North Rock Island

Location: Hyde County                            Total Size: 8 acres

Site Description: North Rock Island is a natural estuarine island located in southeastern Pamlico Sound. The island is a National Audubon Society Sanctuary and has a long history of use by nesting colonial waterbirds. The site is posted and patrolled, and is off-limits to all visitors.

Habitats: high saltmarsh, oyster shell "rakes"

Land Use: wildlife conservation

Primary Threats: disturbance to nesting birds

Protection Status: The site is protected and managed by the National Audubon Society.

Conservation Issues: The island is posted, patrolled and is entirely off-limits to visitors during the nesting season from 1 April to 1 September. Disturbance to nesting birds is a primary concern. 

Birds: North Rock Island has long been a nesting site for wading birds, terns and gulls. The intertidal sand and mud flats surrounding the island support a many shorebirds during migration.  Shallow grass flats surrounding the island support one of the State's largest concentration of wintering Brant.  In some years, the island supports thousands of nesting Laughing Gulls.

Key Bird Species

Criteria

  

Season

Number

4a

Brant

W

750

4f

Laughing Gull

B

50-750 prs.
 4a wading birds B 129 prs.
4a Forster's Tern B 40 prs
4a Common Tern B 10-40 prs.
       

B=Breeding    FM=Fall Migration     SM=Spring Migration     W=Winter

Sources:

Walker Golder, National Audubon Society
NC Colonial Waterbird database