The Great Smokies is home to 200+ species of birds. If you enjoying birding, the Smokies will be a paradise to you. The spruce-fir forest of the highest ridges is similar to the boreal forest of Canada, and is the southernmost breeding range of the Black-capped Chickadee, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Blackburnian and Canada warblers, Veery, and Winter Wren. Chestnut-sided Warblers are common in blackberry thickets, the Dark-eyed Junco abundant in the trees, and Common Ravens soar overhead.
The northern hardwood and cove hardwood forests are mixing grounds for northern and southern bird species. A dozen northern breeding species reach their lowest nesting elevation here and nearly as many southern birds reach their highest limit. The northern Blue-headed Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Black-throated Blue Warbler overlap with the southern Red-eyed Vireo, Northern Cardinal, Hooded Warbler and others.
The southern hardwoods in the middle and lower elevations have the greatest number of birds, those typical of similar elevations and latitudes in the south. Some common species are the Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Screech-Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Song Sparrow, and American Goldfinch. In summer add the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Acadian Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, Yellow-throated Vireo, Black-and-white Warbler, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, Chipping Sparrow, and others. In winter, the Yellow-rumped Warbler and White-throated Sparrow become common.
Open fields account for less than one percent of park land, but these areas provide habitat for Red-tailed hawk, American Kestrel, Northern Bobwhite, Wild Turkey, Killdeer, Eastern Bluebird, Field Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, and others. In the summer add the Eastern Kingbird, Barn Swallow, Yellow Warbler, and Orchard Oriole.
The number of birds and diversity of species change with the seasons. Late March brings the first migrating songbirds to lower elevations, and by late April many species are at peak singing and nesting activity. Yet in the high country, snow lingers and it will be mid-June before songbird nesting is at its peak. In summer, most lowland birds are starting a second brood, while the highland birds are working on their first and perhaps only family of the year. Fall is a time of change when warblers and others wear a confusing molted fall plumage. Restless to migrate, many species will leave at night and head south. In mid-September the Broad-winged Hawks begin to kettle-up over the ridges and glide to the next thermal, with a few Sharp-shinned, Cooper’s, Northern Harriers, and others joining. Even as the migrants leave, the winter visitors begin to arrive – Purple Finch, Evening Grosbeak, Swamp Sparrow, and others.
You will hear many more birds than you will see in the Smokies’ dense, tall forests. Learning the common songs of the breeding season will make birding trips more successful. Even if you don’t know the song, you can use the sound to locate the bird and get view of it. A person who can identify most species by sight or sound, and who explores as many habitats as possible, can expect to find 100 species a day in peak migration - late April and early May.
* - considered to breed within park
R - Permanent Resident
S - Summer Resident
M - Migrant
W - Winter Resident |
cc - Cades Cove
lr - Look Rock fire tower
ri - reintroduced
he - high elevation (abote 3,500') |
A - Abundant: over 25 seen on a given day in proper habitat/season
C - Common: 5-25 seen per day in proper habitat/season
F - Fairly common: at least one individual per day in proper habitat/season
U - Uncommon: at least one seen per season of occurrence of several seen per year
O - Occasional: one seen per year or less
X - Rare: has occurred in park at least once, but is not to be expected |
LOONS
___ Common Loon OM
GREBES
___ Pied-billed Grebe UM
___ Horned Grebe OM
STORM-PETRELS
___ Band-rumped Storm-Petrel XM
PELICANS & CORMORANTS
___ American White Pelican XM
___ Double-crested Cormorant XM
BITTERNS & HERONS
___ American Bittern OM
___ Least Bittern OM
___ Great Blue Heron UR cc
___ Great Egret OM
___ Little Blue Heron OM
___ Green Heron* FS cc
___ Black-crowned Night-Heron XS
___ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron* US cc
GEESE & DUCKS
___ Snow Goose XM
___ Brant XM
___ Canada Goose OM
___ Wood Duck* OR cc
___ Green-winged Teal XM
___ American Black Duck UW cc
___ Mallard UW cc
___ Northern Pintail XM
___ Blue-winged Teal UM, OW
___ Northern Shoveler XM
___ American Wigeon XM
___ Ring-necked Duck OW
___ Lesser Scaup XM
___ White-winged Scoter XW cc
___ Common Goldeneye XW
___ Bufflehead XW
___ Hooded Merganser UW, XS cc
___ Common Merganser OW
___ Red-breasted Merganser XM
___ Ruddy Duck OM cc
VULTURES, HAWKS & EAGLES
___ Black Vulture* FR cc
___ Turkey Vulture* CR cc
___ Osprey OM
___ Swallow-tailed Kite XS
___ Mississippi Kite XM
___ Bald Eagle OM
___ Northern Harrier (Marsh Hawk) OMW
___ Sharp-shinned Hawk* UR
___ Cooper's Hawk* UR
___ Northern Goshawk XR
___ Red-shouldered Hawk OMW, OR
___ Broad-winged Hawk* FS, CM, lr
___ Red-tailed Hawk* UR
___ Golden Eagle XMW cc XS
___ American Kestrel* UR cc
___ Merlin XMS
___ Peregrine Falcon(* formerly) OWM, OS ri
GROUSE, TURKEYS & QUAILS
___ Ruffed Grouse* FR
___ Wild Turkey* UR cc
___ Northern Bobwhite* FR
RAILS, GALLINULES & COOTS
___ King Rail XMS
___ Virginia Rail XM
___ Sora OM
___ Common Moorhen XM
___ American Coot XMWS
CRANES
___ Sandhill Crane XM
SHOREBIRDS
___ American Golden Plover (Lesser Gol-Pl.) XM
___ Semipalmated Plover OM cc
___ Killdeer* UR cc
___ Greater Yellowlegs OM
___ Lesser Yellowlegs XM
___ Solitary Sandpiper
___ Willet XM
___ Spotted Sandpiper UM
___ Semipalmated Sandpiper XM
___ Least Sandpiper OM cc
___ Ruff XM
___ Common Snipe UMW cc
___ American Woodcock* UR
___ Red-necked Phalarope XM
___ Red Phalarope XW
GULLS & TERNS
___ Laughing Gull XM
___ Bonaparte's Gull XM
___ Ring-billed Gull XMW
___ Herring Gull XW
___ Sooty Tern XS
DOVES
___ Rock Dove XR
___ Mourning Dove* CR cc
CUCKOOS
___ Black-billed Cuckoo* US
___ Yellow-billed Cuckoo* FS
OWLS
___ Barn Owl OR
___ Eastern Screech-Owl* FR
___ Great Horned Owl* UR
___ Barred Owl* FR
___ Northern Saw-whet Owl* FR he
NIGHTHAWKS & NIGHTJARS
___ Common Nighthawk FM
___ Chuck-will's-widow US
___ Whip-poor-will* FS
SWIFTS & HUMMINGBIRDS
___ Chimney Swift* CS
___ Ruby-throated Hummingbird* FS, CM-fall
KINGFISHERS
___ Belted Kingfisher* FR
WOODPECKERS
___ Red-headed Woodpecker* UR, cc
___ Red-bellied Woodpecker* FR
___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker* US, he, FW
___ Downy Woodpecker* FR
___ Hairy Woodpecker* FR
___ Red-cockaded Woodpecker* OR
___ Northern Flicker (Common Flicker)* FR
___ Pileated Woodpecker* FR
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
___ Olive-sided Flycatcher* US, he
___ Eastern Wood-Pewee* CS
___ Yellow-bellied Flycatcher XM
___ Acadian Flycatcher* CS
___ Alder Flycatcher OM
___ Willow Flycatcher OS
___ Least Flycatcher* US
___ Eastern Phoebe* CR (UW)
___ Great Crested Flycatcher* FS
___ Western Kingbird XM
___ Eastern Kingbird* FS cc
___ Scissor-tailed Flycatcher XM cc
LARKS
___ Horned Lark OR cc
SWALLOWS
___ Purple Martin US
___ Tree Swallow OM
___ Northern Rough-winged Swallow* FS
___ Bank Swallow OM
___ Cliff Swallow UM
___ Barn Swallow* CS
JAYS, CROWS & RAVENS
___ Blue Jay* CR
___ American Crow* CR
___ Common Raven FR he
CHICKADEES & TITMICE
___ Black-capped Chickadee* FR he
___ Carolina Chickadee* CR
___ Tufted Titmouse* CR
NUTHATCHES & CREEPERS
___ Red-breasted Nuthatch* CR he
___ White-breasted Nuthatch* FR
___ Brown Creeper* FR he
WRENS
___ Carolina Wren* CR
___ Bewick's Wren* XR (formerly OR)
___ House Wren OR, FM
___ Winter Wren* CR he
___ Sedge Wren OM
___ Marsh Wren OM
KINGLETS & GNATCATCHERS
___ Golden-crowned Kinglet* CR he
___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet FMW
___ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* CS
THRUSHES
___ Eastern Bluebird* FR cc
___ Veery* CS he
___ Gray-cheeked Thrush FM
___ Swainson's Thrush CM
___ Hermit Thrush FW
___ Wood Thrush* CS
___ American Robin* FR, CM
THRASHERS
___ Gray Catbird* FS, OW
___ Northern Mockingbird* UR
___ Brown Thrasher* FS, UW
PIPITS & WAXWINGS
___ American Pipit (Water Pipit) OMW
___ Cedar Waxwing* FR (erratic)
SHRIKES & STARLINGS
___ Loggerhead Shrike OR cc
___ European Starling* CR
VIREOS
___ White-eyed Vireo* FS
___ Solitary Vireo* CS he
___ Yellow-throated Vireo* CS
___ Warbling Vireo OS
___ Philadelphia Vireo OM
___ Red-eyed Vireo* AS
WOOD WARBLERS
___ Blue-winged Warbler FM
___ Golden-winged Warbler* US
___ Brewster's Warbler XM
___ Lawrence's Warbler XM
___ Tennessee Warbler CM
___ Orange-crowned Warbler OMW
___ Nashville Warbler FM
___ Northern Parula* FS
___ Yellow Warbler* FS
___ Chestnut-sided Warbler* CS he
___ Magnolia Warbler CM
___ Cape May Warbler FM
___ Black-throated Blue Warbler* CS, he
___ Yellow-rumped Warbler A-CMW
___ Black-throated Green Warbler* CS
___ Blackburnian Warbler* FS he
___ Yellow-throated Warbler* FS
___ Pine Warbler* FS, OW
___ Prairie Warbler* FS
___ Palm Warbler FM, OW
___ Bay-breasted Warbler FM
___ Blackpoll Warbler FM (spring), OM (fall)
___ Cerulean Warbler FM, OS
___ Black-and-white Warbler* CS
___ American Redstart* FS
___ Prothonotary Warbler* OM, XS
___ Worm-eating Warbler* FS
___ Swainson's Warbler* US
___ Ovenbird* CS
___ Northern Waterthrush OM
___ Louisiana Waterthrush* CS
___ Kentucky Warbler* CS
___ Connecticut Warbler OM
___ Common Yellowthroat* FS
___ Hooded Warbler* CS
___ Wilson's Warbler OM
___ Canada Warbler* CS he
___ Yellow-breasted Chat* FS
TANAGERS
___ Summer Tanager* FS
___ Scarlet Tanager* CS
CARDINALS, GROSBEAKS, BUNTINGS & SPARROWS
___ Northern Cardinal* CR
___ Rose-breasted Grosbeak* FS he
___ Blue Grosbeak OM, OS cc
___ Indigo Bunting* C-AS
___ Dickcissel XW cc
___ Rufous-sided Towhee* CR
___ Bachman's Sparrow XS (formerly OS)
___ Chipping Sparrow* CS
___ Field Sparrow* CR
___ Vesper Sparrow UM cc
___ Lark Sparrow XS cc
___ Savannah Sparrow UMW cc
___ Grasshopper Sparrow OSM cc
___ Henslow's Sparrow XM
___ Le Conte's Sparrow XMW cc
___ Fox Sparrow O-FW
___ Song Sparrow* CR
___ Lincoln's Sparrow OM
___ Swamp Sparrow FW
___ White-throated Sparrow C-AW
___ White-crowned Sparrow OM, OW
___ Dark-eyed Junco* AR he (lower elv. W)
___ Snow Bunting XW he
MEADOWLARKS, BLACKBIRDS & ORIOLES
___ Bobolink UM cc
___ Red-winged Blackbird* FM, CS, cc, UW
___ Eastern Meadowlark* CR cc
___ Rusty Blackbird UM, OW
___ Common Grackle* FS, UW
___ Brown-headed Cowbird* FM, FR
___ Orchard Oriole* UM, US
___ Baltimore Oriole* UM, OS, cc
FINCHES
___ Purple Finch U-FW
___ House Finch XW
___ Red Crossbill UR he (erratic)
___ White-winged Crossbill XW
___ Common Redpoll XW
___ Pine Siskin US, U-CW (erratic)
___ American Goldfinch* FR
___ Evening Grosbeak U-CW (erratic)
OLD WORLD SPARROWS
___ House Sparrow* UR
Checklist compiled by Fred J. Alsop, III. For additional information contact:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
107 Park Headquarters Road
Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738
Telephone: 423/436-1200
This resource is based on the following source:
Alsop, III. F.J. 1995. Birds of the Great Smoky Mountains, a checklist
for the birds of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Great Smoky
Mountains Natural History Association in cooperation with Great
Smoky Mountains National Park. Unpaginated.
This resource should be cited as:
Alsop, III. F.J. 1995. Birds of the Great Smoky Mountains, a checklist
for the birds of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Jamestown,
ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.govsmokymt.htm
(Version 22MAY98).
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