South · Mississippi Flyway
Eagles in Tennessee
Eagles in Tennessee come down to 2 species with regular eBird records, led by the Bald Eagle. Together they account for 40,227 of the 8.7 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 0.5% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle. Two eagles occur regularly in the United States: the Bald Eagle, which nests near open water and has recovered strongly from its mid-twentieth-century decline, and the Golden Eagle of western mountains and open country. Both are among the largest raptors on the continent.
Eagles in Tennessee: every species, most-reported first
Every eagle with at least 25 eBird records in the state from 2020–2024, most-reported first. The status label is derived from each species’ own monthly share of all state records.
1. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) — 39,990 records, 0.5% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) — 237 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from December to February and peaking in January.
When to see eagles in Tennessee
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, eagles are most prominent in December, January and November and least in June and July. 1 of the 2 species is year-round — Bald Eagle — so there is no month without them.
Winter visitors. Golden Eagle arrives around December and leaves after February (peak January).
Attracting eagles to Tennessee backyards
Eagles are birds to go and see. Bald Eagles concentrate below dams and on open water in winter and at nest sites in late winter and spring; most states now have well-known nest-viewing spots.
In Tennessee the eagle most likely to turn up is the Bald Eagle.
Eagles in Tennessee: FAQ
How many species of eagles are there in Tennessee?
2 species of eagles have regular eBird records in Tennessee (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle.
What is the most common eagle in Tennessee?
The Bald Eagle, with 39,990 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Golden Eagle with 237. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see eagles in Tennessee?
December, January and November, when the combined share of Tennessee eBird records belonging to eagles is highest. Winter visitors such as the Golden Eagle arrive around December.
Are there eagles in Tennessee?
Yes. the Bald Eagle (39,990 eBird records, year-round) and the Golden Eagle (237 eBird records, winter visitor) are regularly recorded in Tennessee.
More birds in Tennessee
Eagles in other states
Eagles in Tennessee: sources
Every number on this page comes from the EOD – eBird Observation Dataset published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and distributed through GBIF under a CC BY 4.0 license: Tennessee records from 2020–2024, retrieved 2026-09-18. Species are drawn from the families Accipitridae; only species with at least 25 records are listed, and a species is called a year-round resident when its monthly share of state records stays above 30% of its own peak in ten or more months. “Records” are individual eBird observations, so they reflect how often birders report a species, not a population count.