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

December 30, 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 December 30 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:

CAVE SWALLOWS
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE
ROSS' GOOSE
TROPICAL KINGBIRD
WESTERN KINGBIRD
SNOW BUNTINGS
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK
BLACK-HEADED GULL

CAVE SWALLOWS are still being seen at Huntington Beach State Park in SC. Daily totals range from single digit counts to over 20 individuals. Look around Mullet Pond for the swallows.

A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE is being seen at Santee NWR in SC. Look also for ROSS'S GEESE, seen earlier this month but not recently reported.

The TROPICAL KINGBIRD at Lake Phelps in eastern NC is still present. Look at the intersection of Shore and Newland Rds. around Lake Phelps.

A BLACK-HEADED GULL has been frequenting the northernmost culverts on the causeway at Lake Mattamuskeet in NC.

WESTERN KINGBIRDS have been reported from Ocracoke Island, NC several times in the past few weeks.

Two reports of SNOW BUNTINGS are of single birds that have not been relocated. One bird was at Wrightsville Beach on 12-10, another was at Cape Point on 12-3.

Birders should check Alligator River NWR for a light morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. One bird was present on 12-10 and will probably be present through the winter. Several trips may be required to find the bird as it ranges over a large area.

Up to 17 PIPING PLOVERS are wintering at the Rachel Carson Reserve near Beaufort, NC. Other birds there recently were a WHIMBREL and 2 "IPSWICH" SPARROWS.

Thanks to John Fussell, Bruce Smithson, Eric Dean, Jack Peachey, Peter Vankevich, Nathan Dias, Judy Walker for their reports.

Taylor Piephoff
Charlotte, NC
PiephoffT@aol.com

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