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As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, the North Carolina Bird Atlas shifts into a new and equally exciting phase: winter atlasing. From November 1 through February 28, we’ll document the birds that call our state home during the coldest months of the year. Whether you’re new to the Atlas or a seasoned volunteer, winter brings a unique set of opportunities and challenges.
What Makes Winter Special?
Unlike the breeding season, when much of our work centers on using breeding codes, winter atlasing focuses on documenting presence, abundance, and habitat use. This season gives us the chance to better understand how birds survive in North Carolina’s varied landscapes—from mountain coves and pine forests to coastal marshes and backyard feeders.
Tips for a Successful Winter Season
• Scout diverse habitats. Visit fields, wetlands, and forest edges—many birds concentrate in areas with reliable food sources.
• Pay attention to flocks. Mixed-species groups of chickadees, titmice, and kinglets often conceal less obvious species like Brown Creepers or Golden-crowned Kinglets.
• Use your feeders. Backyard feeding stations provide valuable data—make sure to record your sightings!
• Log abundance carefully. Estimating flock sizes helps us understand population density during the non-breeding season.
Non-breeding (wintering) Season Block Completion Guidelines
• Minimum of 55 species observed *
• Minimum 5 hours of total Atlasing effort **
• One nocturnal checklist preferred ***
• Minimum of 2 visits spread out across early (Nov-Dec) and late (Jan-Feb) winter **
• Checklists in all (accessible) habitat types with particular focus on the following:
1. Waterbodies: Inland lakes and ponds, and coastal shorelines, estuaries, and sounds
2. High tide roosts
3. Early successional and edge habitats
* Number of species will vary significantly across blocks, see county lists of expected species
** Visits and hours can occur over more than one year, some species breed during winter (see coding guidelines)
*** Nocturnal checklists begin 20 minutes after sunset, 40 minutes before sunrise
How You Can Help
• Make a plan to cover an Atlas priority block across the entire winter season, aiming for at least 1 visit in the early (Nov-Dec) and 1 visit in the late (Jan-Feb) period. Below you will find a list of the Top 10 blocks closest to the Asheville area that need attention.
• Make sure your eBird checklists are part of the NCBA project.
• Encourage fellow birders to join—winter is a perfect entry point, with fewer breeding codes to learn and plenty of rewarding bird encounters.
Top 10 priority blocks where additional effort is most needed:
1. Craggy Pinnacle
2. Canton SE
3. Dunsmore Mountain SE
4. Barnardsville SE
5. Sams Gap SE
6. Sam Knob SE
7. Shining Rock SE
8. Fines Creek SE
9. Black Mountain SE
10.Mount Mitchell SE
The five-year journey of the North Carolina Bird Atlas is rapidly approaching the finish line. With the data-collection phase officially ending on February 28, 2026, the next few months are absolutely critical. This is our final opportunity to document bird observations that will shape our understanding of North Carolina’s avian populations for years to come.
Audubon North Carolina—and its chapters across the state—have been enthusiastic partners since the earliest planning stages of the Atlas. We’re incredibly grateful for this support, and we hope it continues strong through the final stretch!
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