BCR 27. 

Southeastern Coastal Plain

Prothonotary Warbler. Photo: USFWS

This region includes extensive riverine swamps and marsh complexes along the Atlantic coast. Interior forest vegetation is dominated by longleaf, slash, and loblolly pine forests. Priority landbirds include the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Painted Bunting, Bachman's Sparrow, Swainson's Warbler, and Swallow-Tailed Kite. Coastal intertidal habitats provide critical wintering areas for American Oystercatcher, important wintering and spring migration areas for Short-billed Dowitcher and Dunlin, and important fall staging areas for Red Knot. Sizable numbers of Brown Pelicans and various terns breed on offshore islands. Coastal areas provide important nesting and foraging habitats for large numbers of herons, egrets, ibis, terns, and other species. Coastal areas winter large numbers of Canvasback, Mallard, American Wigeon, Redhead, and the majority of the continent's population of Tundra Swans. Managed impoundments in coastal areas are important to migrating and wintering dabbling ducks including American Black Duck.

Important Bird Areas in this BCR

Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Photo: © Bill Schmoker

ACE Basin, including ACE Basin NWR, Bear Island and Donnelley Wildlife Management Units, Edisto Beach and Hunting Island State Parks, and the ACE Basin Estuarine Research Reserve

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

Bienville National Forest

Blackwater River State Forest

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Cape Lookout National Seashore

Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge

Chattahoochee National Forest

Coastal Waterbird Colonies, including Battery Island, Beacon Island, Big Foot Island, Clam Shoal, Ferry Slip Island, Monkey Island, Old House Channel Island, Sandbag Island, South Pelican Island, Wainwright Island, and Wells Island

Congaree Swamp National Monument

Croatan National Forest

Cumberland Island National Seashore

Dauphin Island

Dog Island

Eglin Air Force Base

Fort Benning

Fort Bragg

Fort Morgan Historical Park

Fort Stewart

Francis Beidler Forest, including Four Hole Swamp

Francis Marion National Forest

Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

Gulf Coast Least Tern Colony

Gulf Islands National Seashore, including Davis Bayou, East Ship Island, Horn Island, Petit Bois Island, and West Ship Island

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Little Egg Island Bar

Little St. Simons Island

Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge

Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge

Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge

Nags Head Woods Preserve

Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge

Ochlockonee River State Park

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Osceola National Forest

Outer Continental Shelf Area

Pascagoula River Wildlife Management Area

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge

Pinhook Swamp

Pocosin and Pungo Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

Reelfoot Lake Wildlife Management Area

Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge

Roanoke River Floodplain and Wetlands

Santee Coastal Reserve and Washo Reserve

Shenandoah National Park, including Blue Ridge Parkway

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge

Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge

Talladega National Forest, including Oakmulgee Ranger District

Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah Spoil Area

William B. Bankhead National Forest

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge

Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge