Carolina Nature - Links
Birds | Butterflies | Plants | More Nature Links
Birding in the Carolinas 
- Carolinabirds - how to subscribe, other commands, and rules for Carolinabirds, the e-mail group for birds and birding in the Carolinas.
- Carolinabirds on the net - the most recent messages from the Carolinabirds e-mail group.
- Carolinabirds on Surfbirds.com - threaded messages.
- Birds of North Carolina: their Distribution and Abundance - detailed information and county range maps for all the bird species in the state.
- Brian Patteson leads some of the finest pelagic birding trips on the east coast. For landbirding tours, try Simon Thompson's Ventures.
- Carolina Bird Club - the birding club for North and South Carolina.
- Carolina birding blogs: Ali's Birding Journal | Birding Brothers | Birding With Kyle | Birds on the brain | Chapel Hill Bird Club blog | The Drinking Bird | Ivorybills Live! | NC Audubon Blog | Slow Birding
- Carolina birding clubs - brief information and links for all known local bird clubs in the Carolinas.
- Hilton Pond and Operation Rubythroat - two sites by Piedmont naturalist Bill Hilton of York, SC, that are packed with good information and photos.
- New Hope Audubon Society - serves Chatham, Durham, and Orange counties, NC.
- North Carolina Bird Photos - my pages featuring mostly rare or unusual birds.
- North Carolina Birding Trail - a project under development to link great birding sites throughout the state.
- Piedmont Wildlife Center - wildlife conservation center in Durham. Site includes links for wildlife rehabilitation centers.
- Wings Over Water - annual birding festival held in early November along the Outer Banks.
- More birding links for North Carolina | South Carolina | Virginia.
Birding Around the World 
- Regional bird lists | Birdchat | Birdeast | Birdcntr | Birdwest | Birdwg01 (ID-Frontiers) | Bird Records Committee forum
- American Birding Association - the main organization for birders in North America.
- American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds - the official list of birds for the whole continent (not just the US and Canada).
- Bird Checklists of the United States - seasonal abundance checklists for all National Wildlife Refuges, National Parks, etc.
- Bird Links to the World and Fatbirder - comprehensive birding links.
- Birding on the Net - Jack Siler's site with the latest birding news.
- BirdNet - the ornithological information source from the Ornithological Council.
- Christmas Bird Count - both new and historical results.
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology and BirdSource.
- Eagle Optics - a leading supplier of optics for birders and butterfliers.
- eBird - use this to keep track of every bird you've ever seen!
- Great Backyard Bird Count - report your backyard birds in this annual mid-February count.
- Hummingbirds.net - information on attracting, watching, feeding, and studying North American hummingbirds.
- Optics for Birding - advice and resources for purchasing binoculars and spotting scopes.
- Patuxent Bird Population Studies - includes the Identification InfoCenter, with photographs, songs, ID tips, maps, and life history information for North American birds.
- Georgia Ornithological Society
- Tennessee Ornithological Society
- Virginia Society of Ornithology
- More links for birding, birds, and ornithology.
Butterflies 
- Butterflies and Moths of North America - information on all U.S. species of butterflies and many moths, including county dot maps.
- Butterflies of America - comprehensive photos and list of over 3100 species found in all of North America and the Caribbean, not just the US and Canada.
- Butterflies of the Carolinas and Virginia - Randy Emmitt's nearly complete collection of photos of NC butterflies, plus notes on identification and biology.
- Butterfly Society of Virginia - events and information for the Tidewater area.
- Carolina Butterfly Society - the butterfly club for North and South Carolina.
- Carolinaleps - the email group for discussion of butterflies and moths in the Carolinas. You can read messages at Carolinaleps on the Net, The Butterfly Digest, and the Duke Carolinaleps Archive.
- Duke Forest Butterflies - Checklist and photos of the butterflies of Duke Forest, near Durham, NC.
- Jeff Pippen's Butterfly Photos - The CarolinaLeps listowner's nearly complete photo gallery of the states butterflies.
- Nelson Dobbs's Butterfly Page - Extensive photo gallery with images of butterflies from Georgia, Florida, South Texas, Mexico, and Thailand.
- Neotropical Butterflies - features butterflies found in the neotropics, from southern Mexico to northern Argentina.
- North American Butterfly Association (NABA) - the club for butterfliers in the US and Canada. Founded and run by Jeff Glassberg, author of the excellent series of butterfly field guides for North America.
- North Carolina Butterflies - photos of 117 species by Ted and Linda Wilcox, mostly from Ashe County, NC.
- North Carolina Butterfly Photos - my annotated gallery of digital photos, mostly taken in NC.
- Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina - This online-only book by Harry LeGrand and Tom Howard has the most detailed information available on the butterflies of North Carolina. This site also has an online database of butterfly reports and count results.
- Texas Butterfly - e-mail group for Texas. Texas Butterfly recent messages.
- VAleps - butterfly (and moth) e-mail group for Virginia.
- More links for butterflying, Lepidoptera, and lepidopterology.
Plants 
- BOTNET - identification tools for southeastern US gymnosperms from the UNC Herbarium.
- Champion Trees of North Carolina - searchable database maintained by the NC Division of Forest Resources.
- Duke Gardens - a great place to visit in Durham, especially the Blomquist native plant section.
- Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States by Alan S. Weakley - detailed and up-to-date treatment of all vascular plants in the region, downloadable in PDF format.
- Flora of North America - has great, thoroughly detailed treatments of the families covered so far.
- Going Native: Urban Landscaping for Wildlife with Native Plants - the whys and hows of landscaping with native plants from NC State.
- Herbaria Caroliniana - network and forum for discussion of herbaria (and plants) in the Carolinas.
- International Plant Names Index - a database of the names and publication details of all seed plants.
- JC Raulston Arboretum at N.C. State in Raleigh - an amazing collection of exotic trees, shrubs, and perennials.
- Jim Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases
- Native & Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas & Georgia - extensive collection of photographs of wildflowers and woody plants throughout the region, with links to additional resources.
- North Carolina Arboretum near Asheville - great place to see interesting trees as well as interesting butterflies (including Diana Fritillary).
- North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill - great display gardens of native plants, plus some nice woodland trails and Mason Farm Biological Preserve.
- North Carolina Plant Photos - my small photo gallery of wildflowers and cultivated plants.
- North Carolina Native Plant Society
- North Carolina State University Herbarium
- Plant Conservation Alliance - a consortium of governmental and private agencies dedicated to restoring native habitat and preventing native plant extinction.
- Plant Information Center - project to help students identify, find information about, and see pictures of NC trees and other plants.
- Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas - online version of National Park Service booklet.
- Plants For A Future - searchable database of edibile, medicinal, and other useful plants.
- Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council - raising public awareness about the spread of exotic plants into the Southeast's natural areas.
- Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Central NC - full species list for Durham and Orange counties, ID key for common trees, and species accounts with photos and links.
- Triangle Flora - Lisa Merschel's blog about the wildflowers of Hillsborough, NC and surrounding areas.
- UNC Herbarium - includes maps, images, and a database of specimens of the southeastern flora.
- USDA PLANTS Database - authoritative information on all species of native and exotic plants found in the U.S.
- Virginia Native Plant Society
- Wetland Plant Identification - searchable identification guide with descriptions and photos by Jon Stucky, NC State University.
More Nature Links 
- Amphibian Species Identification Guide - full North American checklist with photos, descriptions, and range maps.
- Amphibians and Reptiles of North Carolina - includes the full species list, photos, range maps, and descriptions.
- Asheville Natural - wildflowers, moths, and hiking trails in the Asheville area.
- Audubon North Carolina
- BugGuide.Net - extensive photographic guide to North American insects, spiders, and their kin.
- Carolinas' Nature Photographers Association | CNPA Asheville | CNPA Myrtle Beach | CNPA Upstate
- Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina - detailed information and images of the state's dragonflies and damselflies.
- Dragonflies of Georgia - Giff Beaton's excellent photographic identification guide.
- Duke Natural History Society - founded by Duke Biology grad students, this group specializes in slow-moving local trips that scrutinize every form of life.
- Duke Lemur Center - has the world's largest collection of lemurs and other rare and endangered prosimians and other primates.
- Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association
- eNature - online field guides for amphibians, birds, butterflies, fishes, insects, mammals, native plants, reptiles, seashells, seashore creatures, spiders, trees, and wildflowers of North America.
- Eno River Association
- Expeditions with Patrick McMillan - great public tv show about nature in the Carolinas and beyond.
- ITIS Database - authoritative taxonomic information on the biota of North America and the world.
- Jeff Pippen's Nature Page - photographs and notes of butterflies, dragonflies, herps, plants, and other life forms.
- The Nature Conservancy in North Carolina
- NatureServe Explorer - authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals, and ecological communities of the United States and Canada.
- N.C. Museum of Life & Science in Durham - has a great butterfly pavillion.
- NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh - good place to see dinosaurs. Houses a large bird collection, with a few on display. Also has a small butterfly room on the top floor.
- NC Natural - extensive guide to North Carolina wildflowers, outdoor recreation, and entertainment.
- NC Natural Heritage Program - inventories, catalogues, and supports conservation of the rarest and the most outstanding elements of the natural diversity of NC. What Harry LeGrand does for a living.
- North Carolina State Parks
- NC Wings - photos of North Carolina butterflies, dragonflies, and wildflowers by Ted and Linda Wilcox.
- NC State Parks search for plants and animals - this great resource includes checklists and photos.
- Randy & Meg's Garden Paradise - blog with many photos and notes on butterflies and odonates by Randy Emmitt of Rougemont, NC.
- South Carolina Association of Naturalists
- Most birders and butterfliers around here pick up ticks fairly often. The most common and dangerous tick-borne disease in NC is Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which can be fatal (up to 30% mortality if not treated; death occurs in as little as 8 days from onset of symptoms). Others, such as Lyme Disease (the most common nationwide, concentrated in the northeastern states), may become chronic if not treated early. See images at the Iowa State Entomology gallery and the URI Tick Research Laboratory.
- Triangle Land Conservancy
- Triangle Naturalist - Nicki Cagle's Durham-area nature blog.
- WildWNC - resource on nature and conservation topics in the mountain region, including animals, native trees, events, and links.
- Zen's Western North Carolina Nature Notebook - Zen Sutherland's personal observations on plants, fungi, and hiking (last updated in 2000).
cwcook@duke.edu