Coastal North Carolina has some of the finest wildlife viewing and birdwatching opportunities in the country.  The Currituck Sound area is of particular interest to birders, with its location on the Great Atlantic Flyway and its incredibly diverse, protected habitats for migratory waterfowl.  The Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge in Currituck Sound has had wintering populations of 50,000 snow geese and 4,000 tundra swans.

Other wildlife refuge areas quite close to Currituck Crossing include the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, with 25,000 acres of protected swamp wilderness, and the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, one of the last untouched coastal wilderness areas in the country.  The red wolf, nearly extinct ten years ago, has been reintroduced to this refuge.

General information and links:

• Coastal Carolina wildlife - general overview
• Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge 
• Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
• North Carolina Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve

Birds

Currituck Sound is located within the Atlantic Flyway, the great north/south migratory bird route.  Its banks and islands attract falcons, ducks, geese, warblers, accipeters, gulls, terns, herons and egrets, harboring an estimated 6% of the Flyway’s overwintering waterfowl.  The Sound is also home to nearly a third of the year-round waterfowl in North Carolina, including dabbling ducks, diving ducks, geese, swans and coots.  Bald eagles and piping plovers are seen occasionally. 

Sources and Links:

• For The Birds
• Birding on the Outer Banks