Birds
Birds at Chimney Rock Park NC

From its riverbanks to its highest cliffs, Chimney Rock Park is a haven for birds and bird lovers. Deciduous forests on the north and east-facing slopes attract many summer-breeding birds such as scarlet tanagers and as many as 15 varieties of warblers and vireos. The most elusive of these are the cerulean and Swainson's warblers. You can spot cerulean warblers in the tall trees immediately below the parking lot at the Chimney, and the Swainson's warbler in the rhododendron thickets, especially along the Hickory Nut Falls trail.

Along the Rocky Broad River, floodplain trees and wet thickets attract yellow and yellow-throated warblers. Belted kingfishers—chattering their distinctive staccato call—also can be seen swooping and diving along the river.

The high cliffs on top of the steep, north-facing wooded slopes have an unusually cool climate considering the low altitude of the Park (1,100-2,800 feet). This makes Chimney Rock Park attractive for several high-elevation species such as the darkeyed junco and the common raven, both of which breed here at a much lower elevation than anywhere else in the state. In addition, birds of prey thrive here. A pair of Peregrine falcons has been present in the Park for several years, and in 1990, they successfully fledged three chicks.

Spring and fall migration through Hickory Nut Gorge provide an annual show many visitors return for each year. Mixed flocks of tanagers, warblers and vireos move through the Gorge in the spring on the way to their summer breeding grounds in the north; they return in the fall on their journey south. And the hawk migration every September and October is a spectacle not to be missed. More than 500 broad-winged hawks may be observed soaring together high in the sky on their way south. Smaller numbers of sharp-shinned, Cooper's and red-shouldered hawks also pass through.

In the winter months, birds are scarce in the Park. Birds of higher elevations move into the valleys as cold weather approaches.

The Park offers Guided Bird Walks through out the year. If you would like more information check out the events calendar, or contact the Park office at 1-800-277-9611 or e-mail us with your request.

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