Cape Fear Bird Observatory

06/04/2026

Our next public banding demo at Hammocks Beach State Park is on Saturday June 13th! We hope to see you there!

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL.

06/01/2026

05/24/2026

We wrapped up our spring 2026 migration banding season this week. This season was a little slow and a little windy but company was always a 10/10. Our site at the Black River had its first burn in 3 years just before banding started and it was so amazing to see it come back to life! Thank you so much to our amazing crew of volunteers and interns, you guys are the best! See you all in the fall! 🐦

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL.

05/21/2026

There is just over a week till the Bird Bonanza on May 30th at the Arboretum! Get your raffle tickets ASAP! Top prize is a pair of Vortex Viper binoculars 👀! You can get raffle tickets ahead of time at Wild Bird & Garden on Oleander Dr. 1 for $5 or 5 for $20 🎟️

05/19/2026

It’s almost time for the Bird Bonanza! 🎉Swipe through this post to find all of the logistic information and event details you need leading up to the event, and feel free to drop any questions in the comments below!!

05/16/2026

Just 14 days until our second annual Bird Bonanza!!! It’s time for another bird of the week!

Meet the Gray catbird, one of three native mimics we can find here in the Cape Fear region. The Gray catbird is known for its cat-like mewing sound, often followed by a long, irregular and mechanical melody.

Gray catbirds can be identified by their gray body, black cap, long tail, and rusty feathers under the tail. They are often seen on the edges of dense shrubby areas, or ground foraging for insects.

Stay tuned for more details leading up to the event! 🎉🐤

05/15/2026

Check out our favorite hummingbird expert talking about these beauties on May 20th!

Join us 5/20/26 to learn about these flying jewels of the NC skies! Hummingbird expert Susan Campbell, Research Affiliate with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the Cape Fear Bird Observatory

Susan presents noon in the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences SECU Daily Planet Theater for the last of our 2025-26 season.

Join Susan, a licensed hummingbird ba**er and lead researcher in North Carolina, to learn more about the hummingbirds based on her two and a half decades of research on these tiny marvels. Focusing on the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, the species that breeds across our state, Susan will discuss identification, ecology, movements and migration and how to provide for them in our gardens. She will also touch on the wintering phenomenon across the state.

05/13/2026

Which kind of blue is your favorite? Did you know that blue color of bird feathers is not due to pigmentation? Birds appear blue because of the way light reflects off the structure of the keratin protein of the feather! Without light these birds would look gray instead.
🔵 Blue Jay | Blue Grosbeak (M) | Indigo Bunting (M) | Indigo Bunting immature (M)

*All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL.

05/09/2026

Can you believe we are just a few short weeks away from our second annual Bird Bonanza?!🐤🎉 Keep an eye on our account for more posts leading up to the event with all of the fun vendors, activities, and refreshments to look forward to!!

Meet our bird of the week, the Carolina Wren. This year-round resident species is known for its loud and frequent calls that sound like “teakettle-teakettle!”

They frequent backyard feeders, but their primary food source is insects and spiders, which they find by foraging in dense brushy areas. You can often find them flitting around leaf litter and areas with overgrown vegetation, using their beaks as a multi-purpose tool to turn over vegetation and break apart larger insects before consuming them.

The Carolina Wren can be identified by its cinnamon brown plumage, white eye stripe, downward curved beak, and long tail that is often held up.

01/31/2026

Join us on Friday 2/13!