What kinds of birds can you find in Tennessee?
The state of Tennessee has over 400 native bird species. There are about 50 different types of woodpeckers alone and more than 300 species of warblers. Many of these are endangered or threatened due to urbanization and climate change, making their survival highly dependent on maintaining natural habitats.
This article presents some of our favorite top 23 stunning birds of Tennessee. Enjoy the photos below and share them around!
Top 23 stunning birds of Tennessee
1. Downy Woodpecker
Scientific name: The bird’s scientific name is Dryobates Pubescens.
Size: It measures approximately 7 14 – 17 cm from beak to tail tip.
Appearance: These woodpeckers have short bills and are relatively small. They have white bellies and a primarily black back that includes streaks and spots of white, making it look like a checkerboard pattern. Downy Woodpeckers are one of the most commonly found birds around us.
Diet: Their diet includes insects, nuts, and berries.
Habitat: The Downy Woodpecker is found primarily in forested areas. They prefer deciduous trees like oaks, maples, hickories, and elms.
2. Hairy Woodpecker
Scientific name: Leuconotopicus villosus
Size: This bird measures approximately 9 inches long with a 15 inches wingspan.
Appearance: Hairy woodpeckers have striped, brownish heads and an erect, upright posture while perched on a tree trunk. Their bodies are black and whitish overall with a long, narrow, chisel-like beak.
Hairy Woodpecker is sometimes called the Red Head Woodpecker due to the reddish head markings. However, there are no red feathers on the head.
These birds are often confused with Downy Woodpecker, smaller and lighter colored.
Their calls include a loud “peek,” a low rattle, and a high-pitched whistle.
Diet: Hairy woodpecker feeds mainly on ants, termites, beetles, and other insects.
Habitat: They live in deciduous forests throughout North America. Hairy Woodpecker prefers mature, tall trees such as oak, hickory, maple, elm, ash, cottonwood, sycamore, poplar, basswood, tuliptree, and hackberry.
Breeding/Nesting: The hairy woodpecker starts to breed from late March to late May every year and lays 3-5 eggs per clutch.
Nests are usually built near the base of a tree trunk. Some nests are placed on branches, but those are very rare. Hairy Woodpeckers rarely use cavities. Instead, they build their nests in holes in dead logs and stumps.
3. American Goldfinch
Scientific name: Spinus tristis
The American Goldfinch is one of the most common finches found throughout North America.
Size: This bird is about 2 1/4 inches long.
Appearance: The males are bright yellow with black caps. Females are less brightly colored and lack black caps, making them easier to identify. Their call sounds like a high-pitched “chirp.”
Diet: They eat seeds, berries, insects, nectar, and sometimes fruit.
Habitat: This bird is very social and likes to live near people where it can feed off scraps left f