All-time List of Species Occurring on Tennessee Christmas Bird Counts and Documentation of Rare Species

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Carl Sagan (and others) [see also comment at bottom]

In the table below, almost all species (c. 271, including a few exotics) ever recorded on Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) in Tennessee and submitted to the tri-continental CBC database are listed.  Furthermore, species for which documentation is recommended on Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) in Tennessee are bold-faced and annotated.  If the species is annotated with one asterisk, documentation of its presence on a CBC is recommended (or the species may be listed with the ND [i.e., no details] code); if the species is annotated with two asterisks, documentation is strongly recommended (or the species may be deleted from the count on which it is reported).  For some species, compiler certification (CC) of the experience and competence of the observers can be provided in lieu of documentation.

    While being comprehensive for species found on CBCs whose data were submitted to the tri-continental database, this list may not cover some species that have been reported on CBCs that were not submitted to the tri-continental CBC database; if you know of such species, please send a list of them.  If a species is not listed below, assume that documentation for it is strongly recommended.

    Some CBC compilers appear to be under the impression that the presence of rare species on their counts in the past is reason to remove those species from the list of species requiring documentation.  This impression should not be promoted.  If a species needs documentation in any year, it is recommended that it be documented in all years of its appearance on a given CBC.  Mere recurrence of a rare species does not remove the obligation to document its presence.

    As all birders come to know, advanced birders have more, not less, obligation to submit documentation about rarities than do beginner or intermediate level birders.  Setting a good example for less advanced birders is one of the more important actions of all advanced birders.

Good bird counting,

Stephen J. Stedman

Mark Greene (greenesnake@yahoo.com) is the current Regional Editor for Tennessee.

Key to Annotation Codes:

* = Documentation recommended (or species may be listed with ND [No Details] code)
** = Documentation strongly recommended (or species may be deleted)
(CC) = Compiler's certification of competence of observer(s) may substitute for observer documentation; place the certification statement in the Special Aspects section of the CBC data-entry program
[  ] = species of dubious provenance or taxonomy

A table of data relating to each of over 50 sites where CBCs have been conducted in Tennessee is available via the following link:

• CBCs in Tennessee

A wonderful comment about the general misunderstanding of what it means to provide details or a description of the bird documented on a Rare Bird Report Form is provided below (with thanks to the author):

... many (most?) birders' inability to grasp the concept of a description (at least in the U.S.) is the bane of all of us who deal with bird records in any way. As someone who has been on records committees and done field notes columns long before eBird emerged, I'm acutely aware that even when you ask for a description you often just get a long commentary, possibly starting with what the birder had for breakfast (and maybe ending with "It looked just like the picture in the field guide"). Over a few decades of doing this I've seen the situation improve marginally at best, although of course the best birders wouldn't think of reporting something good without a description. Fairly recently I had a birder respond testily to a follow-up request explaining exactly what I meant by a description by saying that that would be "plagiarizing Sibley"!

Greg Hanisek
Waterbury, CT  

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