Warriors' Path Birding

Forest trail with large trees and exposed roots.

BLUE BIRD IN WINTER TIME ON A BRANCH IN THE SNOW

Birding at Warriors’ Path

Warriors’ Path is a busy park with nearly two million visitors each year.

Yet there are still many corners of quiet beauty and wildlife discovery. Thanks to a great diversity of natural habitats, you can find a wide variety of common woodland, wetland, and old field bird species. Waterfowl frequent Fort Patrick Henry Lake and the forests in the park are home to many songbirds. Nearly 120 species of birds have been observed throughout the year.

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Featured Birds

Killdeer
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Belted Kingfisher
Kingbird
Osprey
Barn Swallow
Tree Swallow
Black Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
Eastern Phoebe
Northern Flicker
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Black-crowned Night Heron
Spotted Sandpiper
Pileated Woodpecker
Brown Creeper
White-breasted Nuthatch
Warblers
Carolina Chickadee
Screech Owl
Winter Wren
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Red-eyed Vireo
Yellow-breasted Chat
Great Crested Flycatcher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern Bluebird
Barred Owl
Wild Turkey
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Wood Duck
Red-winged Blackbird
White-eyed Vireo
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Great Horned Owl
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Warblers
Scarlet Tanager
Ovenbird
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Indigo Bunting
Mallard
Ring-billed Gull
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Blue Jay
Northern Cardinal
American Goldfinch
Downy Woodpecker
Double-crested Cormorant
Carolina Wren
Song Sparrow
Yellow-rumped Warbler

Birding Locations

Shoreline Past Marina

Featured birds: Killdeer, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Kingbird

A stroll along the shoreline and through nearby meadows and woodlands offer casual bird observation.
Lake Hollow Trail

Featured birds: Black-crowned Night Heron, Spotted Sandpiper, Pileated Woodpecker, Brown Creeper, White-breasted Nuthatch

Wander along the water's edge and visit with the forest wildlife and plant life. Try around dawn or dusk for the most wildlife activity.
Sinking Waters Trail

Featured birds: Yellow-breasted Chat, Great Crested Flycatcher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Discover wildlife along this trail with three loops through varied back-country habitats, enjoying deciduous forests, old fields, and a boardwalk through the marsh. Note that the trailhead is a bit “off the beaten track” - go north on Fall Creek Road (past the park’s golf course). Turn left on Cedar Branch Road. Watch for the trail parking area on your left.
Fall Creek Area

Featured birds: Wood Duck, Red-winged Blackbird, White-eyed Vireo, Hermit Thrush, Great Horned Owl

Enjoy clear views of the creek valley on trails as well as gravel roadside which pass by reminders of the farm once here, forested stream bottoms, shaded ponds, and sunny meadows with many woodland, wetland, and field bird species.
Bays Mountain Park and Natural Area

Featured birds: Warblers, Vireos, Thrushes, Flycatchers, Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Fall Bays Mountain is a 3,000-acre natural area managed by the City of Kingsport containing mostly rugged upland forests with over 35 miles of hiking trails, scenic overlooks, and a 44-acre lake which is good for viewing waterfowl.

Bays Mountain Website
Fort Patrick Henry Dam: Visitor Center Parking Area

Featured birds: Red-tailed Hawk, Black-crowned Night Heron, Ring-billed Gull, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher

The visitor center and overlook are located adjacent to the dam and offer picturesque views over Fort Patrick Henry Reservoir and the South Fork Holston River.

Recreation Areas
Kingsport Greenbelt and Boat Yard

Featured birds: Great Blue Heron, Killdeer, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Carolina Chickadee

The Kingsport Greenbelt is an eight-mile trail that runs east to west in the City of Kingsport meandering along streams, marshlands, open meadows, and sites of local historical value including the Kings Boat Yard along the banks of the South Fork Holston River. Nearly 115 species of birds have been identified.

Kingsport Greenbelt

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.