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Home | Programs Groups | Fishing School | Learn at BHIC | Wildlife of BHI | Trails | Lecture Series | Special Events | Future Wildlife of BHI Bald Head Island provides a natural habitat for a diverse community of wildlife. Whether you are driving the roads or walking the trails, you will have many opportunities to view the animals that share this island with us. Enjoy the opportunity to see the creatures that make Bald Head a unique and beautiful barrier island. Located on the Atlantic Flyway, the eastern most bird migration corridor in the U.S., Bald Head is a great place for bird watching. From peregrine falcons in the fall to painted buntings in the summer, keep your binoculars with you so you don’t miss a bird! During the summer, colonial nesting water birds make their nests on our beaches – so please watch where you step, and keep your dog on a leash.
Bald Head’s famous masked mammal, the raccoon, is active at night and can often be seen crossing roads. Keep your garbage locked up tight to prevent these critters from getting a free meal and making a big mess! Other mammals found on Bald Head include: Red and gray foxes, coyotes, white-tailed deer, river otters, and opossums. During spring and summer you might be lucky to see a snake, frog, lizard, or toad crossing the road. Whenever possible, please avoid running over these critters, for they are a very important part of our island ecosystem. Reptiles and amphibians found on Bald Head include: Carolina anoles, green tree frogs, rough green snakes, black racers, yellow rat snakes, yellow belly slider turtles and glass lizards. All southern barrier islands, including Bald Head, are home to mosquitoes, deer flies, and ticks - but some of the most spectacular insects are the butterflies. The fall migrating butterflies include the monarch, gulf fritillary, cloudless yellow sulphur, and eastern tiger swallowtail. At times, hundreds of these butterflies can be seen heading out over the ocean to their wintering grounds. We ask that you enjoy observing wildlife from a safe distance, and respect that these animals make Bald Head Island their home. Under no circumstances should you feed any of the animals you encounter, it endangers both you and the animal! If you have questions or would like more information, please stop by the Conservancy office: |
Home to the once endangered American Alligator, island lagoons provide an excellent opportunity to observe the ancient reptiles. The best place to see an alligator is from the Conservancy’s Wildlife Overlook located off of Stede Bonnet Wynd. Feeding or harassing alligators, which habituates them toward humans, is illegal and can result in imprisonment or a fine. So please enjoy them without endangering yourself and others that follow!
