Colonial waterbirds are just that—birds that nest in colonies or groups. Nesting colonies may consist of only a few pairs to a few thousand pairs of birds. Twenty-five species of colonial waterbirds nest in North Carolina, many of which you may have seen in our coastal towns and on our barrier beaches such as pelicans, egrets, herons, terns, skimmers and gulls.

Colonial waterbirds use a wide variety of nesting habitats ranging from barrier island beaches and estuarine islands to maritime forests and swamps. Each species is adapted to a particular nesting “substrate” and plant community. Terns and skimmers generally nest on bare sand and shell with little or no vegetation. Other birds, such as pelicans, prefer to nest in grasses or low shrubs while wading birds, like egrets and herons, most often nest in shrubs or trees. Our beaches and estuaries also provide important roosting and foraging habitat for migrating and wintering colonial waterbirds.

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