North Carolina: Pelagics & Pine Savannas
From: $1,000 USD
The North Carolina: Pelagics & Pine Savannas birding tour is a short but bird-filled exploration of coastal North Carolina, combining two of the Southeast's most distinctive birding experiences: the legendary pelagic waters off Cape Hatteras and the species-rich longleaf pine savannas of the Coastal Plain.
We'll spend two full days venturing into the Gulf Stream, where warm tropical waters meet the continental shelf and create some of the finest pelagic birding in North America. Black-capped Petrel is a headline target, alongside Cory's and Audubon's Shearwaters and Wilson's and Band-rumped Storm-Petrels. Jaegers, Bridled Tern and other offshore specialties are also possible, while these famously productive waters always hold the potential for something truly unexpected. Short-finned Pilot Whales, Atlantic Spotted Dolphins, Common Bottlenose Dolphins and other marine life add another dimension to our days at sea.
Back on land, we'll explore North Carolina's Outer Banks before continuing south to the longleaf pine savannas and forests of the Coastal Plain. Here we'll search for Red-cockaded Woodpecker—a signature species of the longleaf pine ecosystem—along with Bachman's Sparrow and Brown-headed Nuthatch. A rich supporting cast of southeastern breeding birds may include Swainson's, Prothonotary, Kentucky, Worm-eating, Prairie and Yellow-throated Warblers, Acadian Flycatcher, Blue Grosbeak and Painted Bunting.
Coastal habitats provide yet another change of pace, with opportunities for Wilson's Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern and a variety of other shorebirds, terns and wading birds. From Black-capped Petrels over the Gulf Stream to Red-cockaded Woodpeckers among towering longleaf pines, this compact tour showcases the remarkable diversity of North Carolina's coast.
