Wingbeats // Birding Guide

Welcome to birding in Knox County

Knox County is a great birding location with diverse habitats and over 276 species recorded in the last 10 years. From The Cove to Seven Islands, there are hotspots for every season. Use this guide to discover where to find your target birds and explore the rich avian diversity of our county.

The top birding locations list below is generated by analyzing eBird checklists from Knox County from the last 10 years (including the current partial year), and ordered by the number of species recorded at each hotspot.

The seasonal lists below are generated by analyzing eBird checklists from Knox County from the last 10 years, including the current partial year. Birds are categorized into two distinct groups to help you find what makes each location special:

Notable Species

These are the birds that are a "speciality" of a hotspot. To be listed, a species must be:

Seen 1.5x more frequently here than the regional average.
Found on at least 5% of local checklists — reliably findable, not just a statistical quirk.
Present in at least 2 separate years.
Available in >30% of years with data.

* This excludes "one-hit wonders" to ensure you can more reliably expect to find these birds in season.

Regional Rarities

These are unusual and exciting finds for the county.

Present on less than 1% of all checklists in the region.
Often one-time sightings or very localized specialties.

* Shown with their last seen year so you know if it's a recent record or a historical rarity.

About the Data

Citation: eBird Basic Dataset. Version: EBD_relMay-2026. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. May 2026.
Data freshness: Data is current as of May 2026.
Scope: Statistics shown here (checklists, observations, species) reflect eBird hotspot checklists only. The Migration Data page uses all checklist types and complete calendar years, so its counts will differ.
Exclusions: Locations marked as "No Access", "Restricted Access", or "Private Property" are excluded.
New Hotspots: Hotspots with less than 2 years of data may rank lower or show fewer notable species until reliability is established.
Ranking Logic: Hotspots are ranked by a combination of unique species presence and overall diversity. The "uniqueness" score is capped for any single species to prevent one rare bird from skewing the results.

Looking for a specific bird? Search below to find the top hotspots for any species recorded in Knox County by season, based on frequency of observation.

The most species-rich hotspots in Knox County. The bars show each location's share of the county's 276 total species and 183 migratory species.

Total species Migratory species

1

Seven Islands State Birding Park

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220 of 276

149 of 183

2

Melton Hill Lake--TVA Parcel 65

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192 of 276

132 of 183

3

Concord Park--The Cove

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187 of 276

123 of 183

4

Cherokee Farm

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182 of 276

122 of 183

5

Forks of the River WMA

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175 of 276

109 of 183

6

Lakeshore Park

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174 of 276

115 of 183

7

Melton Hill Park

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174 of 276

112 of 183

8

Halls Greenway and Marsh

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159 of 276

102 of 183

9

Ijams Nature Center

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158 of 276

99 of 183

10

Sharp's Ridge

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152 of 276

94 of 183

Each location is ranked by the unique birds you can find there in season. Specialties are species seen here at least 1.5× more often than the county average and on at least 5% of local checklists. Rare sightings are birds found on fewer than 1% of all county checklists. Tap a location to see what makes it special.