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.
Royal Terns
Thalasseus maximus
Two adults calling from old dock pilings along the waterway.
Little Blue Herons
Egretta caerulea
Three birds spaced across a flooded marsh flat, working the shallows for small fish.
Little Blue Herons
Egretta caerulea
A pair lifting off together from the grass, showing their slate-blue wings and purple-toned necks.
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
An adult in breeding plumage drifting on calm inshore waters.
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Hunting through the spartina at high tide, bill open in the summer heat.
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Crossing overhead with legs trailing — a familiar silhouette above the marsh.
Manx Shearwater
Puffinus puffinus
An uncommon offshore visitor resting on the surface between foraging flights.
Photos by Dr. Kim Jones.