Reelfoot Lake Birding

Flying egret with white wings against blue sky and clouds.

Bald eagle with piercing eyes against a blurred green background.

Birding at Reelfoot Lake

Reelfoot Lake State Park is one of the best destinations for birdwatching in Tennessee.

The 280-acre Reelfoot Lake State Park is part of a complex of public lands that include the Reelfoot Lake National Wildlife Refuge and the Reelfoot State Wildlife Management Area.

The Reelfoot Lake area includes a mix of bottomland hardwood forest, cypress swamp, marsh, agricultural fields, and open water habitats.

Over 200 species of birds have been reported from the area. During the winter, Reelfoot Lake is home to numerous bald eagles, thousands of ducks of many different species, and hundreds of American white pelicans.

Experienced park naturalists lead daily bald eagle and waterfowl tours and the annual Reelfoot Eagle Festival in February is a birdwatching destination. Bald eagle and waterfowl tours are in January and February.

During spring and fall migration, watch for migrating songbirds and shorebirds. The state park offers a variety of birding canoe floats and boat tours throughout the year.

Featured Birds

Waterfowl
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Gull
Eastern Kingbird
Tree Swallow
Prothonotary Warbler
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Barred Owl
Eastern Bluebird
Common Yellowthroat
Sparrows
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
American White Pelican
Wading Birds
Woodpecker
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Snow Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Wood Duck
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Loggerhead Shrike
Indigo Bunting
Dickcissel
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Egrets
Mississippi Kite
Shorebirds
Songbirds
Great Crested Flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee
White-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Warbler
Kentucky Warbler
Northern Parula
Summer Tanager

Birding Locations

A hiking map is available at the park.  

Visitor Center and Boardwalk

Featured birds: Waterfowl, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Osprey, Bald Eagle

The visitor's center has a variety of animals on display including bald eagles. Search for songbirds in the trees surrounding the visitor's center. The short boardwalk runs through a swamp to the edge of the lake. From the boardwalk search the lake for waterfowl and gulls during the winter. 
Airpark Trail

Featured birds: Barred Owl, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Bluebird, Prothonotary Warbler, Common Yellowthroat

Ducks are often seen here in winter. Bird the open areas around the parking lot before taking the trail through bottomland forest and swamp. Shrub thickets along the trail and roads are excellent for sparrows.

Accessibility
Keystone Trail

Featured birds: Waterfowl, Pied-billed Grebe, Bonaparte's Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Double-crested Cormorant

Before you head out on the trail, be sure to bird from the fishing pier. The pier is a good place to see American white pelicans and waterfowl in winter. The one-way, forested trail runs along the lake but there are no convenient views of the lake from the trail. Search for woodland birds along the trail.

Accessibility
Reelfoot Lake Campground

Featured birds: Waterfowl, Wading Birds, Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, Osprey

The area provides views of the lake and birding in open lawns and woodlands. 
Lake Isom National Wildlife Refuge: Lake

Featured birds: Snow Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Wood Duck, Waterfowl, Great Blue Heron

The refuge consists of about 1,850 acres of cultivated farmland, bottomland forests, cypress swamp, and open water. Please refer to Refuge personnel about hunting seasons and public access dates. Access dates vary by site. 

Lake Isom National Wildlife Refuge
Reelfoot Wildlife Management Area: Ernie Pierce Road Entrance

Featured birds: Waterfowl, Herons, Egrets, Bald Eagle, Mississippi Kite

The WMA contains cultivated fields, shrub habitats, bottomland hardwood and cypress swamp forests, freshwater sloughs, bayous, marshes, and some lake habitat. It is best to call before your visit for hunting season and public access dates. Over 130 bird species have been identified. 

Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife
National Wildlife Refuge: Walnut Log Road

Featured birds: Mississippi Kite, Barred Owl, Great Crested Flycatcher, Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Wood-Pewee

The 2.7-mile road runs through bottomland forest to end at a viewing platform over the lake. A 0.5-mile long boardwalk is also accessed along this road. The area is excellent for forest birding. The viewing platform offers good opportunities to scan a portion of the lake. Over 200 bird species have been identified from this area. 

Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge

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.