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Bird Watching in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

By Bates Estabrooks

Bird watching (birding) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park can be a challenging

but very rewarding experience. With more than 230 species of birds recorded in the park,including more than thirty species of New-World (wood) warblers, and a bit of effort, there

is much to see.

The Smokies consist primarily of thickly forested, steep mountainsides and peaks, slicedthrough by deep valleys and hundreds of miles of chilly, crystal clear streams, broken

intermittently by plunging cataracts. Spanning elevations from approximately 900 feet

above sea level to 6,643 feet (at Clingmans Dome; the highest point in the Smokies), andblessed with abundant rainfall throughout the year (average over 80 inches), the Smokies

are an exceptional ecological gem (/www.nps.gov/grsm/naturescience/index.htm).

Interestingly, due to the broad ecological diversity found in these mountains, more thanthirty species of salamanders have been identified here, unparalleled anywhere else in theworld.

The lower elevations consist of the cove hardwood and southern hardwood forest types,

representing more than one hundred tree species. Above these in elevation is the northernhardwood forest type (3,0005,000 feet), and above 5,500 feet, the unique spruce-fir forest

type. The spruce-fir forests, reminiscent of northern New England and eastern Canada,consist primarily of red spruce and fraser fir and are peculiar to the uppermost elevations ofthe Smokies.

Road access into and through the national park is limited, and due to the immensepopularity of the park, traffic can be extremely heavy. The Great Smoky Mountains NationalPark is the most visited national park in the U.S. This is particularly true during October,

when the resplendent fall colors are at their best. With that said, a birder doesnt need toget too far off the road on one of the parks many trails to find solitude and rewardingbirding. Be aware, too, that other interesting animals frequent the park. Black bears are a

common sight, so take appropriate precautions (www.nps.gov/grsm/naturescience/black-bears.htm).

Because of the variety of ecosystems, the bird populations and varieties are extensive. The

most rewarding pursuits are for wood warblers: the colorfuleye-magnetsthat passthrough these forests in the spring, with many species nesting here, including Blackburnian,Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue, and Canada. The secretive

Swainsons and Worm-eating Warblers are also found here in the understory. In addition to

the warblers, Northern Raven, Peregrine Falcon, and Northern Saw-whet Owl, among otheruncommon birds, are known to nest in the park. A visit to eBird(ebird.org/ebird/eBirdReports?cmd=Start) for a little research before a trip to the park can

make for a more rewarding bird-watching outing.

Your birding experience in the Smokies will vary with the altitude of the park you choose tomeander through. The spruce-fir forests in the upper elevations of the park are near the

southern extreme of the breeding ranges of Black-capped Chickadee, Golden-crownedKinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Blackburnian Warbler, Canada Warbler, Veery, and Winter

Wren. Further down the mountains the northern hardwood and cove hardwood forests offer

Blue-headed Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Black-throated Blue Warbler along withRed-eyed Vireo, Northern Cardinal, Hooded Warbler, and others.

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The middle and lower elevations present the greatest diversity of species, including Eastern

Screech-owl, Belted Kingfisher, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Yellow-billed Cuckoo,

Acadian Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, Yellow-throated Vireo, Black-and-white Warbler,Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Scarlet Tanager, and Indigo Bunting.

Birding satisfaction in these mountains is very much a matter of season. While fall in the

park is lovely for the rampant color changes passing through the forests from top to bottomthrough October, the best time for a birding adventure is spring. In late March the migrating

perching birds like warblers, vireos, and flycatchers begin arriving some to pass onthrough and some to nest. By mid-April the early-morning woods are alive with bird song. It

helps to have a good ear for identifying (or at least locating) birds by their songs. The

morning voices may be the only hint you have that a gem is nearby in the midst of theleaves. Be prepared to spend long moments of neck-craning silence to catch a glimpse of a

colorful jewel. (Binoculars are a must. Eight-power or less is advised.)

The peak of warbler time is April, and its worth the effort to get going into the forestearly. Not only are the birds abundant in spring, but the hillsides are exploding with

wildflowers and flowering trees!

As mentioned before, hiking the parks trails is the best way to appreciate the Smokies birdlife. One trail that I have found that is less well-known, affording quiet and rewarding

birding, is the Fork Ridge Trail, off the Clingmans Dome Road, stretching off into NorthCarolina (http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/upload/2013-trip-planner-with-map-bc.pdf) This trail takes the wanderer through impressive groves of old-growth spruce and

stands of fraser fir recovering from an insect pest that took its toll in the last century

(http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/gtr/gtr-p-64papers/20-bowers-p-64.pdf). Last August, ashort walk along this trail produced a few great finds like a Winter Wren, a flock of RedCrossbills, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and notable numbers of Black-throated Green and

Black-throated Blue Warblers.

The Smokies are an incredibly beautiful swath of green to slip into for solitude and

reflection. With a little effort, time, and patience, this pursuit can reveal deep rewards in theforms of the birds that shine back to us Gods expansive, unfathomable, creative power.Make your next bird-watching adventure a trip into the Great Smoky Mountains. Its worththe effort.

Bates Estabrooks, the father of five boys, lives with his dedicated homeschooling wife,Stephanie, and their sons (one still schooling) in the hills of East Tennessee. He has a B.S.

in physics and and works in the defense applications of nuclear energy.

www.creationbirding.com

Copyright 2012, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in

the April 2012 issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, the family education magazine.Read the magazine free athttp://www.TOSMagazine.comor read it on the go and download

the free apps athttp://www.TOSApps.comto read the magazine on your mobile devices.

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