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)



Field trip info
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Meeting Map
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CBC Winter Meeting & 80th Anniversary
Nags Head, NC
January 27–28 2017

Christine Stoughton-Root

Join us as we celebrate the conclusion of the Carolina Bird Club's 80th year. Our winter meeting, January 27–28, 2017, will make a return to Nags Head on the Outer Banks, at arguably the best time to bird the area. Cold weather is what brings in all those wonderful winter birds.

Our last two meetings to the OBX netted 181 and 177 species, respectively. Species included 23 ducks, 18 shorebirds, 15 sparrows, eight warblers and six from the rail family. There's always a chance for rare birds like Glaucous and Iceland Gulls, Rough-legged Hawk, Golden Eagle, Common Redpoll and Ash-throated Flycatcher. Who will it be this year?

We will be headquartered at a new location: the refurbished Ramada Plaza, Nags Head Ocean Front, located at 1701 S Virginia Dare Trail, Kill Devil Hills, NC. All rooms have microwave, refrigerator and WiFi, and include a hot breakfast starting at 5:30am. The cost is $70 for ocean view rooms and $60 for street side, plus tax. This price is also good for several days before and after the meeting.

For reservations, call 252-441-2151. Be sure to mention Carolina Bird Club to receive this rate.

Our field trips will cover the numerous hot spots in the area. These include three national wildlife refuges: Pea Island, Alligator River and Mattamuskeet. Two more inland spots will be Roanoke Island and Palmetto Peartree Preserve. We'll go to Bodie Island, Oregon Inlet, Pea Island and Hatteras Point. Brian Patteson will be repowering his boats this winter, so as of this time we are unable to offer the pelagic trips. If that changes we will offer registration for these trips at a later date.

The following workshops will be offered: Shorebird ID, Photography “Getting the most out of the camera you have”, eBird, and Beginners' Birding.

Friday evening will start with a cash bar. Speaker for the evening is Nate Swick on “The Next 10: Predicting First Records in NC & SC”. His new guidebook, “ABA Field Guide to Birds of the Carolinas” will be available for purchase and book signings.

Saturday evening starts with cash bar and dinner buffet. The buffet is $26 and will offer a vegetarian option. The guest speaker is Keith Kennedy. Keith is a recently retired entomologist who has been pursuing bird and insect photography for over 10 years. A number of his images have appeared in Audubon Magazine, Outside Magazine, North American Nature Photographers Association Impressions, Entomological Society of America calendar, Natural History magazine, BioScience, Natures Best Magazine, and the Raleigh News & Observer. One of his images was recently honored in a wildlife photography exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum. He and his wife Sharon, an avid birder, recently relocated to Raleigh from Wisconsin where they lived for 30 years.

Both our speakers will be leading field trips and workshops.