The Tennessee Warbler
The Tennessee Warbler is the newsletter of the TOS. It is published three times a year. It contains announcements of statewide TOS meetings and field trips, local chapter news, and other items of interest.

The Migrant
The Migrant is the quarterly report of the TOS. It contains articles describing the results of research on Tennessee birds, results of organized bird counts, and the quarterly Season Report

Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Tennessee
Charles P. Nicholson

This atlas provides ornithologists, ecologists, and birdwatchers with an invaluable resource for monitoring birds within the state. It offers the first fully documented account of distribution patterns for 170 species confirmed as breeding in Tennessee, as well as for several unconfirmed or extirpated species. The species list includes permanent residents, short-distance migrants, neotropical migrants, and endangered species. Read more.

More Books

Alsop, Fred J., III, 1991. Birds of the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association, Gatlinburg.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited park in America, and a great deal of these visitors are birdwatchers. Alsop's book describes where and when many species may be found in the park as well as the best places to look for them. For the listers out there, the "Birder's Dozen" section will help you find the most sought-after birds in the park (Red Crossbill, Northern Saw-whet Owl, etc.). It is inexpensive and may be found in the Sugarlands Nature Center in the park as well as most bookstores in the region.  

Coffey, J. Wallace, and John L. Shumate, Jr. 1999. Bird Study in Shady Valley, Tennesse, 1934-1999. Bristol Bird Club, Bristol.

Shady Valley, in the northeast corner of Tennessee, is the state's highest mountain valley. This book describes the 188 species recorded in the valley, and gives a very personal history of bird study in the area. It also describes the physical environment and habitat changes in the area, and includes several historic and some previously unpublished photographs. Available from Lorrie Shumate at jshumate@preferred.com.

Knight, Richard L. 1994. The Birds of Northeast Tennessee, An Annotated Checklist. Mallicote Printing, Bristol..

Knight's excellent book covers the five counties of northeast Tennessee (Carter, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, Washington). Species accounts for the 298 species recorded in this region are included, as are highly useful graphs showing the dates when species can be expected in the area. You may order this book from Rick Knight, but hurry - they're almost gone!!

Ganier, Albert F. 1933. A Distributional List of the Birds of Tennessee. Tennessee Department of Game and Fish, Nashville. OUT OF PRINT

This was the very first book published on Tennessee's birds which was meant for use by all levels of birders in Tennessee. Ganier provides a list of all species known to occur in Tennessee and their abundance in West, Middle, and East Tennessee throughout the year. An interesting book to look at and compare former ranges with current ones. I know that the University of Tennessee-Knoxville library has a copy; I expect that other state libraries will as well.

Robinson, John R. 1990. An Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville.

This book provides a species-by-species account of the 373 species which have occurred in Tennessee. Notes include abundance throughout the year, with comments on records and breeding for those species not normally found in the state. Provides early and late records for migrant species.  

Stupka, Arthur. 1963. Notes on the Birds of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville. OUT OF PRINT

A "must have" classic for any serious library on Tennessee birds. Detailed descriptions of the distribution, abundance, and seasonal occurrence of birds recorded in the Smokies from the late 1800s through 1960. Not hard to find through rare book dealers, and in many Tennessee libraries.

Stedman, Stephen J., and Barbara H. Stedman. 2002. Notes on the Birds of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area and the Obed National Wild and Scenic River. Tennessee Technology University Printing Services, Cookeville, TN.

This small book containing short species accounts and other information about the birds recorded in these two areas is available for $17 (including postage and handling) by sending a check to the authors at 2675 Lakeland Drive, Cookeville, TN 38506.

Books on Finding Birds in Tennessee

Bierly, Michael L. 1980. Bird Finding in Tennessee. Privately published, Nashville. Library of Congress Catalog No.: 79-53481.

This is the first such publication for Tennessee. Aging and in need of revision, but still very useful when combined with road maps.

Simpson, Marcus B., Jr. 1992. Birds of the Blue Ridge Mountains. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.Michael L. 1980.

Good description of places to find the high elevation specialties in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cherokee National Forest.

Hamel, Paul, and Laura Mitchell. 1993. Tennessee Wildlife Viewing Guide. Falcon Press, Helena Montana.

Part of the series on state guides coordinated by Defenders of Wildlife. Most of the 81 sites are best known for their birds. It also describes areas to view other wildlife such as bats, salamanders, and fish.

Tennessee Ornithological Society Papers 1882-1985
Not a book per se, but a collection of historic Tennessee Ornithological Society Papers housed in the Special Collections Department, Hoskins Library, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. This collection includes two folders of TOS papers and two notebooks.  Much of the collection is unpublished material by Albert Ganier, one of the founders of the TOS.

Back to TOS Homepage