Natural Resources: Birds & Birdwatching

The Daniel Boone National Forest occurs within the Cumberland Upland Avifaunal Region. This region of Kentucky offers diverse avian habitat, providing excellent opportunities to view songbirds, waterfowl, raptors, and other birds in their native environment.

For birdwatchers, the Daniel Boone National Forest provides year-round enjoyment. Many neotropical migratory songbirds nest here in the summer, while the northern nesters (such as dark-eyed juncos, pine siskins, and evening grosbeaks) migrate here for the winter.

Birdwatchers visit the forest each year to look and listen for some of the less common birds, such as the cerulean warbler. If you plan to visit the Forest and are interested in birdwatching, below are several "hot spots" you may want to check out:

Cave Run Lake and Laurel River Lake: Both of these lakes offer excellent opportunities to observe waterfowl. In the summer, expect to see Giant Canada geese, along with tree swallows, a possible bald eagle, osprey or double-crested cormorant. In the winter, common loons, pied-billed grebes, American coots, hooded mergansers, and ring-billed or herring gulls spend their winters on the lakes. Cave Run Lake is on the Cumberland Ranger District; Laurel River Lake is on the London Ranger District.

Ano Strip Mines: The Ano Strip Mines consist of many acres of tall grass habitat. Species commonly observed on the strip mines include northern harrier, dicksissel, horned lark, and many sparrows such as song sparrow, field sparrow, fox sparrow, and grasshopper sparrow. Be sure to look for waterfowl and shorebirds along the edges of the old strip ponds.

Cumberland Ranger District Wetlands: The Cumberland Ranger District is restoring bottomland wetlands that offer ideal habitat for snag-dependent species and wading birds that require standing water. Look for tree swallows, prothonotary warblers, wood ducks, several woodpeckers, sandpipers, and green and great blue herons.

Red River Gorge: (Cumberland Ranger District) The Red River Gorge offers unique deep sandstone gorge habitat that supports the state's only known breeding site for red-breasted nuthatches. The Gorge also includes the Clifty Wilderness Area where Swainson's warblers, Louisiana waterthrush, Acadian flycatcher, and American redstarts are abundant.

Jellico Mountains: Located in the southeastern corner of the Stearns Ranger District, the Jellico Mountains offer large areas of upland hardwood forest in elevations over 2000 feet. This is one of the best areas to look for forest-interior birds such as cerulean warbler, scarlet tanager, American redstart and worm-eating warbler. Recent timber harvest areas have been known to support chestnut-sided warblers in the summer, as well as more common species such as hooded warbler, prairie warbler, white-eyed vireo, and yellow-breasted chat.

Birds of Prey

The American Peregrine Falcon

The American peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus anatum) is being returned to its natural environment among the towering cliffs of the Red River Gorge Geological Area on Cumberland Ranger District. These rare, spectacular birds once soared above Kentucky’s cliff-lined forests, until their disappearance from the state for more than half a century. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, the University of Kentucky, and the Forest Service are working together to restore peregrine falcon populations in Kentucky.

The restoration process is called "hacking." Young falcons are received as nestlings from falcon breeders and taken to sites chosen for their release. Nestlings are nurtured at their release site until ready to fly. During this time the young birds are imprinted by their surrounding environment. Peregrine falcons typically return to habitats similar in appearance to their initial place of flight.

Peregrine falcons released in the Red River Gorge may one day return to nest and reproduce in this region of the Commonwealth. The return of the peregrine falcon will provide the public with a renewed opportunity for wildlife viewing, to once again observe the magnificent flight of peregrine falcons across Kentucky’s open skies.

The American Bald Eagle

Come and see bald eagles on the Daniel Boone National Forest! Bald eagles can be seen along the shores of Laurel River Lake, Cave Run Lake, and the Cumberland River. The primary food source for bald eagles is fish, which explains why these birds are associated with lake and river habitats. Bald eagles typically migrate south as rivers and lakes in the north freeze over. Wintering bald eagles may arrive in Kentucky by the end of October. Their numbers usually peak by mid-January.

Bald eagles are successfully nesting and reproducing at Laurel River Lake, London Ranger District, and Cave Run Lake on the Cumberland Ranger District. The nest locations are protected by buoys that mark a “no disturbance zone” on the lakes. These zones are closed to public activity as long as the bald eagles use the nests. The closures are intended to encourage future nesting of bald eagles on the Daniel Boone National Forest.

Author: Wildlife Staff
Last Updated: August 4, 2008