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.
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.
Click on the book title for a full review of this great book.
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.
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.
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.
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.
