NC-PIF Fact Sheet

North Carolina's Neotropical Migrants
By Marshall A. Brooks

Spring brings not only May flowers but also a variety of song birds to North Carolina. Because of its location in the southern range of the temperate zone and its varied geologic land forms ranging from the coast to the mountains, North Carolina offers a rich variety of habitats for birds. But not all birds spend their entire year here. Some birds are within the borders of our state only temporarily, feeding and resting during their migration to and from the tropics. Others that migrate make their homes here during the summer to breed and raise their young. We refer to birds that spend their summers in North America and their winters in the New World tropics of Central and South America, Mexico or the Caribbean as neotropical migrants. The International Partners in Flight program has identified over 250 species of birds as Neotropical migrants. North Carolina is the summer home for more than a 100 of these species.

Because of the their adaptation for flight, birds are able to be highly mobile when necessary. The ability to fly has resulted in the development of regular patterns of seasonal migration by many species of birds. The advantage for our neotropical migrants is that they can spend their summer is North America where food is plentiful and competition often reduced.

While the majority of neotropical migrants return north to their breeding areas in April and May each species has its own schedule, with some species returning to parts of our state as early as late February or early March such as: Purple Martin, Blue-headed Vireo, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. The same is true for birds returning to their winter homes, some such as the Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and the Louisiana Waterthrush tend to leave North Carolina as early as July, while other of our breeding migrants, like the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, are still around into October.

Migration distances vary greatly among Neotropical migrants as well as between individual birds of the same species. The shortest migrations are made by birds that breed in the southern United States and winter in Central America and the Caribbean , a trip which can be as short as a few hundred miles. Examples of birds that make such relatively short migrations that breed in North Carolina include, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Indigo Bunting, Northern Parula, and Gray Catbird. Some of the long-distance migrants that commonly breed in the state include Chimney Swifts, Purple Martins, both Summer and Scarlet Tanagers, and Yellow-billed Cuckoos.

Most neotropical migrants are insect-eating land birds. Some of these, such as swallows, swifts, nighthawks, and the flycatchers feed on insects in the air. Others such as most vireos, orioles, and warblers glean insects from the foliage of plants. In addition to these insectivorous birds, various species of raptors, thrushes, hummingbirds, sandpipers, plovers, terns, and a few types of waterfowl (for example the   Blue-winged Teal) are also mainly neotropical migrants.

Since many of the Neotropical migrants land birds depend on forests or forest edges for nesting, they are not as commonly seen as many of the year around residents in our backyards and urban areas. Yet, with a little effort, many of the migrant species can easily be viewed or heard in urban parks, wooded neighborhoods, and along country roads.

Ornithologists generally agree that neotropical migrants evolved their current patterns of migrations between ten and thirty million years ago. It is hypothesized that the driving force for their migratory behavior was to take advantage of rich summer bounty of the North American temperate environments. Now, however, with the rapid increase in the human population, both the temperate and tropical habitats are being lost to development and resource exploitation. As a result, some species of neotropical migrants are almost certainly experiencing populations declines. Migratory song birds are important components of many natural systems and are seen as indicators of the health of the environment. Their population trends can mirror our own quality of life. If song birds decline, then the quality of our life is likely also declining. Many of the neotropical song birds that are insectivorous play a critical role in controlling insect populations during the summer.

Like all living organisms, neotropical migrants enrich our lives aesthetically through their presence in song and sight. If you would like to learn more about the behavior and ecology of neotropical migrants you might become involved in conservation efforts to protect them consult the following references.

Additional Resources

       American Bird Conservancy

       International Partners In Flight

       North Carolina Partners in Flight

      Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

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