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

October 18, 2006

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 an October 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:

ROSEATE SPOONBILL
FRANKLIN'S GULLS
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
PHILADELPHIA VIREO
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS

A ROSEATE SPOONBILL is still being seen far inland at Lake Twitty just east of Monroe, NC in Union County, NC. For details on this bird contact Deborah Helms at rdelhelms@aol.com

A FRANKLIN'S GULL was seen in Creswell, NC on October 13 near the catfish farms along US 64 in eastern NC.

A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW is being seen at a feeder in Lenoir, NC at the same residence where one spent the last two winters. Contact Walt Kent at 828-754-5655 or tneklw@aol.com for details. The species is rarely found far inland in the Carolinas, usually preferring to migrate along the coast.

An AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was seen October 13 on the berm SE of the Cedar Island ferry terminal in eastern NC.

RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS are already being noticed at feeders throughout both Carolinas. Carefully check any hummingbirds still present at feeders after mid-October.

Up to four BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS have been seen at Bear Island WMA in SC. Check the impoundments here and at nearby Donnelly WMA for this species.

Patriot's Point in Mt. Pleasant, SC is a great place to look for migrants after fall cold fronts. On October 14 a PHILADELPHIA VIREO, ten species of warblers, and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were the highlights. On October 15 the best finds were GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHES, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, and eleven warbler species.

A FRANKLIN'S GULL and a 1st year LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL have been seen on Kiawah Island, SC recently. The FRANKLIN'S was on the beach near the Ocean Course driving range, and the LESSER BLACK-BACKED was on the far eastern portion of beach. FRANKLIN'S GULLS are rare anywhere in the Carolinas. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS are still notable in coastal SC.

Thanks this week to Nathan Dias, John Fussell, and Walt Kent for their calls and reports. Some of this information was gleaned from Carolinabirds.

Taylor Piephoff
Charlotte, NC
PiephoffT@aol.com

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