Want to attract more birds to your North Carolina backyard? 

That’s easy. 

Feed the birds, plant shrubs and flowers they’d love in your garden. In no time, you should start seeing a few beautiful species frolicking in your yard.

But you most likely know that already. 

And want to know your potential visitors a little more up close.

In this list, I’ll show you North Carolina birds that are most likely to visit your backyard.

What do they look or behave like? How can you attract them? Is it difficult? 

You’ll find out in a bit. 

Top 10 Most Common Backyard Bird Species in North Carolina

1. Northern Cardinal

The Northern Cardinal is a unique bundle of beauty and courage. Ironically, they are known to fight their reflection (trespasser) in mirrors, which can be a bad and good thing – fun to watch, but can get bloody for the bird.

Nonetheless, their captivating red plumage and affectionate side are an incredible sight to behold. Sometimes, you may catch a cardinal couple feeding each other if you watch frequently.

The best part about the Northern Cardinals is that they are year-round visitors to North Carolina residents. This gives you an abundance of their rare personality in your backyard. 

Also, they’re punctual. Cardinals are usually the first and last avian visitors at a feeding station. 

If you want to attract Northern Cardinals, do these:

• Feed sunflower seeds
• Use a hopper or tray feeder
• Learn tips to attract them

2. Carolina Wren

The Carolina Wren is a home-favorite in North Carolina and much of eastern America.

The chunky bite-sized bird is also an avid explorer. You’d find a few of them navigating your backyard, garage, or nesting, even in an old coat or jacket. You just need to make them feel at home.

Essentially, the Carolina Wren frolics around shrubs and thickets – waiting for the perfect time to swoop in for a treat at your feeder. 

If you want to attract the Carolina wren, serve black oil sunflower seeds. Suet is also a sumptuous alternative, especially in winter.

3. Carolina Chickadee

If you serve seeds in any North Carolina backyard, you will likely have this bird as the first visitor. 

The Carolina Chickadee is about the size of an American Goldfinch – a little bird in essence. That said, it feels at home in cities, towns, or villages. In fact, if you’re friendly enough, she’d eat seeds off your hand.

Typically, the Carolina Tit isn’t much work to attract. If you want them to nest, set up bird boxes streamlined to their size. Not that they won’t find a way to already once they get fed regularly in your yard. Serve BOS or suet on a hopper feeder to reduce competition with larger birds. 

4. Tufted Titmouse

The Tufted Titmouse is another popular North Carolina bird. It has a fluffy crest and chest, with pale dark grey plumage. 

If you judge by character, this is a close cousin of the Northern Cardinal. It’s a funny bird to watch with its comical childlike personality.

The Tufted Titmouse is an all-year visitor, especially in winter. And they eat almost any seed you’d serve, such as sunflower, peanuts, suet, and so on. 

Finally, by feeding this bird, you are serving a greater course than just your pleasure – you’ll help the species expand to the north. 

5. Mourning Dove

Whether you like the famous coos of the mourning doves or not, they are going to visit your feeders at first.

It’s up to you to feed them or keep them off your feeders. They can be invasive, and I personally don’t fancy their droppings all over my patio.

But if you want to keep them, serve seeds like corn, millet, or BOS in a ground feeder. 

Typically, you’d have to resist serving these foods if you don’t want Mourning Doves in your yard. However, you can install a small wired mesh feeder to keep the doves out and allow smaller songbirds access. 

6. Red-Bellied Woodpecker

If you live close to a woodland in North Carolina, you have a higher chance of attracting this beauty. 

The Red-Bellied Woodpecker, ironically, has a red-colored head and a black-and-white body. But don’t make the mistake of calling it a Red-Headed Woodpecker. That’s another species entirely. 

Like every woodpecker, the red-bellied woodpecker would nest in a dead around your home. 

If your backyard fits the bill, serve peanuts and sunflower seeds, and suet in winter. 

7. Blue Jay

“The Blue Jay is one of our best-known birds, breeding across all 100 counties of the state.” – NC Carolina Bird Club.

That’s one thing. Here’s another thing. The Blue Jay is easily the most aggressive visitor at any feeder, especially if there’s an abundance of smaller birds. It won’t be surprising to see one knocking on your window.

But, then again, it’s hard for anyone not to want these beautiful creatures at all. So, if you prefer not to keep them out totally, serve them peanuts away from your main feeders. 

Just a reminder, blue jays have something of an appetite! 

8. American Robin

This beautiful songbird is no stranger to the North Carolina backyard, foraging for worms and insects in the grass.

In no time, you would be telling tales of its spring-ushering tunes. Or maybe fall-in-love with its “eyeliner” mark. 

The Robin’s diet is typically made up of worms and fruits. Fortunately, you can recreate these Robin delicacies at your feeder by serving mealworms and berries in a suitable platform or tray feeder.

Finally, you can expect to host this friendly bird all-year-round. 

9. American Goldfinch

The beautiful yellow feathers of the Goldfinch is always a pleasure to watch in North Carolina backyards. 

Popular in the avian world for it’s “gold” plumage, the Goldfinch is also called a “wild canary.” The non-breeding female or male has a cooler olive color. 

The Goldfinch is only about 5 inches from bill to tip, but having a few of them in your backyard, can be tranquil and eye-catching. 

The Wild Canary is an acrobatic bird that loves to cling while eating. Speaking of which, it’s easier to attract this bird in a weedy area with an abundance of thistle plants. But you don’t necessarily have to fit the exact description.

If you want the goldfinch frolicking in your yard, serve nyjer or BOS seeds in a tube or sock feeder.

10. Northern Mockingbird

The Northern Mockingbird is more of a passerby than a regular visitor. 

pass up 

But the mockingbird is not one to easily pass up. Its unique mimicking melody piercing through your home regularly can become an addiction.

Mockers don’t often stay at a feeder. But they might swoop in intermittently for a quick feed ever so often. Sometimes, you may catch sight of their outstretched wings fighting off intruders. Or find a pair perched on a fence nearby, singing. 

In the end, you can entice them with mealworms, suet, or fruits, like berries and apple slices. 

Wrapping Up

As you welcome these common North Carolina birds to your backyard, you’d usher in so much more. 

You’d begin to notice the tiniest details on different species, like markings or their calls. A quality birding binocular should help you out with the former. 

Also, install birdbaths close to your feeders to attract a greater diversity of birds to your yard. 

On a final note, learn more about attracting different bird species to your backyard, the best feeders, and other birding equipment from Garrett at Birding Hub. 

North Carolina’s economy – which experienced its biggest decline since the Great Depression – will bounce back in 2021, according to John Connaughton, director of the Barings/UNC Charlotte Economic Forecast.

“As a devastating 2020 comes to an end, all factors are indicating a steady expansion is ahead,” said John Connaughton, Barings Professor of Financial Economics at the Belk College of Business. “2021 represents the first full year of an economic comeback.”

Connaughton – who released his quarterly Barings/UNC Charlotte Economic Forecast on Thursday, Dec. 10 – said among the factors he is watching in 2021 are how quickly a vaccine will be available and the willingness of Americans to take the vaccine.

“At the end of the day, it is ultimately people who will decide their risk to re-engage in the economy,” Connaughton said. “That remains to be seen.”

For 2021, Connaughton forecasts an output increase for all 15 of the state’s economic sectors.

These sectors will see the largest inflation adjusted output increases in 2021:

• Agriculture: 21.7%
• Hospitality and Leisure Services: 7.3%
• Educational and Health Services: 6.8%
• Information: 6.0%
• Other Services: 5.6%

Looking back at 2020, 12 of 15 economic sectors in North Carolina are forecast to experience Gross Domestic Product (GDP) output decreases, Connaughton said.

Hospitality and Leisure Services, particularly devastated by the government-mandated shutdown this spring, will experience the largest decline, a projected real decrease of 33.9%, followed by:

• Other Services: 10.7% decrease
• Durable Goods Manufacturing: 9.3% decrease
• Educational and Health Services: 6.9% decrease
• Retail Trade: 3.75% decrease

For 2020, only three sectors – Finance, Insurance and Real Estate; Agriculture; and Mining – are expected to experience growth.

Employment
North Carolina started 2020 with a 3.6% unemployment rate. Both the U.S. and North Carolina unemployment rates jumped dramatically in April to 14.7 and 12.9 percent respectively.

Since April, the U.S. and North Carolina unemployment rates have fallen dramatically. The North Carolina rate, at 6.3% by October, is expected to decline to 6.0% by December, Connaughton said.

For 2020, Connaughton expects the state will lose 224,100 net jobs, and 12 of the state’s 14 nonagricultural sectors of the economy are expected to experience employment decreases.

The sectors with the largest expected employment decreases are:

• Hospitality and Leisure Services: 17.3% decrease
• Durable Manufacturing: 7.6% decrease
• Information: 5.3% decrease

Looking ahead to 2021:

• North Carolina’s unemployment rate is expected to decline to 5.1% by December 2021, still higher than the pre-COVID rate of 3.6%.
• North Carolina’s employment is expected to reach 4,614,900 persons by December 2021, an increase of 5.4% over the employment level in December 2020.
• The state is expected to add 245,100 net jobs.
• 12 of the state’s 14 nonagricultural sectors in 2021 are expected to experience employment increases, with Hospitality and Leisure Services, and Information both at 16.0%.

Gross State Product
For the fourth quarter of 2020, Gross State Product (GSP) is expected to increase by an annualized inflation adjusted rate of 5.6%. For 2020, inflation adjusted GSP is expected to decrease by 3.4% as compared to the 2019 level.

Looking ahead to 2021:

• GSP is forecast to reach $589,755.5 million, an inflation adjusted increase of 4.5% over the 2020 level.
• The quarterly GSP is expected to increase each quarter of 2021, starting with a 4.8% annualized real rate increase in the first quarter.

COVID-19 in North Carolina 
Connaughton is partnering with Craig Depken, Belk College professor of economics, on a collaborative research project that measures the county-level economic impact in North Carolina caused by the mandatory stay-at-home orders enacted earlier this year.

Connaughton and Depken discussed preliminary data during the question-and-answer portion of the Economic Forecast.

Among the findings:

• In April, the North Carolina economy was less severely impacted by the mandatory shutdowns than the average state, ranking 25th among states based on unemployment.
• By October, North Carolina had the 29th lowest unemployment rate, indicating that the recovery from the shutdowns has not been as strong as the average state.
• In April, North Carolina county unemployment rates ranged from 19.3% in Dare and Swain counties to 8.1% in Bertie, Chowan and Duplin counties.

The research, funded through the North Carolina General Assembly, aims to provide new data and information to state lawmakers and policymakers to help guide the state’s response.

Barings: A Decade of Support
During the virtual event, Belk College Dean Jennifer Troyer recognized Barings for a decade of support of the Economic Forecast. Barings’ title sponsorship, which began in 2010, concludes at the end of this year.

The full report and a recording of the presentation will be available at belkcollege.uncc.edu/forecast.