How to Find Birding Locations in Tennessee

Birding in Tennessee offers bird watchers a wide range of hot spots. The stage for Tennessee birding is a natural landscape of diverse habitats and geography which make bird watching a joy. Bird watching in Tennessee is aided by the thousands of avid birding devotees who have documented approximately 380 species.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Notebook
• Water
• Sunscreen
• Spotting scope or binoculars
• Bird watching guide

1. Start birding in Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At least 240 species of birds have been found in the park, and nearly 120 species breed in the park. The higher elevations of the park provide the perfect habitat for Black-capped Chickadee, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Northern Saw-whet Owl. The southern hardwood forests of lower elevations have the highest number of bird species, such as Eastern Screech-Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren and Song Sparrow.
2. Find the large Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge near Paris, Tennessee. The Refuge is on the Kentucky Lake in central-western Tennessee. There have been 300 bird species identified in the area of the Refuge. The area is an important resting and feeding area for Bald Eagles and wintering ground for the Black Duck.
3. Enjoy the nearly 200 bird species that are found in the Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge in Haywood County. Wading birds, raptors, waterfowl and songbirds are plentiful in the Refuge. There are 9,400 acres of bottomland hardwoods on the refuge which are flooded by the Hatchie River.
4. Travel along the Duck River as it flows through central Tennessee. The Nature Conservancy lists the Duck River as the number two aquatic hot spot in America. The forests, grasslands and wetlands along the river provide critical habitat for numerous bird species.
5. Print out maps, guides, checklists and detailed directions to Tennessee's many birding hot spots. This article's resources will have updated and detailed information available. Species identification information is also available for many species.