Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea)
Abundance: Very Uncommon; at least 39 records in 14 Regional counties, 4 in Kentucky and 10 in Tennessee (Map of UCR Distribution); data from the Regional bird-monitoring efforts are too few to determine a trend in the population migrating through the Region (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).
Status: Transient during spring (8 records) and fall (31 records); designated as an endangered breeding species by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission (2004); designated as in need of management by the Tennessee Division of Natural Heritage (2004); photograph (see link below).
Regional High Count: 19 (19 August 1990; Putnam County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman, Barbara H. Stedman; Stedman 1993).
Information on Records:
Late summer 1932 (1+) near Quebeck, White County, Tennessee (Henry M. Stevenson; Stevenson 1933).
22 and/or 23 April 1961 (1) Putnam County, Tennessee (observers unknown; Anonymous 1961a), a Spring Bird Count record.
13 July 1970 (1) Lillydale, Clay County, Tennessee (Roy T. Hinds; Parmer 1970c).
1 July 1973 (1—immature) Pickett County, Tennessee (observer not specified; Nicholson 1982a).
19 April 1975 (1) Putnam County, Tennessee (observers unknown; Williams 1975b), Spring Bird Count record.
14–22 July 1990 (1—immature) pond in southeast corner of intersection Rts. 111 and 70N, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman photo).
22–23 July 1990 (3—immatures) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman photo, Barbara H. Stedman).
19 August 1990 (19—adults) Monterey Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Barbara H. Stedman; Stedman 1993).
9 April 1992 (1—adult) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, David Hume; Stedman 1993).
18 & 26 July 1992 (1—immature) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (David Hume).
27 July–21 August 1992 (1—immature) Burgess Falls State Natural Area, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, m. ob.; Stedman 1993).
11 July–26 September 1993 (1–3—immatures) 8 miles east of Monterey on Rt. 62, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Barbara H. Stedman; Knight 1994a).
31 July 1993 (1—immature) Monterey Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).
23–31 August 1993 (1—immature) Burgess Falls Natural Area, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).
4 September 1993 (2—immatures [JBE notes]) Casey Creek area, Green River Lake, Adair County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.).
10 April 1994 (1) Jackson County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).
18 May 1997 (2—1 adult and 1 mottled immature) Pumphouse Pond, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton, Mary Kissel).
19 July 1998 (1—immature) Lake Cumberland Wildlife Management Area, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Steve Denton, Samson Denton).
4 April 1999 (1—adult) Lake Cumberland Wildlife Management Area, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).
28 July/29 July-27 August 2004 (2—immatures/1—immature) Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo), photo (August 2004, Roseanna M. Denton).
12 August 2004 (1—immature) Warren County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman photo, Winston A. Walden).
31 July–22 August 2005 (1—immature) Celina, Clay County, Tennessee (Terry M. Campbell photo),.
27 September 2005 (4—immatures) Thurston's Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2006a).
26 July 2006 (4—immatures) Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).
29 July/12/21 August 2006 (1/4/2—immatures) both sides of river below dam at Rock Island State Park, White/Warren County, Tennessee (Marti Downs, Douglas A. Downs/Douglas A. Downs/Stephen J. Stedman).
19 August 2006 (1—immature) Thurston's Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).
21/24 August 2006 (2/1—immatures) Randolph Pond, Walter Stone Rd., White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman/Douglas A. Downs).
2–3 September 2006 (1—immature) Mud Creek area, Warren County, Tennessee (Susan McWhirter, Mac McWhirter).
24 July–13 August 2007 (1—immature) Casey Creek, Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).
10 July 2008 (1—immature) Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).
12 July 2008 (2—immatures) Randolph Pond, Walter Stone Rd., White County, Tennessee (Douglas A. Downs photo, Stephen J. Stedman).
4 August 2009 (1—immature) Burns Lake near Bledsoe County High School, Bledsoe County, Tennessee (DJ Stanley photo).
17 August 2009 (1—immature) Dry Creek Unit, Barren WMA, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer photo).
4 July 2010 (2—immatures) Burnside Island, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Douglas McCoy photo).
19 July 2010 (1) Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).
6 August 2010 (10+) Clay County, Tennessee (Terry M. Campbell photo).
14 September 2010 (1—adult) Evins Mill, DeKalb County, Tennessee (Judy C. Fuson).
20 April 2011 (1) Pumphouse Pond, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).
23 May 2011 (1—adult) Standing Stone State Park, Overton County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman photo), an Overton County Foray record.
Regional Extreme Dates:
Spring: 4 April 1999 (Pulaski County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton)–23 May 2011 (Overton County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman).
Fall: 1 July 1973 (Pickett County, Tennessee; observer not specified; Nicholson 1982a)–27 September 2005 (Wayne County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton).
Habitat:
YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.
Foray Results: A summary of data for late spring migrants from UCR Forays follows (to view a map displaying foray data for a county or a sub-Region for this species, click on the name of an underlined county or state below):
| County | Dates when Foray Conducted | Total
Blocks in County * |
Total
Blocks in which Little Blue Heron Recorded |
Total
Transients Recorded |
| Adair | 8–16 June 2014 | 46 | 0 | 0 |
| Barren | 1–6 June 2013 | 54 | 0 | 0 |
| Clinton | 12–14 June 2009 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Cumberland | 16–20 June 2014 | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| McCreary | 30 May–5 Jun 2011 | 51 | 0 | 0 |
| Metcalfe | 8–12 June 2013 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Monroe | 1–12 June 2015 | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| Pulaski | 5–11 June 2010 | 72 | 0 | 0 |
| Russell | 13–16, 26–29 June 2012 | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| Wayne | 28 May–3 June 2012 | 54 | 0 | 0 |
| Kentucky | 434 (408) | 0 (0%) | 0 | |
| Bledsoe | 18–24 June 2012 | 48 | 0 | 0 |
| Clay | 12–15 June 2010 | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| Cumberland | 29 May–4 June 2010 | 75 | 0 | 0 |
| DeKalb | 23–26 May 2008 | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| Fentress | 11–17 June 2012 | 55 | 0 | 0 |
| Jackson | 29 May–1 Jun 2009 | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| Macon | 17–22 June 2013 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Morgan | 1–8 June 2014 | 58 | 0 | 0 |
| Overton | 23–29 May 2011 | 47 | 1 | 1 |
| Pickett | 22–25 May 2009 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Putnam | 6–12 June 2011 | 46 | 0 | 0 |
| Scott | 9–24 June 2016 | 62 | 0 | 0 |
| Smith | 15–25 June 2015 | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| Van Buren | 13–15 June 2011 | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Warren | 1–10 June 2016 | 47 | 0 | 0 |
| White | 1–6 June 2015 | 50 | 0 | 0 |
| Tennessee | 724 (651) | 1 (0.14%) | 1 | |
| Region | 1158 (c. 1059) | 1 (0.09%) | 1 |
* Because some foray blocks fall into two or three counties, the total of blocks in the Kentucky or Tennessee portions of the Region is less than the sum of the blocks in the counties of each portion of the Region; similarly, because some blocks fall into both states, the total of blocks for the Region is less than the sum of the blocks in the two states.
Remarks: Except for the record involving the high count, all fall reports have concerned herons in immature plumage.
Alsop (undated [1980]) indicates a record in Smith County, Tennessee, but provides no details.
Check-lists of Birds for the Counties of the UCR
Check-lists of the birds of each county of the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed by clicking on the links below. For each county, there are two check-lists: one list that shows the species that have been observed and where possible documented in the county within the larger list for the entire Region; and one list that includes only the species observed in the county with annotations for the date and observers for at least one sighting (the ultimate goal of the latter list will be to include annotations for the very first known Regional observation of each species in that county; this goal is probably one that will take many years to complete, if completion is even a possibility). To see if the species discussed in this species account has been observed in a county, click below or click on the link for the Map of UCR Distribution near the top of the page.
| Barren | Metcalfe | Adair | Russell | Pulaski |
| Monroe | Cumberland | Clinton | Wayne | McCreary |
| Macon | Clay | Pickett | Fentress | Scott |
| Smith | Jackson | Overton | Putnam | Morgan |
| DeKalb | White | Cumberland | ||
| Warren | Van Buren | Bledsoe |
Check-lists of Birds for Some Public Access Birding Sites of the UCR
Check-lists of the birds of some public access birding sites within the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed via the links below. To see if the species dealt with in this species account has been observed within any of these sites, click on the appropriate link below. See the pages for each county within the Gazetteer for links to additional smaller public access birding sites with check-lists in progress.
Literature Cited
