Birding on the Natchez Trace Parkway

Great Blue Herons are a common sight along the Natchez Trace Parkway.

USFWS Photo

Birding on the Natchez Trace Parkway

Birding opportunities abound along our 444 miles of Parkway! As the Parkway winds through Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, it crosses several distinct ecoregions which means there is the potential to see just about any type of bird found in the Southeast U.S. We have hardwood forests, pine forests, prairie, wetlands, swamps, rivers, and more so whatever type of bird you are interested in, we probably have it! For a comprehensive list of bird species found along the Parkway, visit our “Animals” page and set the species category to “Birds.”

How to Go Birding

If you are new to birding, a great place to start is the Beginner Birding page on the NPS website. You don’t need anything but a love for birds and some patience to start birding, but a good field guide and a pair of binoculars will help a lot. We have bird field guides available for purchase in our Parkway Visitor Center near Tupelo, MS. You can also ask for a handout on common birds on the Parkway at the front desk.

The best way to see birds is to find a spot with good habitat, be still and quiet, and simply wait. Good habitat means a place with abundant plant and insect life and preferably a source of water nearby. However, birds can be found just about anywhere. Even in our parking lot and lawn around the Visitor Center, we see a large and diverse number of birds.

 

Give birding a try at one of these sites. You can learn what birds to expect at each site by looking at the ecoregion legend.

NPS/C. Dearman

Best Birding Spots on the Parkway

Sweetwater Branch (MP 363) -Songbirds and woodpeckers abound at this short nature trail with a bubbling stream.

Rock Spring (MP 330.2) -A fascinating nature trail that sees hordes of hummingbirds in the late summer when the jewelweed is blooming.

Colbert Ferry (MP 327.3) -This site along the Tennessee River is great for waterbirds of all kinds including ducks, grebes, herons, anhinga, kingfishers, and shorebirds.

Chickasaw Village (MP 261.8) -The blackland prairie here attracts sparrows, indigo buntings, prairie warblers, and more while the open skies are often dotted with red-shouldered hawks and vultures.

Jeff Busby (MP 193.1) -Chickasaw plum and other native plants along the nature trail attracts all sorts of woodland birds.

River Bend (MP 122.6) -Where the Pearl River meets the Ross Barnett Reservoir. You can see ducks, herons, and the occasional eagle here.

Cypress Swamp (MP 122) -Woodpeckers and swamp birds like hooded warblers and red-winged blackbirds can be found here. In this mysterious area, who knows what you might see!

Share What You See!

While watching birds can deepen our connection to nature and our community, it can also help scientists conserve birds—if you share what you see. Learn more about sharing your data and observations.

Help Birds!

Learning about birds and sharing what you see is a great way to start helping birds. However, there is so much more we can do to help out our feathered friends! From simple acts like turning off outdoor lights at night to more involved ones like making your windows bird-safe, there are many ways to help birds. You can find out more about how to help birds on the NPS Conservation at Home site.