Paris Landing Birding
Birding at Paris Landing
Paris Landing State Park is an 1,126 acre park located on the western shore of the Tennessee River, which is dammed to form Kentucky Lake.
The park is primarily an open hardwood forest with lake access. Woodland birding is generally good, but the highlights of Paris Landing State Park are waterfowl and bald eagles.
In late fall through spring, waterfowl are abundant, including lesser scaup, bufflehead, ruddy duck, hooded mergansers, plus horned and pied-billed grebes. Common loons and a variety of gulls may be found as well. Common goldeneye may be abundant in the colder weeks of winter. White pelicans are abundant in the fall and winter. Peregrine falcons are occasionally seen in winter. The lesser black-backed gull is rare in Tennessee but is occasionally found here as well. Bald eagles nest along the edge of Kentucky Lake and are seen regularly at the state park, more often in winter when wintering birds from north of Tennessee are present. Over 230 species of birds have been recorded for the park.
Featured Birds
- Waterfowl
- Common Loon
- Horned Grebe
- Pied-billed Grebe
- Double-crested Cormorant
- American White Pelican
- Ring-billed Gull
- Herring Gull
- Bald Eagle
- American Coot
- Woodpecker spp.
- Eastern Phoebe
- White-eyed Vireo
- Red-eyed Vireo
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
- Thrushes
- Warblers
- Sparrows
- Indigo Bunting
- Scarlet Tanager
- Summer Tanager
- Orchard Oriole
- Shorebirds
- Herons
- Egrets
- Sandhill Crane
- Songbirds
- Hawk
- Terns
- Short-eared Owl
Birding Locations
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Paris Landing Parking Lot
Featured birds: Waterfowl, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested CormorantFrom behind and east of the inn, along the paved picnic loop, views of the lake are fantastic for migrating and wintering water birds. The parking lot is the best location for viewing wintering water birds.
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Bridgeview Road Parking Lot
Featured birds: Waterfowl, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested CormorantThis parking lot offers a different view of Kentucky Lake. The picnic area adjacent to the parking lot is a good place to see red-headed woodpeckers.
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Marina Fishing Pier
Featured birds: Waterfowl, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested CormorantBird from the fishing pier and from the shoreline to get different views of the lake.
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Hiking Trails
Featured birds: Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray GnatcatcherThe approximately four miles of trails in the park offer opportunities for birding along shrubby edges, small fields, and forest.
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Cross Creeks National Waterfowl Refuge Visitor Center
Featured birds: Waterfowl, Shorebirds, Herons, Egrets, Bald EagleThe refuge includes a number of managed waterfowl ponds and upland forest. Most of the refuge is closed from November 15 to March 15, but a viewing deck at the visitor center is always open. You may want to contact the refuge before your visit to get information on hunting seasons, flooding, and recently observed birds. Over 200 bird species identified.
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Gray's Landing: Entrance Road
Featured birds: Waterfowl, Gull, Bald Eagle, Migrating Warblers, SongbirdsThe boat ramp area offers excellent views of waterfowl on Kentucky Lake. A peninsula sticks out from the shoreline about 0.25 miles north of the boat ramp and is used by gulls and waterfowl in winter. Birders can walk the shoreline or the dirt road north to the peninsula. Wooded edges are good for songbirds. Over 100 bird species identified.
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Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge, Big Sandy Unit: Visitor Center
Featured birds: Waterfowl, Loons, Grebes, American White Pelican, HeronsThe refuge includes a diversity of habitats including upland forest, marsh, lake (Kentucky Lake), fields, and mudflats. Sections of the refuge are closed from November 15 to March 15. The visitor center has a birding checklist and maps of the refuge. Over 200 species of birds have been identified.
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Responsible Birding
- Do not endanger the welfare of birds.
- Tread lightly and respect bird habitat.
- Silence is golden.
- Do not use electronic sound devices to attract birds during nesting season, May-July.
- Take extra care when in a nesting area.
- Always respect the law and the rights of others, violators subject to prosecution.
- Do not trespass on private property.
- Avoid pointing your binoculars at other people or their homes.
- Limit group sizes in areas that are not conducive to large crowds.
Discover More at Paris Landing
No events are scheduled at this time, but there's always more to explore.
