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birding...
Tennesse
From the Mississippi River at Memphis to the 6,600ft high mountain peaks along its eastern border, Tennessee offers the greatest variety of bird habitats of any landlocked state in the east of the US. Around 390 species have been recorded in the state, and about 175 species regularly nest here. From west to east, Tennessee spans nine physio-graphic regions, each of which contains prime birding spots. Some of these physio-graphic regions also host species rarely found elsewhere in the state. Mississippi Kites, Fish Crows, and Painted Buntings most often occur in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, a narrow strip along Tennessee`s western border. Prime birding spots in this region are the Reelfoot Lake area, Lower Hatchie Wildlife Refuge, Eagle Lake Wildife Management Area, Meeman-Shelby State Forest, and the Ensley Bottoms. The Black-Capped Chickadee is restricted to the Blue Ridge Mountains along the eastern border, where prime birding spots include Shady Valley, parts of Cherokee National Forest including Roan Mountain, Unaka Mountain and the Cherohala Skyway, and the world famous Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Between these ends of the state are the Loess Plain, Coastal Plain Uplands, Western Highland Rim, Central Basin, Eastern Highland Rim, Cumberland Plateau, and Ridge and Valley physiographic regions. Although they are not as distinctive in their vegetation and bird communities as the Mississippi Alluvial Plain and the Blue Ridge, they each offer prime birding spots, many of which are on readily accessible public lands and waters. The birds of Tennessee have been well studied since the early 20th century, largely through the efforts of the Tennessee Ornithological Society. The TOS has a network of local chapters in most of the larger cities. Most of these chapters hold regular field trips, and visitors are enthusiastically welcomed. Local contacts are available through the TOS web site. The web site also includes the TOS newsletter, the official state list, and a growing online bird-finding guide. |
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This page brought to you in association with:
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contributor |
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Charles (Chuck) P Nicholson
Curator
president@tnbirds.org
http://www.tnbirds.org/
numbers |
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useful reading |
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An Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Tennessee
John C. Robinson Hardcover - 274 pages (July 1990) University of Tennessee PressISBN: 0870496425
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Tennessee
Charles P. Nicholson Hardcover - 504 pages (January 1998) University of Tennessee PressISBN: 0870499874
Buy this book from NHBS.com
useful information |
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State Bird
Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
clubs |
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Audubon Society in Tennessee
http://www.audubon.org/chapter/tn/Usual list of local chapters.
Bristol Bird Club
http://206.240.85.12/hosting/bbc/The Bristol Bird Club had it`s first meeting March 3, 1950. The Eagle, a monthly newsletter for the members, is published monthly as a regional birding newsletter for Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. The Bristol Bird Club is a non-profit organization that is devoted to the study of birds in the East Tennessee and Southwest Virgina region.
Memphis Audubon Society
Memphis Audubon Society seeks to raise public awareness and involvement in issues that impact the well-being of the ecosystems that we and all other species call home. We play a central role in organizing the annual Memphis Earth Day Birthday (April 18 and 19, 1997) in Memphis` beautiful Overton Park, home of the famous 175 acre old growth mixed hardwood forest that stopped I-40 from cutting through Midtown Memphis. We lobby our elected officials on a wide range of local, state and national environmental issues. We`re assisting area students in efforts to establish meaningful environmental clubs on their campuses...
Nature Conservancy in Tennessee
http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/tennessee/The opening picture is of a tract of land... Help us save this land. In March, The Nature Conservancy`s Tennessee chapter made a public appeal for financial help to purchase 1,541 acres of northern Cumberland Plateau hardwood forest known as Jim Creek or Horseshoe Cliff in Pickett and Fentress counties...
Tennessee Ornithological Society
http://www.tnbirds.org/The Tennessee Orntithological Society was founded in 1915 to promote the enjoyment, scientific study, and conservation of birds. The TOS publishes a quarterly journal, The Migrant, and a newsletter, The Tennessee Warbler, and holds statewide meetings. It is also a federation of local chapters which hold regular meetings and field trips.
Tennessee Ornithological Society - Chattanooga Chapter
The Chattanooga Chapter of TOS is devoted to the study and enjoyment of birds. The Chat, a newsletter for the members, is published monthly . The Chattanooga Chapter of TOS is a non-profit organization that is devoted to the study of birds in the South east Tennessee and North Georgia region...
Tennessee Ornithological Society - Knoxville Chapter
http://www.tnbirds.org/KTOS.htmlThe Chapter was organized on Jan. 13, 1924, after a 14-year incubation period. For 18 years we were known as the East Tennessee Ornithological Society. H.P. and Alice Yoe Ijams bought a home on Island Home Avenue and began developing it as a bird sanctuary. He was a commercial artist with The Knoxville News-Sentinel and designed the cover for The Migrant that was used for every issue up until recently...
Tennessee Ornithological Society - Nashville Chapter
http://www.mindspring.com/~tnwarbler/NTOS/NTOS.htmlDuring the year, Tennessee regularly attracts some 300 species of birds. As a member of the Nashville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society (NTOS); you will have the opportunity to see and to study many of these birds in the company of both beginners and experts, back-yard bird-watchers, hard-core birders, and professional biologists--all of them willing to share what they know with others.
Tennessee Ornithological Society Records Committee
http://www.tnbirds.org/TRBC/index.htmThe Tennessee Bird Records Committee maintains the official state list of wild birds on behalf of the Tennessee Ornithological Society. Documentation of evidence of new or rare species may be submitted to the committee for review and inclusion into the Tennessee database. The committee is currently putting together a system of status codes for each species that has occurred in the state. The initial list will be published in The Warbler for review.
Warioto Audubon Society
http://www.apsu.edu/schillers/Audubon/Warioto_Chapter.htmWarioto Chapter of the National Audubon Society - Clarksville, Tennessee.
museums |
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McClung Museum - Birds of the World
http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/specex/birds/birds.htmBird illustrations are both art and science. In the days before photography, the illustrations manifested details most humans did not have the opportunity to see. The McClung Museum has a notable collection of bird illustrations, thanks to the generosity of two couples, the late Mr. and Mrs. John L. Greer of Knoxville and Mr. and Mrs. Joel E. Rynning of Atlanta.
reserves |
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Reelfoot Lake & Northwest Tennessee
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reelfoot_LakeReelfoot Lake offers year-round wildlife viewing with habitats that attract river otter, white-tailed deer, beaver, coyote, as well as the great blue heron, great and cattle egret, osprey, insects, and songbirds in profusion. Hundreds of bald eagles winter here, with peak numbers occurring December through February; look for them perching along lakeshore, or following commercial fishermen. A smaller number of eagles are year-round residents.
Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge
http://tennesseerefuge.fws.gov/The Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge encompasses over 50,000 acres on and around Kentucky Lake in northwest Tennessee. The refuge`s three units, Big Sandy, Duck River, and Busseltown, stretch for 65 miles along the Tennessee River. Established in 1945, the refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an important resting and feeding area for wintering waterfowl, as well as, many migratory birds and resident wildlife...
trip reports |
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Travelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com
The Travellingbirder.com birding trip report search engine guides you to 7,000+ birding trip reports on the Internet. You can search for trip reports from a specific country and time of year. Not all these reports are in English. So, if you can’t find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page… give them a try!
1998 [December] - Mark Greene - Big Day - Lake County
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/maybank/USA/TN-12-98-BD.htmReally just a species list
2000 [May] - Ricki Hall - Frozen Head
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/maybank/USA/TN-05-2000.htmFrozen Head State Park is about 7 sq miles of forest in the Cumberland Mts of East Tennessee, NW of Knoxville. Most of the forest was logged around the turn of the century, but it has been protected for several decades now, especially from the strip mining for coal that has sliced up most of the mountainsides surrounding the park. The Cumberland Plateau and mountains are not part of the Appalachians, but formed millions of years later as an ancient sea receded.
2004 [May] - Mark How
http://www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=147...the pool was visited but a few stops on Sparks Lane, tufted titmice were everywhere, I met another birdwatcher who pointed out some calls of tanagers and vireos but I was unable to find them, chipping sparrows were everywhere. I located an unusual sparrow, a Bachman’s and was confirmed by the other birder a rarity in these parts although he was familiar with them – a real find. Eastern bluebirds and meadow larks were common along Sparks Lane and I located a carolina wren turned onto the main route and pulled in at the vehicle no entry sign. Walked the short distance to the holding pool, there were 4 pairs of wood ducks with ducklings on the pool along with some canada geese, eastern phoebe and great crested flycatchers were flycatching from the fence, and a white tailed deer came close. I drove the rest of the route stopping occasionally to view deer and many common birds like white breasted nuthatch, Dark eyed Juncos, cardinals, pewees, indigo buntings and kingbirds. I stopped near the end of the tour at dusk, watching the deer and a coyote, barred owl and screech owl were calling but to far away and I could not locate hear whip a wills, but lots of fireflys were very conspicuous...
tour operators |
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Birding Pal
http://birdingpal.org/tn.htmLocal birders willing to show visiting birders around their area...
places to stay |
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Cinnamon Ridge B&B
http://www.bbonline.com/tn/cinnamon/Spend leisure time in a front porch rocker watching squirrels and birds play across acres of manicured lawn. Enjoy the restful countryside as you drive through picturesque rolling hills, and perhaps a free tour of Jack Daniel`s Distillery. Recreation areas abound.
Goose Branch Farm B&B
http://www.bbonline.com/tn/gbfarmbb/Guests are encouraged to explore the entire farm, from pasture to woods, and from hilltop to creek bed. Wildlife can often be seen from the porches or deck, including deer, rabbits, squirrels, hawks, wild turkey and many varieties of smaller birds.
Iron Mountain Inn B&B
http://www.ironmountaininn.com/You can spa under the stars at the chalet for a romantic rendezvous on our wrap around deck... or you can simply relax in the spa or watch the animals and birds pass by.
Southern Porches B&B
http://www.bbonline.com/tn/southernporches/resrequest.htmlDale Hollow`s 600 miles of shoreline provides thousands of acres of beautiful natural forests. Hiking and horseback trails are plentiful. Birds and other wildlife abound. Wildlife can often be seen first hand while camping at one of the many sites around the lake.
Water Valley B&B
http://watervalleybb.com/Lodgings and birdwatching packages. MThe B&B is located well within many fine birdwatching territories and sanctuaries that can be accessed by foot, horseback and canoe...
mailing lists |
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Tennessee Birding
http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/TNBD.htmlMailing List – Discussion Group - (U.S.) Tennessee`s birding listserv, 330+ subscribers. We share birding trip reports, natural history observations, rare bird sightings, and outing/meeting schedules. Tennessee extends from the Appalachian Mtns (tallest peak a subalpine 6642ft) west to the Mississippi River, perhaps the continent`s premier migration flyway. Tremendous habitat diversity and an official state checklist of ~330 species, and very knowledgeable and colorful contributors.
Valley Birds
http://www.birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CENV.htmlTo post to list:jwcoffey@tricon.net
List contact:Wallace Coffey (jwcoffey@tricon.net)
To subscribe to list:jwcoffey@tricon.net
Virginia, Tennessee, Northern Alabama & Georgia, (Shenandoah Valley, etc.)
other links |
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Birding Adventures: Reflections in an OL`COOT`S EYE
http://hometown.aol.com/olcoot1/The following photos are a collection of interesting birds seen here in the mid-south on recent ramblings. The first are of two Ross`s Geese that showed at Shelby Farms in Memphis TN. One has chosen to stay a while in the company of a Snow Goose and a Snow/Blue Goose cross.
Birdwatching in Chattanooga
http://www.chattanoogatos.org/Brdbroc.htmlBirdwatchers enjoy combing the beautiful Chattanooga area for a wide variety of colorful and rare birds. The great diversity of natural habitat attracts many different species of songbirds, waterbirds, and raptors. Bald Eagles are frequently seen over the Tennessee River, and the Peregrine Falcon, which was once almost extinct as a result of pesticide poisoning, is beginning to nest here again. Chattanooga is also an important migration corridor for many birds, including spectacular numbers of Sandhill Cranes.
Waterfowl of Chenoa
http://www.utm.edu/departments/ed/cece/waterfowl.shtmlWaterfowl of Chenoa, founded in 1980, has as a major goal the collection of at least one pair of each of the fifteen species of true geese and the six species of shelducks. The waterfowl associated with this goal are presented under True Geese: Anser Species, True Geese: Branta Species, and Shelducks. The true geese and shelducks serve as the focal point for The University of Tennessee at Martin`s Center for Environmental and Conservation Education led field trips, although a significant number of Ducks are also observed. In addition to the birds of water, the cochin bantams and standards, peafowl, turkeys, rheas and emus make the birding tours at Chenoa exciting.
artists |
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Artist - Wes & Rachelle Siegrist
http://www.artofwildlife.com/Discover inside our available paintings and miniatures of wildlife art, fact-filled newsletter, Artist`s statements, step by step paintings, personal photos, upcoming exhibits and insights into our world. View Wes`s paintings of the Florida Panther used to illustrate a Nature Conservancy Habitat book. Join our rapidly growing family of online visitors and collectors.
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