About the Club

Mission Statement

The Carolina Bird Club is a non-profit organization that represents and supports the birding community in the Carolinas through its website, publications, meetings, workshops, trips, and partnerships, whose mission is


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The Carolina Bird Club, Inc., is a non-profit educational and scientific association open to anyone interested in the study and conservation of wildlife, particularly birds.

The Club meets each winter, spring, and fall at different locations in the Carolinas. Meeting sites are selected to give participants an opportunity to see many different kinds of birds. Guided field trips and informative programs are combined for an exciting weekend of meeting with people who share an enthusiasm and concern for birds.

The Club offers research grants in avian biology for undergraduate and graduate students, and scholarships for young birders.

The Club publishes two print publications (now also available online). The Chat is a quarterly ornithological journal that contains scientific articles, reports of bird records committees and bird counts, and general field notes on bird sightings. CBC Newsletter is published bimonthly and includes birding articles and information about meetings, field trips, and Club news.

The Club provides this website to all for free.

By becoming a member, you support the activities of the Club, receive reduced registration fee for meetings, can participate in bonus field trips, and receive our publications.

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Back to the OBX—Winter Birding at its Best! Thursday Through Sunday, January 22–25, 2026

Marc Ribaudo

Head To the Outer Banks and Be Prepared for Some Terrific Birds!

The Outer Banks are separated from the mainland by immense bays. Here, the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean, fueled by the not-too-distant, warm offshore Gulf Stream, allows both water and air temperatures on this chain of sandy barrier islands to moderate the winter climate. Air temperatures on the barrier islands in winter can be five to ten degrees warmer than a few miles inland. Couple these conditions with the amazing variety of habitats and the Outer Banks area is a natural magnet for wintering waterfowl, waders, seabirds, and passerines. With a little work, daily bird counts of over 100 species are attainable.

Public lands along the Banks provide significant opportunities to observe wintering and resident species. Pea Island NWR provides the quintessential opportunity to explore a section of the remaining undeveloped wilderness in earnest and is just a short distance from our host hotel. Nearby Alligator River NWR and Mattamuskeet NWR provide additional opportunities to access extensive habitats for both expected and those unexpected rarities that make birding so exciting. Over 160 species were recorded during the winter meetings in 2024, including Ross's Goose, Sandhill Crane, Dovekie, Black-headed Gull, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and Snow Bunting.

The CBC Board is proud to once again invite you to the Outer Banks. Our host hotel and the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce also extend a warm welcome to members and guests to join us for a fun-filled weekend of birding. There is much information that follows. Please read carefully.

A full slate of half- and full-day trips on Friday and Saturday to visit the area's best sites, from Corolla all the way down to Ocracoke, has been planned. In addition, two Sunday morning trips are planned for tracking down the more unusual species that have been observed the previous two days. Four of the half-day trips have been planned specifically with wheelchair users in mind. All these birding locations have trails that are boardwalks or designated for wheelchair users. The boardwalks will allow access to sound-side and oceanside viewing. These trips are available to all attendees and would be beneficial for those concerned about good footing.

For so much more see the Trip Descriptions, and plan for a full weekend of birding.

The Comfort Inn South Oceanfront will be CBC headquarters for the meeting. This Inn boasts amenities that include private balconies, in-room refrigerator and microwave. For more information about this hotel, check https://www.choicehotels.com/north-carolina/nags-head/comfort-inn-hotels/nc236.

*The CBC rates for this meeting are truly outstanding at $92 per night for an ocean view room or $69 per night for the street side. This cost does not include tax of 12.75%. When you call (252) 441-6315 to make your reservation, let them know you are with the Carolina Bird Club — January 2026 to receive the special rate. This rate will be guaranteed until December 22, 2025 (at midnight). Check-in time is 4 p.m. and check-out is by 11 a.m.

*Please sign up for the banquet buffet dinner on Saturday evening on the CBC website when you complete your trip selections. Sign-up attempts at the registration table will be too late. Advance reservation is required for the banquet. The buffet cost, including gratuity, is $50 per person, again due with your meeting registration.

*Also note that this hotel does not currently provide drink or meal service. Our buffet will, therefore, be catered. There are, of course, nearby restaurants that span the dining spectrum: from fast-food places to very nice, sit-down eateries. Due to the time of year, some of these will be closed for the season. However, we will have a list of all the restaurants that are open at the registration table for participants to refer to. There is also a Fresh Market supermarket on the main road (NC 158/Croatan Highway) just north of the hotel that has a nice selection of prepared lunches, fresh pizza, and hot meals to go. More grocery options are also available further up the beach.

Be sure to visit the conference registration table as soon as you check in at the hotel and sign in for the meeting. Your meeting packet will include a confirmed event schedule and driving directions for each birding trip, plus your banquet ticket(s), if applicable.

We will have a social with cash bar both Friday and Saturday evenings. Friday evening John Carpenter from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission will talk about the North Carolina Bird Atlas. The Atlas is a statewide community science project to map birds during the breeding and wintering seasons. It started in 2021 and ends next year. Many of you have contributed to the project by submitting eBird checklists. John will present early results and the push for final data collection.

This Birding Weekend's catered buffet dinner will be on Saturday evening. The banquet will be at 6:30 p.m. after the social. The evening keynote speaker presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. Our Keynote Speaker will be Steve Shultz. Ever wonder what it's like to bird from a cruise ship? Well, Steve will answer all your questions during his talk on repositioning cruises. This is a relatively new type of trip offered by many tour companies that gets birders well beyond areas covered by usual pelagic trips.

Online registration begins Saturday, December 13th at 2:00 p.m. and closes January 11th, 2026 at 6 p.m. Please note that January 11th, 2026 at 6 p.m. is the last date for any refunds for CBC registration or dinner cancellations. Also, very important—if you have to cancel, please cancel online or notify the Headquarters Secretary so we can give your field trip space to someone on a waiting list. Walk-in registrations are accepted at the meeting.

All trips will leave from the hotel. Please reserve your room and thank them for their hospitality. CBC greatly appreciates your use of the host hotel. The rate is exceptional, and CBC benefits by you staying there.

Registration packets will contain directions to the locations of the field trips offered during the weekend. The North Carolina Birding Trail–Coastal Plain Trail Guide can be used to study up on the Outer Banks sites you will be visiting, as well as planning your trip to and from Nags Head. John Fussell's A Birder's Guide to Coastal North Carolina and Mike Tove's Guide to the Offshore Wildlife of the Northern Atlantic are standards for birding this area of North Carolina.

Important note: South Pond (south of the Visitor's Center) at Pea Island NWR, other than viewed from the NC12 shoulder, is ABSOLUTELY off-limits to casual birding. Please do not enter posted areas at South Pond or any other site unless you possess specific, explicit permission. Trespassers are being charged and fined, and we have had problems in the past. Our event is registered with the NWR to allow management of the entire NWR and permission into areas limited to the general public. Your leader will know where you are permitted access. If you are unsure, do not enter.

Finally, our trip leaders help the Board before the weekend with important planning assistance. So please thank them for a trip that helps you locate, identify and learn the rich bird life in the area. As is becoming the tradition, we will have a raffle as part of our weekend. Proceeds will benefit our Young Birders (camp scholarship) Fund. Please consider bringing a bird-related item or two for donation at the meeting. And as many of you that regularly attend our meetings know, we will also have bird books and magazines available for a small donation that will also go to the same fund.

Registration: Lobby at entrance to Ballroom. January 22th, Thursday 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.; January 23 and 24, Friday and Saturday, 6:45–7:45 a.m. and 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Field Trip sheets will be in the registration room. After picking up your registration packet, please put a checkmark by your name on each of your trip sheets, so the trip leaders will know you have checked in for your trip. There will be people available to answer any questions regarding trips. If you are not able to attend a trip, please cross out your name, so someone from the wait list can take your place.

Departure Times: The field trip departure times are for leaving the hotel. Please arrive minimum 10–15 minutes early. Look for the sign with your trip number and let the leader know you are there. We encourage carpooling. Please consider contributing toward gas expenses if you carpool. Trip leader cell phone numbers will be provided. If you cannot go on a trip, make every effort to advise one of the following: trip leader, meeting coordinator, or advise someone who is on the trip so the group doesn't wait for you.

All Day Trips: Please bring a lunch, snacks, and water. Many of the sites are remote with no nearby restaurants.

Hotel Returns: Morning trips should be back to the hotel by noon; afternoon and all-day trips by 5:00 p.m.