Smokies Bird Watching

Whether you’re tracking the red-breasted nuthatch, eastern screech owl or the downy woodpecker, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the premier place for bird watching. The crest of the Smokies towers nearly a mile above the foothills, creating a range in elevations and a variety of topographies that provide a diversity of habitats and microclimates for some 240 species of birds, 60 varieties of which are year-round residents. Contact Amber Parker at Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont at 865/448-6709.