The North Carolina Bird Records Committee or NCBRC, a committee of the Carolina Bird Club, accepts 470 bird species inhabiting the state of North Carolina as per the January 2020 records. While 87 of these birds are rare throughout the state, 91 are rare only in some parts of North Carolina. The extinct species include the passenger pigeon, Carolina parakeet, and Bachman’s warbler.
Though different species remain distributed throughout the state, the western part of North Carolina, renowned for its magnificent mountains and picturesque waterfalls, is home to several wildlife and birds. The Chimney Rock State Park and Grandfather Mountain are the major birding sites here.
The northern cardinal has been North Carolina’s state bird since 1943.
