Shenandoah National Park guide · 1 min read
Black Bears, Deer and 200 Bird Species
Black bears and white-tailed deer are among the animals you may meet in Shenandoah National Park.
Visitors who stay alert have a fair shot at spotting a black bear during a visit. Bears are wild animals, and anyone who sees one should keep a respectful distance.
More than 190 bird species have been recorded in the park, and about half of them nest here. Around thirty kinds stay all year, among them red-tailed hawks, barred owls, wild turkeys and Carolina chickadees. Spring is a strong season for birding, since migrating birds pass through and are easiest to pick out before the leaves fill in. Birdwatching suits the whole family, and some visitors turn it into a friendly contest to see who can log the most species.
Big Meadows is a good place to start, because some of the birds living there turn up in no other part of the park. Watching and photographing wildlife is one of the real pleasures of a visit here. Most encounters leave the animal unaffected, but these are wild creatures and deserve respect.
The park's 51 reptile and amphibian species include 16 kinds of non-venomous snakes. Two venomous snakes also live here, the timber rattlesnake and the copperhead. Snakes are shy and seldom bother people, but you may find one sunning on a rock or across a trail. Watch where you step, check under leaf litter and logs before you move them, and leave any snake alone.
Other mammals in the park include coyotes, raccoons, beavers, river otters, bobcats, and eastern cottontail rabbits. Thirty-two fish species have been recorded in the park, and brook trout is one of them.
