Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Soaring over the inlet with Bald Head Island in the distance.
Field Notes
Coastal Birds of the Cape Fear Region
While our research focuses on dolphins and whales, our surveys are also a window into the rich birdlife of the Cape Fear coast. Here are a few species we have documented over the past year.
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Lifting off from a snag along the river.
Razorbills
Alca torda
A rare winter visitor — a small raft sighted offshore.
Razorbill
Alca torda
Close-up of a single razorbill on calm winter seas.
Northern Gannet (adult)
Morus bassanus
Resting on the surface between plunge dives.
Northern Gannet (juvenile)
Morus bassanus
A juvenile gannet passing Old Baldy lighthouse on Bald Head Island.
Double-crested Cormorant
Nannopterum auritum
Surfacing with a freshly caught fish.
Royal Terns
Thalasseus maximus
A group resting on a channel marker buoy.
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
An adult in breeding plumage drifting on calm inshore waters.
Photos by Dr. Kim Jones.