Hello, Adventurers! Welcome back to the Coastal Expeditions’ blog! We love sharing interesting facts and opportunities to enjoy nature with you. Late summer is a beautiful time in the Lowcountry. Whether you’re spending the day at the beach or grilling in the backyard, you’re in a prime position to spot a few birds unique to South Carolina during the summer season. Veteran birders may be well-versed in the species we cover here today, but for the uninitiated, you may not be aware of the birds nesting in your own neighborhood. We’re here to help!

As we approach the end of July and move into August, most bird species have begun to disperse from their nesting grounds. They’ve had their babies and now their babies aren’t so little anymore. This means the whole family is free to leave their rookery and venture off in search of food. In a feat known as post-breeding dispersal, bird species are intermixing and flocking together. Isn’t it something to see? Below, separated by where they’re most likely to be found, are the species who choose South Carolina as their home during the summer months!

The Painted Buntings

These birds truly do live up to their name. With neon-bright blue heads, green and yellow backs, and red undersides—these birds appear like Picasso-esque paintings. In French, they’re called nonpareil, which means “without equal.” Of course, only the males of the species have such a vibrant array of colors, while the females are a solid green. South Carolina has a population of about thirty-five thousand of these birds. They prefer agricultural land, or the insertion between dense woodland and wide-open fields. Painted buntings nest in shrubs and are ground foragers, preferring seeds to anything else. They also frequent Huntington State Park, which hosts multiple feeders. If you live near the coast and put up a feeder in your own yard, you might attract one!

Orchard Orioles

Orchard orioles are songbirds. Their tweeting is about what you’d hear coming from outside of your window at five a.m. They forage for insects in the treetops, but aren’t opposed to coming down for flower nectar or even berries. The males have black heads and warm-red bellies. Meanwhile, the females are a green-tinged yellow with white wing bars. Keep in mind that unmatured males resemble females. These birds aren’t too big, measuring about fifteen to eighteen centimeters. You’ll find them, as their name suggests, in orchards. As well, they frequent river edges and parks. The next time you’re picking apples, keep an eye out for the Orchard oriole!

Red-winged Blackbirds

The Red-winged blackbird is an abundant species—one you’re likely to find in your backyard or lounging on the side of the road. They prefer to eat insects, but will also feed on grain and seeds when migrating. During the summer months, when breeding, they roost in wetlands. The males are, as you would expect, a shiny black with blood-red shoulders. When in territorial defense or feeling particularly cocky, they can puff out these shoulders. The females are a soft brown and resemble large sparrows. If you’re interested in seeing a red-winged blackbird, you can scatter a seed-grain mix in your backyard and try your luck!

Great Egret

Late summer is the perfect time to spot a Great egret, as they prepare to head to their wintering grounds. Chances are you’ve seen a great egret—with its slender white body, black legs, and yellow bill—standing near frozen in shallow water. These birds frequent marshes and wetlands, hunting for their prey of choice: fish. Once upon a time, great egrets hunted themselves for their plumes; which they grew for breeding season and which were used as an accessory to women’s hats in the nineteenth century.  With an impressive wingspan, they need just two beats per second to maintain a twenty-five mile per hour cruising speed. Don’t be surprised if you find a great egret nonchalantly hanging out in the same pond as an alligator. They’re that cool!

Great Blue Heron

Another wading bird, this species is bigger and bluer than its Little Blue Heron cousin. These marsh walkers can be quite intimidating with their five-and-a-half to six-and-a-half foot wingspan. When in flight, you can spot them by their long legs trailing out behind them like two streamers. The great blue heron is, in fact, a greyish-blue mixture, with a long orange bill and a sweep of black above the eyes. They can be incredibly quick when hunting for fish and, due to an increased level of photoreceptors in their eyes, can hunt twenty-four hours a day. You’re unlikely to find a great blue heron chilling in your backyard, but that’s because they prefer riverbanks, shorelines, estuaries and ponds. If you do spot one flying by, count yourself lucky to have been privy to such a majestic sight!

Short-billed Dowitchers

These plump-bodies dowitchers do not live up to their name, considering their bills are nearly half the size of their bodies! The females have bills which are even longer. The species prefers the wet muddiness of marshes, freshwater impoundments, and even sewage ponds. With their thin bills, they probe the ground for food, stabbing repeatedly in a jab-like motion. Their plumage is orange, brown, and golden, in a pattern which resembles peacock feathers, but only when in breeding season. The rest of the time their feathers are a darker, more uniform brown. Their food of choice are aquatic invertebrates (water-based animals without spines) like stoneflies, mayflies, mussels and midges. One delightful fact about short-billed dowagers is that the males take care of the hatchlings. Who knows what the females are up to, but we hope they’re having fun!

Purple Gallinule

These long-toed purple birds can walk on water—literally! Calling fresh-water wetlands their home, these birds walk gingerly from lily pad to lily pad, hunting frogs and mosquitoes and dragonflies. Purple gallinules are also omnivores, so they dine on vegetation such as water hyacinth and hydrilla as well. Their indigo blue heads fade to inky black on their undersides; while a light-blue patch on their forehead transitions into red, then yellow, on their beaks. That’s not all! Their entire back is an iridescent mixture of teal green and aquamarine. If you have a chance to see one of these beauties, do not hesitate!

Carolina Wren

What good would we be if we failed to mention the Carolina Wren! This backyard bird is the one you’re most likely to see, if you have a keen eye. It’s cinnamon-brown plumage makes this species hard to spot, as does it’s relatively small size (at just twelve-and-a-half to fourteen centimeters). If you can’t find the Carolina wren, listen out for its tell-tale “teakettle-teakettle” song. It’s known for being quite loud and might’ve been the cause of a premature wake-up at some point in your life. They feed on insects and love nesting in hollow spaces, such as the insides of trees, abandoned pots, or empty boxes. If you’re interested in having a pair of wrens nest in your yard, it’s too late for this year, but you can begin your preparations for the next breeding season! Until then, Carolina wrens will visit so long as you put food out for them. Try putting up a suet-filled feeder.

This has been so much fun! We hope you enjoyed learning about these bird species currently inhabiting our fair South Carolina. They may soon be on their way to find their perfect wintering habitat, but that just means more room for the other species migrating south. Be sure to check back in the coming months to learn which birds will call our state home for winter! If you’re interested in getting out in nature and seeing these birds in their natural habitats, join us on an excursion! Our Paddle & Hike | Sunrise & Spoonbills, St. Phillips Island Ferry Tour, and Bird Key Baby Pelican Cruise are wonderful options for veteran and newbie birders alike! We hope to see you there! Until next time, Adventurers!