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Its contrast in elevations, vegetation, and temperatures make the Great Smoky Mountains National Park a haven for about 200 species of birds.

Elevations range from 847 feet at Abrams Creek on Chilhowee Lake to more than 6,500 feet of Mount LeConte, a range equal to a trip from East Tennessee to Canada as far as temperatures, vegetation, and wildlife are concerned.

The best time to spot a wide variety of species of birds is during the spring migration which reaches its peak in late April and early May.

In spring, the earliest of the migratory birds to arrive in the park are usually such species as the pine warbler, Louisiana waterthrush and the solitary vireo. The arrival of these birds usually never differs by more than a few days each year.

One nice thing about the park is that you can move from lower to higher elevations along the Newfound Gap Road and that way you can see a wider variety of habitats and species. Cades Cove is also very popular.

Moreover, there are about 700 miles of trails in the park for those who would rather go bird watching on foot or horseback.

Many bird watchers in the park are particularly interested in the warblers.

In the summer, bird lovers can spot such warbler varieties as the Black-throated Green and Black-throated Blue Warblers, the American Redstart and Ovenbirds.

At the higher elevations, Blackburnian Warblers, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Red Crossbills and Dark-eyed Juncos can be seen.

Waterfowl are not common residents within park boundaries because there are few areas with standing, or slow-flowing water, but a number of species have been spotted over the years.

For those with interest in birds of prey, some of the more commonly seen species are Turkey Vultures and Broad-winged Hawks.

Others that are sometimes seen include the Sharpshinned Coopers and Red-tailed hawks, and, on rare occasions, the American Kestrel.

Although seldom seen, the screechs of the Barred and Eastern Screech owls are commonly heard by visitors.

In addition, wild turkeys, once rare all over East Tennessee, have been spotted with greater frequency in recent years inside the park. Most of these birds are seen in the Cades Cove area where local residents have seen as many as a couple dozen at one time but these sightings of the wild birds are rare.