Is my bird rare?

Thank you for choosing to report your rare bird sighting to one of the Bird Records Committees of the Carolina Bird Club. The Bird Records Committees are interested in reports of exceptionally rare birds, ones that have never, or very seldom, been reported in the state before. The committees review these reports in order to determine whether the species should be accepted to the official list of birds that have been seen in the state. Accordingly, the reports must be very carefully researched and documented.

We understand the excitement that comes with seeing a bird for the first time, but just because you have never seen a certain bird before does not necessarily mean that it is rare. Please take a couple of minutes to research whether the bird that you have seen is actually exceptionally rare.

For a bird sighting in North Carolina, review the official list of North Carolina birds. If your bird species is not on this list, then the North Carolina Bird Records Committee will be very interested in your report. If your bird is on this list, then check the North Carolina review list. If your bird is not on the review list, it's likely that the committee will not review your report, unless there is some special circumstance such as a breeding record, occurrence out of season, etc. You can also research the status of the species by looking it up at the Birds of North Carolina site.

For a bird sighting in South Carolina, review the official list of South Carolina birds. If your bird species is not on this list, then the South Carolina Bird Records Committee will be very interested in your report. If your bird is on this list, then check the South Carolina review list. If your bird is not on the review list, it's likely that the committee will not review your report, unless there is some special circumstance such as a breeding record, occurrence out of season, etc.

If your report is of a somewhat unusual bird, but one not so rare as to warrant review by a Bird Records Committee, you can choose to send it to the editor of Briefs for the Files. Briefs for the Files is published in each issue of The Chat, and is a seasonal collection of uncommon-to-rare or unusual North and South Carolina bird sightings.

If you have any question about whether or how to submit your report, feel free to contact the Web Site Editor.