(NPS Photo)

Bird eggs in a cannon barrel

From the bald eagle to the tiny ruby-throated hummingbird, Shiloh is home to a diverse group of bird species. Within the course of a year, 186 different species of birds have been documented within the boundaries of the park. The Tennessee River, which borders the park on the eastern side, is a popular flyway for waterfowl, raptors, songbirds during spring and fall migration. The vast array of plant life from trees to grasses provides shelter and food for these birds. Transient birds, or birds that strictly migrate through the park, include the common loon, double-breasted cormorant, cerulean warbler, warbling vireo, and dickcissel. In the summer months, such birds as the barn swallow, northern parula, yellow-billed cuckoo, orchard oriole, chimney swift, and blue-grey gnatcatcher nest and fledge young. During the cold season, the brown creeper, yellow-bellied sapsucker, dark-eyed junco, yellow-rumped warbler, northern harrier, and sharp-shinned hawk call Shiloh home. Year-round bird residents include the mockingbird, cardinal, red-tailed hawk, chipping sparrow, eastern bluebird, great-horned owl, red-bellied woodpecker, and northern bobwhite.