Backyard birds in Bristol, Tennessee
Which birds visit Bristol yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Bristol's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 36.595°, -82.189°
- Population
- 26,666
- June 21 daylight
- 14 h 40 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 39 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:56 AM / 6:10 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- roughly 3 days later than the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 6a–8a
Nesting timing in Bristol
The state guides give nesting windows for Tennessee as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 35.8°N). Bristol is at 36.6°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts roughly 3 days later than the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Bristol goes from 9 h 39 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 14 h 40 min in June, a 5 h 0 min swing.
- Northern Cardinal — state window April–August
- Eastern Bluebird — state window April–August; box hole 1 1/2 in round (1 9/16 in for Mountain/Western overlap)
- Carolina Chickadee — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Purple Martin — state window May–July; box hole 1 3/4–2 1/8 in round, or starling-resistant crescent (3 × 1 3/16 in)
- Downy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Hairy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/2 in round
- American Goldfinch — state window July–September
- Tufted Titmouse — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Blue Jay — state window April–July
Birds you can expect in Bristol
Year-round residents (63)
Northern Cardinals, Eastern Bluebirds, Carolina Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinchs, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatchs, Blue Jays, House Finchs, Carolina Wrens, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Song Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Brown-headed Nuthatchs, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Eastern Towhees, Northern Mockingbirds, Brown Thrashers, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Phoebes, Pine Warblers, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Eurasian Collared-Doves, American Crows, Common Ravens, Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, American Kestrels, Wood Ducks, Wild Turkeys, Northern Bobwhites, Mallards, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Eastern Meadowlarks, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Field Sparrows, Hooded Mergansers, Canada Gooses, Killdeers, American Woodcocks, Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons, Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures, Bald Eagles, Red-shouldered Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, Barn Owls, Horned Larks, Brown-headed Nuthatchs, Rock Pigeons
Summer breeders (41)
Purple Martins, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Gray Catbirds, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Chimney Swifts, Wood Thrushs, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, Scarlet Tanagers, Gray Catbirds, Lark Sparrows, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts, Black-and-white Warblers, Yellow-throated Warblers, Prothonotary Warblers, Ovenbirds, Yellow-breasted Chats, Red-eyed Vireos, Warbling Vireos, White-eyed Vireos, Eastern Wood-Pewees, Cliff Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Bank Swallows, Common Nighthawks, Eastern Whip-poor-wills, American Coots, Spotted Sandpipers, Green Herons, Ospreys, Savannah Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Blue Grosbeaks, Yellow-billed Cuckoos
Winter visitors (25)
Purple Finchs, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Pine Siskins, Yellow-rumped Warblers, American Tree Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushs, Winter Wrens, Red Crossbills, Orange-crowned Warblers, Palm Warblers, Merlins, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Swamp Sparrows, White-winged Crossbills, Brewer's Blackbirds, Rusty Blackbirds
Moderate winters; high elevations in the Smokies hold northern species year-round.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Bristol
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Bristol, sunrise is around 6:56 AM in mid-April, 6:10 AM at the June solstice and 7:36 AM in late December (local time, America/New York). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Bristol yards
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Nearby cities in Tennessee
- Kingsport — 21 mi away, nesting about the same time as Bristol
- Johnson City — 21 mi away, nesting about the same time as Bristol
- Greeneville — 47 mi away, nesting about the same time as Bristol
- Morristown — 67 mi away, nesting about the same time as Bristol
- Sevierville — 91 mi away, nesting roughly 3 days earlier than Bristol
- Knoxville — 106 mi away, nesting roughly 3 days earlier than Bristol
Frequently asked
What birds live in Bristol all year?
Year-round residents across Tennessee include Northern Cardinal, Eastern Bluebird, Carolina Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker. All of them visit backyard feeders in Bristol.
When do birds start nesting in Bristol?
Bristol sits at a different latitude from Tennessee's population centre, so nesting runs roughly 3 days later than the state-wide average, going by the rule of about 4 days per degree of latitude.
What time does the dawn chorus start in Bristol?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Bristol, sunrise is around 6:56 AM in mid-April and 6:10 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Tennessee
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- GeoNames gazetteer (city coordinates & population)
- NOAA Solar Calculator methodology
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.