wing patches and underparts. Female and young are similar but duller, more buffy.… read more

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Nyctanassa violacea

 

22-27" (56-69 cm). W. 3'8" (1.1 m). Adult slate-gray with black head, white cheeks, yellowish crown, plumes, black bill, yellow or orange legs. In flight, feet, part of legs extend beyond tail. Immature grayish brown, finely speckled with white above.… read more

Black-crowned Night-Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax

 

23-28" (58-71 cm). W. 3'8" (1.1 m). A medium-sized, short-necked heron with black crown, back, gray wings, white underparts. Bill short, black, legs pinkish or yellowish. In breeding season it has 2 or more long white plumes on back of head.… read more

White Ibis
Eudocimus albus

 

23-27" (58-69 cm). W. 3'2" (97 cm). Adult white with black wing tips (usually hidden at rest); bare face and down-curved bill are red; legs red in breeding season, otherwise slate-gray. Immatures brown above and white below, with brown bill and legs.… read more

Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellus

22-25" (56-64 cm). W. 3'1" (94 cm). All-dark marsh bird with down-curved bill. Plumage rich chestnut in breeding season; wings glossy greenish; eyes brown. Bare face is outlined by thin line of white. Outside breeding season, has streaks on head, neck, brown eyes.… read more

Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura

 

25-32" (64-81 cm). W. 6' (1.8 m). Eagle-sized blackish bird, In flight, wings held upward in a wide, shallow V; rolls, sways from side to side. Flight feathers silvery below. Tail long; head small, bare, reddish; gray in immatures.… read more

Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus

22-24" (56-61 cm). W. 4'6" (1.4 m). Black, with white patch near each wing tip, conspicuous in flight; head bare, grayish; feet extend beyond short tail. Flaps its shorter and rounder wings more often and more rapidly than Turkey Vulture.… read more

Wood Duck
Aix sponsa

 

17-20" (43-51 cm). A beautiful, crested, multicolored duck. Male patterned in iridescent greens, purples, and blues with distinctive white chin patch and face stripes; bill mainly red; tail long. Female grayish with broad white eye ring.… read more

Northern Pintail
Anas acuta

 

Male, 25-29" (64-74 cm); female, 21-23" (53-58 cm). Male, brown head, white underparts, neck, white line extending onto head, grayish back, long black pointed central tail feathers. Inner wing, metallic brown. Female mottled brown, gray, slender.… read more

American Wigeon
Anas americana

 

18-23" (46-58 cm). Male is brownish with white crown, green ear patch, and bold white shoulder patches easily visible in flight. Female is mottled brown with grayish head and whitish shoulder patches. Bill pale blue in both sexes.… read more

Northern Shoveler
Anas clypeata

 

17-20" (43-51 cm). Large shovel-shaped bill. Male has green head, white body, and chestnut flanks. Female streaked brown with pale blue shoulder patches; similar to female Blue-winged Teal, but bill much larger.… read more

Green-winged Teal
Anas crecca

 

12-16" (30-41 cm). Male,chestnut head, green ear patch, flashing green inner wing, pale gray sides, pinkish breast with a vertical white stripe down the side. Female is dark brown without distinctive markings.… read more

Blue-winged Teal
Anas discors

 

14-16" (36-41 cm). Brown with pale blue shoulder patches. Male, gray head, white crescent in front of eye. Female mottled brown, gray, obscure patterning on face, pale blue shoulder patches like the male.… read more

Eurasian Wigeon
Anas penelope

18-20" (46-51 cm). Male has rusty head, buff crown, pinkish-buff breast, gray body. Female is streaked gray-brown or rust-brown. Both sexes have large white shoulder patches and dull blue bills.… read more

Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos

 

18-27" (46-69 cm). Male, green head, white neck ring, chestnut breast, grayish body; inner wing, metallic purplish blue, bordered with white. Female, mottled brown, with white tail, purplish-blue inner wing, mottled orange brown bill.… read more

American Black Duck
Anas rubripes

 

19-22" (48-56 cm). Sooty brown with paler head and conspicuous white wing linings and violet speculum; olive or dull yellow bill. Sexes similar. Female Mallard paler and sandier, with bill mottled with orange and black, and whitish tail feathers.… read more

1-40 of 261 species page: 1 | 2 | 3 | >>

 

 
Eastern & Coastal North Carolina Area

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