Tennessee's Special Birds - Page 3

Stretching from the bottomlands of the Mississippi River in the west to the peaks of the Appalachian Mountains in the east, Tennessee's varied habitats are home to a rich diversity of birdlife at all times of the year. The Mississippi River basin has numerous waterbirds, from nesting herons and terns more typical of the Gulf Coast to abundant wintering waterfowl, and several birds more associated with the western US, like Western Kingbird, reach their easternmost range limits here. The Great Smoky Mountains are the southernmost nesting area for many birds more typical of the northeastern US and Canada, like Black-capped Chickadee and Winter Wren. And just in case you were wondering, the state's two namesake warblers (Tennessee and Nashville) are only migrants through the state; they don't actually nest there.