Songbird Species Status In NC

[Devilwin]

I have been aiming to do this post for a month or so but got sidetracked on other things. Some of our common songbird species are in a bit of a decline, so I did some research and came up with these figures.

Blue grosbeak. Found in brushy areas, roadsides. Fairly common resident from May to late September. Declined about 40% in last 20 years. Cause, loss of suitable habitat.

Cardinal. Found in suburban areas, cut over woodlots. Common year round resident. Population stable.


Indigo bunting. Roadsides, hedgerows, cut over woodlots. Fairly common summer resident. Declined about 30% in last 10 years because of habitat loss.




Eastern towhee. Brushy areas, suburban areas with dense foliage nearby. Year round resident. Declined about 60% in last 30 years, but some recent resurgence has been noted.

Eastern goldfinch. Fields, woodlots, suburban areas. Year round resident. Decline noted recently, down around 20%, cause unknown.

Red Headed woodpecker. Forests and suburban woodlots. Once fairly common over most the state, current status is fairly common in the coastal plain, uncommon in the piedmont, rare to absent in the mountains. Habitat loss and use of treated telephone poles are blamed for the 70% decline of this species. Good news is that numbers are increasing today.

Blue jay. Forests, suburban areas. Year round resident. Numbers declining, down about 40% in last ten years, cause unknown.

Song sparrow. Roadsides, suburban areas. Common year round resident. Stable or increasing in most areas.

Eastern bluebird. Population declined drastically in the 60's and 70's, but nest boxes provided by humans has restored this species to past numbers. Population stable, increasing in the piedmont.



Carolina wren. Year round resident. Found around woodlots, forests, human habitations. Common and increasing.

White breasted nuthatch. Common year round resident of forests and suburban areas. Stable.


Carolina chickadee. Common statewide, except in the higher mountains where it is replaced by the slightly larger black capped chickadee. Stable.



Brown headed nuthatch. Common year round coastal plain resident, uncommon in piedmont, rare or absent in the mountains.

Scarlet tanager. Oak forests, woodlots. Fairly common summer resident in coastal plain, uncommon in piedmont and mountains. Some decline noted in last 10 years.

Summer tanager. Summer resident of hardwood forests, suburban woodlots. Declined about 30% in last 10 years, cause unknown.

Yellow warbler. Fairly common in mountains, uncommon in piedmont, rare or absent in the coastal plain. 30% decline in recent years.

Purple finch. Fall and winter resident, fairly common statewide. 40% decline noted in wintering populations last five years. Cause, respiratory infections that ravaged house finch populations a few years ago seems to have affected this species. The disease has ran its course in the house finch, and they are increasing. Same is expected for the purple finch.

Pine siskin. Winter resident statewide. Numbers down about 30%. Cause unknown.

Tufted titmouse. Common year round resident, some decline in coastal plain numbers.

These are just a few reports of birds in our area. Birds are good bell weathers of how our environment is faring. It is not rare for bird species to decline and rebound (eastern bluebird for example), and I expect most should make a good recovery, provided habitat is left undisturbed for them.

[sagegrouse]

Thanks for the update.

No privileged or research here, but a couple of notes.

I went my entire youth believing I was seeing Red-Headed Woodpeckers, when I was actually seeing the very common Red-Bellied Woodpecker (which has a red head and rarely has a red belly -- so much for bird names!).

Red-headed Woodpeckers are uncommon everywhere but, in my experience in the DC area, they have small populations that seem to move around or pop up in different areas. You are not likely to miss the Red-Headed Woodpecker, given its gleaming white front, deep red head and black wings with large white patches (no streaking).

The rare woodpecker present in North Carolina is the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker. It likes open pine forests. The only NC birds I have seen are on the golf courses in the Pinehurst area, although the RCWP is common in the pine woods around Charleston. This bird looks a bit like a Downy or Hairy WP, except for the gleaming white cheek, which is even obvious when the bird is flying

[Devilwin]

Thanks for the update.

No privileged or research here, but a couple of notes.

I went my entire youth believing I was seeing Red-Headed Woodpeckers, when I was actually seeing the very common Red-Bellied Woodpecker (which has a red head and rarely has a red belly -- so much for bird names!).

Red-headed Woodpeckers are uncommon everywhere but, in my experience in the DC area, they have small populations that seem to move around or pop up in different areas. You are not likely to miss the Red-Headed Woodpecker, given its gleaming white front, deep red head and black wings with large white patches (no streaking).

The rare woodpecker present in North Carolina is the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker. It likes open pine forests. The only NC birds I have seen are on the golf courses in the Pinehurst area, although the RCWP is common in the pine woods around Charleston. This bird looks a bit like a Downy or Hairy WP, except for the gleaming white cheek, which is even obvious when the bird is flying

Thanks for mentioning the red cockaded. It's a bird that people know about as being endangered, but these other species are often taken for granted. And therein lies the danger. I saw an active red cockaded nest near Norman, (just below Candor), off of Snow Road.

[aimo]

My mom insists that she has seen an ivory-billed woodpecker in her backyard. I know, I know, it's highly unlikely, BUT she had her book open with a picture of the pileated and one of the ivory-billed. She described the ivory-billed to a tee. Wasn't able to get a photo, yet, b/c she would have had to open the back door and it would have frightened it away. Hopefully, she can get a photo soon. If we prove it is one, can it shut down a planned development behind our property?

[Devilwin]

This happened to a couple of us in 2004. We were canoeing in the Green Swamp, fishing with ultra light tackle for sunfish and pickerel. We rounded a bend there on Juniper Creek (off Camp Branch Road) when two large birds burst from cover to our right and flew over the creek. One landed on a tree, the other pulled up as if to land, but changed its mind I guess, for it continued its duck like direct flight into the forest. The other hitched around to the other side then followed its companion. They were about 80 feet away.
My impression was:
a. The birds were large woodpeckers, and flew with a direct flight like ducks, not with the bounding flight of most woodpeckers, including the pileated.
b. The birds had large white patches on the back, and the trailing edge of the wing.
c. One bird had a red crest, the other had a black crest.
d. I believe we saw ivory billed woodpeckers.

I reported the sighting, albeit reluctantly, and NCWRC sent a fellow to do an interview with us. He interviewed us separately, and passed our info on to a group searching for this species.
Three fellows met us there at the creek, and we split up and searched. We saw tons of wildlife, including a bear, deer, raccoons, foxes, etc. Red shouldered hawks were everywhere, and they screamed their protests at us from every direction.
On the second day, we were hiking along an old logging road when a large black bird with large white wing patches flew swiftly across the road ahead of us. It was only visible for a second or two, so we named it the "mystery bird".
Day three saw our hunt delayed by storms, but we managed to get in the swamp by noon. We brought along a wooden club to imitate the "double knock" made by Campephilus woodpeckers. We saw nothing other than some large bark scaling on many trees, and several trees with large holes, larger than pileated nest holes, but could have been enlarged by mammals.
Last day I was with them we were using the club near the bridge, and got seven responses on tape. These were later analysed and proved not to be gunshot reports.
A year later a female ivory bill was reported from Lake Waccamaw, and a male there a year later, by competent birders. NC was overlooked in the rush after the bird was found in Arkansas.
And yes, it could possibly stop a development.

[aimo]

.

And yes, it could possibly stop a development.

I'm crossing my fingers we get a shot of it.

[sagegrouse]

This happened to a couple of us in 2004. We were canoeing in the Green Swamp, fishing with ultra light tackle for sunfish and pickerel. We rounded a bend there on Juniper Creek (off Camp Branch Road) when two large birds burst from cover to our right and flew over the creek. One landed on a tree, the other pulled up as if to land, but changed its mind I guess, for it continued its duck like direct flight into the forest. The other hitched around to the other side then followed its companion. They were about 80 feet away.
My impression was:
a. The birds were large woodpeckers, and flew with a direct flight like ducks, not with the bounding flight of most woodpeckers, including the pileated.
b. The birds had large white patches on the back, and the trailing edge of the wing.
c. One bird had a red crest, the other had a black crest.
d. I believe we saw ivory billed woodpeckers.

I reported the sighting, albeit reluctantly, and NCWRC sent a fellow to do an interview with us. He interviewed us separately, and passed our info on to a group searching for this species.
Three fellows met us there at the creek, and we split up and searched. We saw tons of wildlife, including a bear, deer, raccoons, foxes, etc. Red shouldered hawks were everywhere, and they screamed their protests at us from every direction.
On the second day, we were hiking along an old logging road when a large black bird with large white wing patches flew swiftly across the road ahead of us. It was only visible for a second or two, so we named it the "mystery bird".
Day three saw our hunt delayed by storms, but we managed to get in the swamp by noon. We brought along a wooden club to imitate the "double knock" made by Campephilus woodpeckers. We saw nothing other than some large bark scaling on many trees, and several trees with large holes, larger than pileated nest holes, but could have been enlarged by mammals.
Last day I was with them we were using the club near the bridge, and got seven responses on tape. These were later analysed and proved not to be gunshot reports.
A year later a female ivory bill was reported from Lake Waccamaw, and a male there a year later, by competent birders. NC was overlooked in the rush after the bird was found in Arkansas.
And yes, it could possibly stop a development.

The Arkansas bird has been subject to detailed review of the video of the bird flying. Cornell initially IDed it as an Ivory-Billed WP, and a huge hoopla ensued. Then there were lots of reports from the Pearl River in LA and other places across the South. Later examination of the video by the ace birders at Cape May disputed the Cornell finding, and I believe it was then withdrawn. All of the later reports are highly dubious, almost certainly Pileated WPs. Then the hubbub died down and I believe most birding experts believe the Ivory-Billed WP is no more.

But you saw what you saw. Keep on trucking.

Here is an article in Wikipedia, which seems to have orginated with the American Birding Association, which still lists the IBWP as class 6 (Extinct).

[Devilwin]

I've watched the Arkansas video numerous times, and still believe it is an ivory bill. Pileateds would have to twist their wings out of joint to show that much white, and the bird does not fly like a pileated. I've seen hundreds of them over the years, from behind, in front, every conceivable angle, and never has one showed so much white. Did you say they have recanted the ivory bill sighting in Arkansas? I have not seen that.