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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Other Resources (NOT sponsored by Carolina Bird Club)



Carolina Bird Club
Rare Bird Alert

February 18 2005

To report a rare bird sighting in North or South Carolina, email Taylor Piephoff or call 704-332-2473 and leave a message.

Past Rare Bird Alert Index | CBC Main Page | Join the CBC

Hello, this is a February 18 update of the Carolina Rare Bird alert featuring birding news from North and South Carolina sponsored by the Carolina Bird Club. Highlights on this report include:

HARLEQUIN DUCK
KING EIDER
THICK-BILLED MURRE
DOVEKIES
RAZORBILLS
RED-NECKED GREBES
LAPLAND LONGSPUR
SHORT-EARED OWL
CAVE SWALLOW
PACIFIC LOON
LITTLE GULL
BACHMAN'S SPARROW

The best birding in the Carolinas continues to be wintering ocean birds on both states' coasts. South Carolina is getting the most coverage thanks to some real rarities that are proving reliable and easy to see. A male HARLEQUIN DUCK has been seen daily since 2-13 at the 2nd Avenue Pier in Myrtle Beach, SC. Just to the south, a THICK-BILLED MURRE is reliable at the jetty at Huntington Beach State Park. While there, look for COMMON EIDER, RED-NECKED GREBES, RAZORBILLS and DOVEKIE, all reported in the last week.

At Folly Beach, SC look for an imm. male KING EIDER at the Folly Beach Pier. This bird has been present for some time.

Birders at Kiawah Island, SC should look for a SHORT-EARED OWL and LAPLAND LONGSPUR, both seen on 2-11 at Sandy Point at the northern end of the island.

A lone CAVE SWALLOW was with about 300 tree swallows at Bird Key Stono (SC) on 2-11

In NC, Wrightsville Beach is a good spot to check for PACIFIC LOON, RAZORBILLS, and an occasional THICK-BILLED MURRE or DOVEKIE. Best viewing has been from Mercer's Pier.

At the east end of Ocean Isle Beach in NC, the scoter flock at the rocks has held WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS and LONG-TAILED TAILED DUCKS occasionally . The ducks typically are very close to shore feeding in the breakers.

A LITTLE GULL was at the Fort Macon SP (NC) jetty on 2-16. To find LITTLE GULLS, scan through flocks of Bonapartes gulls.

BACHMAN'S SPARROWS are rare or at least very elusive winterers in NC. On 2-17 one bird was found in the northern section of the Croatan NF near Lake Rd. Up to 7 birds were in the southern Croatan off Pringle Rd. a few weeks ago.

Thanks this week to Nathan Dias, Jeff Lewis, Donald Rote, John Fussell, Mary McDavit and Sam Cooper for their calls and reports.

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