Birds of Ocracoke Series

By Peter Vankevich One might shiver just by thinking about the habitats of the Purple Sandpiper, a rare bird on Ocracoke’s shores. A handsome, chunky shorebird,...

To read more profiles on the Birds of Ocracoke, click here By Peter Vankevich From fall into winter is the best time to see hawks...

By Peter Vankevich The number of shorebirds that winter along the beach on Ocracoke varies from year to year. Some years, Red Knots can be seen...

By Peter Vankevich The Savannah Sparrow  (Passerculus sandwichensis) is one of the most common sparrows throughout much of North America, but on Ocracoke, it is only...

Laughing Gull in basic plumage, from late August till early spring Text and Photos by Peter Vankevich The Laughing Gull, Larus atricilla, is the most common...

By Peter Vankevich In the long waterfowl tradition of Ocracoke, perhaps the most endearing species for hunters, decoy carvers and bird lovers is the duck...

Text and Photos by Peter Vankevich If one were to choose a species as the most handsome duck in America, I would choose this one....

By Peter Vankevich Here’s a quiz question. What do ducks and woodpeckers have in common? Read on.  In the waters of Ocracoke one can see North America's...

Text and photos by Peter Vankevich Winter on Ocracoke is a good time of the year to see rare birds. Most of them venture here...

By Text and photos Peter Vankevich Part of my life-long fascination with birds is their often-puzzling names. The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has been a laugh-inducer for countless...