Petrels, Jaegers, and Shearwaters. These are the birds that live in the open sea, the pelagic zone, some 30 or 35 miles offshore.||https://pages.carolinadesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/CDBCPetrel.jpg

We can’t possibly include all of the summer birds of the Outer Banks, but here are some of the most beautiful yet common seasonal visitors.||https://pages.carolinadesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/CDS-Common-Yellowthroat.jpg

No…not the big yellow guy of Sesame Street fame. These are the birds that soar overhead, perch in nests the size of small houses, or wade quietly in estuaries and ponds. ||https://pages.carolinadesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/04/CDTriHeorn.jpg

Our maritime forests are a good place to find them, but almost all the songbirds of the Outer Banks are just about everywhere. || https://pages.carolinadesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/04/CDBlue-Jay.jpg

The marvelous diversity of seabirds on the beach is not limited to gulls. Terns are common as well, and Brown Pelicans may be the most recognizable shorebird there is. ||https://pages.carolinadesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/12/CD-Royal-Tern.jpg

Spend some time on the beach, and the differences among the Outer Banks shorebirds become more noticeable and then fascinating.||https://pages.carolinadesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/CD-Ruddy-Turnstone.jpg

Ospreys are one of the most distinctive birds of the Outer Banks. Their long thin wings are about 5’ across, the head is white and brown, and should you get close enough to notice, there is a well-defined sharp hook to their beak.||https://pages.carolinadesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Ospreys-Outer-Banks-Bird-e1648082543505.jpg

If you plan on visiting the wild horses of Carova, read on to find out their history. There are trips to see the wild mustangs, but remember to follow guidelines.||https://pages.carolinadesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/09/wild-horses-corolla-400×267-1.jpg

Read the amazing life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly of the Outer Banks, their migration, and theories about their cause of decline.||https://pages.carolinadesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/09/monarch-butterflies-400×267-1.jpg