Birding spots · North Carolina
Best Birding Spots in Swain County, North Carolina
Governors Island leads Swain County's birding spots with 147 species reported, best in spring. 15 spots in the county have enough data to rank.
Species counts are birds reported at least three times in that season at that spot, 2016–2025. Busy spots list more species simply because more people look, so compare the checklist counts. Spot names come from public map data and hotspot listings.
| Spot | Species | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governors Island | 147 | 74 | 122 | 86 | 109 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Raven Fork) | 108 | 30 | 87 | 61 | 59 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 87 | 0 | 33 | 67 | 46 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Juney Whank Branch) | 67 | 3 | 45 | 38 | 20 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Bradley Fork) | 64 | 13 | 49 | 31 | 18 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Black Camp Gap) | 58 | 0 | 43 | 39 | 29 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Mine Branch) | 56 | 3 | 32 | 35 | 22 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Flat Creek Bald) | 52 | 0 | 19 | 41 | 21 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Overlook Ridge) | 51 | 0 | 25 | 36 | 19 |
| Oconaluftee Islands Park | 44 | 4 | 30 | 27 | 9 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Andrews Bald) | 40 | 0 | 20 | 34 | 12 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Kanati Fork) | 37 | 0 | 32 | 21 | 8 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Collins Creek) | 37 | 0 | 30 | 18 | 8 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Luftee Gap) | 32 | 0 | 12 | 24 | 12 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Rocky Fork Ridge) | 28 | 1 | 18 | 15 | 11 |