Protecting Migratory Birds and Wetlands in the Cape Fear River

Shining a Spotlight on Audubon North Carolina’s Fight to Safeguard Critical Habitats

On World Migratory Bird Day, we honor the countless birds whose transcontinental journeys are awe inspiring. Unfortunately, North America has lost nearly three billion birds since 1970, and coastal species in North Carolina are among the casualties.

In the Lower Cape Fear River, more than 6,000 acres of salt marsh and shallow estuarine waters sustain nesting and migratory waterbirds. However, these wetlands that are essential stopover locations also provide living infrastructure, storm buffers, and erosion control.

Yet these critical wetlands are threatened by rollbacks in federal and state wetland safeguards, making this important migratory bird habitat vulnerable to dredging, port expansion, and unchecked development.

Audubon North Carolina manages fragile nesting sanctuaries already threatened by erosion and sea-level rise. The proposed deepening of the Cape Fear River shipping channel could accelerate that loss — increasing ship wakes, wave energy, and sediment disruption that degrade vital bird habitat.

Audubon’s work goes beyond stewardship. The organization is pushing for stronger wetland legislation, enforcing mitigation commitments, and demanding rigorous environmental review for projects that threaten the ecological balance of the Cape Fear. Protecting these wetlands and estuaries means protecting communities, economies, and the migratory networks that sustain life across the hemisphere.