A black and white bird captures a june bug mid flight with its feet

Birds of South Carolina

Learn more about the birds that call South Carolina home

South Carolina's diverse landscapes - ranging from Longleaf Pine savannas and blackwater swamps to coastal marshes and managed wetlands - support more than 400 bird species throughout the year. From the elusive Black Rail in our tidal marshes to the flame-red Summer Tanager in the upland forests and the cheerful Brown-headed Nuthatch in backyard pines, the state is home to an extraordinary array of birds across every season. These include migratory, wintering, and year-round residents - many of them conservation priorities. Through habitat restoration, research, and community engagement, Audubon South Carolina works to protect the birds that depend on these places locally and across their full range and flyway. 

1
Bachman's Sparrow
Peucaea aestivalis
NTIUCN Status
Guide
A secretive bird of grassy pine woodlands, supported by longleaf restoration and fire management at Silver Bluff.
2
Black Rail
Laterallus jamaicensis
NTIUCN Status
Guide
Among North America’s most elusive and vulnerable marsh birds; Audubon has led high marsh restoration efforts near Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge to support their recovery.
3
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
LCIUCN Status
Guide
A year-round resident at Silver Bluff, often seen soaring above the Savannah River or nesting in the sanctuary’s tall pines.
4
Black Skimmer
Rynchops niger
LCIUCN Status
Guide
Sleek, black-and-white coastal bird that forages by skimming the water’s surface with its lower bill; seen along South Carolina’s barrier islands.
5
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Sitta pusilla
LCIUCN Status
Guide
A pine forest specialist and common feeder visitor, known for its squeaky call; found statewide in loblolly and longleaf stands.
6
Eastern Meadowlark
Sturnella magna
NTIUCN Status
Guide
Known for its flute-like song, this grassland bird nests in open fields maintained through rotational burns and mowing at Silver Bluff.
7
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Antrostomus vociferus
NTIUCN Status
Guide
A nocturnal bird heard more often than seen, its namesake call drifts through South Carolina forests at dusk and dawn.
8
Grasshopper Sparrow
Ammodramus savannarum
LCIUCN Status
Guide
A declining grassland species with a dry, insect-like trill; reliant on open habitat managed with fire and rotational disturbance.
9
Loggerhead Shrike
Lanius ludovicianus
NTIUCN Status
Guide
Nicknamed the “butcher bird,” this hook-billed songbird hunts insects and small vertebrates, often impaling prey on thorns or barbed wire.
10
Northern Bobwhite
Colinus virginianus
NTIUCN Status
Guide
Once common across the Southeast, this quail species is rebounding at Silver Bluff thanks to prescribed fire and habitat restoration that mimics historic pine savanna.
11
Painted Bunting
Passerina ciris
LCIUCN Status
Guide
One of North America’s most colorful birds, studied by Audubon in maritime shrub and edge habitats along South Carolina’s coast where they breed each spring.
12
Piping Plover
Charadrius melodus
NTIUCN Status
Guide
A small, federally threatened shorebird that winters on South Carolina beaches, foraging on quiet dunes and flats.
13
Prothonotary Warbler
Protonotaria citrea
LCIUCN Status
Guide
Studied at Beidler Forest, these brilliant yellow songbirds return each spring to nest in cavities within cypress knees and snags throughout the sanctuary’s old-growth swamp.
14
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Dryobates borealis
NTIUCN Status
Guide
A federally listed species that depends on mature longleaf pine; Audubon restores nesting and foraging habitat for RCWs at Silver Bluff Sanctuary.
15
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Ammospiza caudacuta
ENIUCN Status
Guide
A high-marsh nesting bird in steep decline due to sea level rise; South Carolina provides crucial wintering habitat along the coast.
16
Wood Stork
Mycteria americana
LCIUCN Status
Guide
Our only native stork, these large waders gather in impressive numbers each August to forage in the managed ponds at Silver Bluff.