Results of Putnam County Spring Bird Counts, 1971–1978
Data from Spring Bird Counts (SBC) conducted in Putnam County during the period from 1971 to 1978 are presented below. It should be noted that the results for the 1971 count reflect two days of effort rather than one day's effort, the usual standard for SBCs since the early 1990s. Data from SBCs conducted during this period also reflect effort expended in an area within about ten miles of Cookeville rather than within the entire county. The dates of the SBCs during this "decade" cover a wider range than is true for counts undertaken from 1992 onwards. These sources of variability in the data make comparison of results from year to year within this "decade" hazardous; they also make comparison of results from this "decade" difficult to compare with results from later decades.
Despite the limitations that must be imposed on these data with regard to comparison with other SBC data, they still allow some interesting developments in the changing avifauna of Putnam County to be seen. For instance, the timing of the arrival into the county of permanent resident Canada Geese is "visible" in the SBC data from this "decade." The continuing presence of Bewick's Wren in the county may be discerned within the results of these SBCs. Also, it can be seen that the arrival of House Finches into the county had not yet taken place.
The data from these SBCs also allow a better view of some changes in the spring bird populations than do the data from SBCs conducted in later decades. For instance, the reduction in numbers of some wintering sparrows resulting from migratory departure northward may be better viewed in the table below than in tables for later SBC decades. The increase in numbers of common summer residents such as Indigo Buntings during the period from mid-April to early May is also better viewed here than in tables providing data from later decades.
If there are no data for a given species in this table, it means that the species went unrecorded on SBCs during this "decade" but has been recorded during earlier or later decades of coverage. Effort and weather data for SBCs conducted during this period are largely unavailable.
| Year | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 |
| Date(s) (April/May) | 24/25 | 22 | 20 | 27 | 19 | 24 | 23 | 6 |
| Number Parties | ||||||||
| Number Observers | ||||||||
| Number Feederwatchers | ||||||||
| Start CDT | ||||||||
| End CDT | ||||||||
| Total Party Hours | ||||||||
| Total Party Miles | ||||||||
| Owling Hours | ||||||||
| Owling Miles | ||||||||
| Feeder-watching Hours | ||||||||
| Low Temperature (F) | ||||||||
| High Temperature (F) | ||||||||
| Wind Direction | ||||||||
| Wind AM (mph) | ||||||||
| Wind PM (mph) | ||||||||
| Sky AM | ||||||||
| Sky PM | ||||||||
| Precipitation AM | ||||||||
| Precipitation PM | ||||||||
| Moon Phase | ||||||||
| Total Species | 76 | 82 | 76 | 74 | 88 | 98 | 101 | 98 |
| Year | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 |
| Snow Goose | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Canada Goose | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 7 | 2 |
| Wood Duck | -- | 3 | -- | -- | -- | 4 | 3 | -- |
| Blue-winged Teal | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4 | -- | -- |
| Northern Shoveler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| American Wigeon | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Mallard | -- | 4 | -- | -- | -- | 7 | -- | -- |
| Ring-necked Duck | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Lesser Scaup | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Long-tailed Duck | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Hooded Merganser | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Common Merganser | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Red-breasted Merganser | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| merganser sp. | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Ruddy Duck | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Northern Bobwhite | 23 | 33 | 34 | 29 | 18 | 36 | 68 | 21 |
| Ruffed Grouse | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Wild Turkey | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Pied-billed Grebe | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Rock Pigeon | -- | -- | -- | -- | 15 | 12 | 2 | -- |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Mourning Dove | 101 | 91 | 107 | 123 | 94 | 191 | 229 | 135 |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | 4 | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | 1 | 5 |
| Black-billed Cuckoo | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Common Nighthawk | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | 5 | -- | 1 |
| Chuck-will's-widow | 2 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | 6 | -- | 3 |
| Eastern Whip-poor-will | -- | 3 | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Chimney Swift | 57 | 55 | 155 | 86 | 29 | 156 | 49 | 115 |
| Ruby-thr. Hummingbird | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Year | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 |
| Sora | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| American Coot | -- | 6 | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
| Semipalmated Plover | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Killdeer | 6 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 23 | 37 | 12 |
| Spotted Sandpiper | 1 | 9 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 4 |
| Solitary Sandpiper | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 4 | 5 |
| Greater Yellowlegs | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Semipalmated Sandpiper | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Least Sandpiper | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| White-rumped Sandpiper | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| peep sp. | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | - | -- |
| Pectoral Sandpiper | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Short-billed Dowitcher | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Dowitcher sp. | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Wilson's Snipe | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 8 | -- |
| American Woodcock | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 6 | 5 | -- |
| Forster's Tern | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Tern Sp. | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Common Loon | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Double-crested Cormorant | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Great Blue Heron | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Great Egret | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Little Blue Heron | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Cattle Egret | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Green Heron | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Night-Heron sp. | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Year | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 |
| Black Vulture | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Turkey Vulture | -- | 3 | 11 | -- | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Osprey | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Northern Harrier | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 | -- | -- |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Cooper's Hawk | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 2 | -- | 2 | -- |
| Accipiter sp | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Bald Eagle | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Mississippi Kite | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 2 | -- | 1 | -- | 2 | -- | 2 | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
| Barn Owl | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Eastern Screech-Owl | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | -- |
| Great Horned Owl | 2 | 2 | -- | -- | 2 | 3 | -- | -- |
| Barred Owl | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Belted Kingfisher | 1 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | -- | 2 |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | 9 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 6 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | 13 | 18 | 16 | 31 | 17 | 33 | 37 | 14 |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 7 | 14 | 15 | 7 | 33 | 10 | 19 | 10 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | -- | 5 | 9 | 2 |
| Northern Flicker | 24 | 22 | 28 | 25 | 19 | 24 | 36 | 25 |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 6 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 4 |
| American Kestrel | 4 | -- | 7 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 16 | 2 |
| Merlin | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Year | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | 5 | 7 | 3 | -- | -- | 7 | 1 | 22 |
| Eastern Kingbird | 9 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
| Olive-sided Flycatcher | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -- | 1 | 2 | 15 |
| Acadian Flycatcher | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Willow Flycatcher | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Least Flycatcher | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Empidonax sp. | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Eastern Phoebe | 12 | 4 | 19 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 16 |
| Loggerhead Shrike | -- | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| White-eyed Vireo | 8 | -- | 7 | 10 | 10 | 27 | 36 | 25 |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 | 4 | -- | -- |
| Blue-headed Vireo | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Warbling Vireo | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Philadelphia Vireo | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Red-eyed Vireo | 7 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 19 | 37 | 31 |
| Blue Jay | 121 | 93 | 185 | 193 | 104 | 156 | 147 | 98 |
| American Crow | 55 | 58 | 80 | 75 | 62 | 78 | 82 | 79 |
| Horned Lark | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Purple Martin | 24 | 50 | 39 | 29 | 14 | 40 | 43 | 28 |
| Tree Swallow | -- | 1 | 2 | -- | 4 | -- | 4 | -- |
| N. Rough-winged Swallow | -- | -- | 6 | -- | 2 | 7 | 3 | -- |
| Bank Swallow | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Cliff Swallow | -- | -- | 2 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Barn Swallow | 31 | 62 | 35 | 54 | 55 | 74 | 127 | 131 |
| Year | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 |
| Carolina Chickadee | 19 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 53 | 16 |
| Tufted Titmouse | 34 | 32 | 62 | 53 | 53 | 47 | 55 | 22 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 | 1 | -- |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 3 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| Brown-headed Nuthatch | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Brown Creeper | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- |
| House Wren | -- | 13 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Winter Wren | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- |
| Sedge Wren | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Marsh Wren | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Carolina Wren | 21 | 16 | 28 | 27 | 15 | 29 | 31 | 5 |
| Bewick's Wren | 5 | 2 | 2 | -- | -- | 6 | 2 | -- |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 17 | 7 |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 7 | -- | -- |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | 2 | -- | 1 | -- |
| Eastern Bluebird | 53 | 35 | 35 | 39 | 17 | 46 | 45 | 21 |
| Veery | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Gray-cheeked Thrush | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Swainson's Thrush | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 |
| Hermit Thrush | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Wood Thrush | 9 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 21 | 27 | 18 |
| American Robin | 65 | 101 | 125 | 121 | 80 | 219 | 161 | 102 |
| Gray Catbird | 14 | 18 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 30 | 7 | 41 |
| Northern Mockingbird | 34 | 37 | 62 | 50 | 25 | 58 | 56 | 40 |
| Brown Thrasher | 58 | 38 | 43 | 27 | 41 | 48 | 45 | 41 |
| European Starling | 76 | 118 | 195 | 136 | 250 | 500 | 250 | 92 |
| Cedar Waxwing | 1 | 29 | -- | 7 | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
| House Sparrow | 53 | 35 | 44 | 40 | 26 | 51 | 59 | 54 |
| American Pipit | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Evening Grosbeak | -- | 22 | 39 | -- | -- | 40 | -- | -- |
| House Finch | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Purple Finch | -- | 17 | 20 | 3 | 68 | 1 | 4 | -- |
| Pine Siskin | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| American Goldfinch | 73 | 113 | 29 | 107 | 80 | 31 | 79 | 33 |
| Year | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 |
| Eastern Towhee | 41 | 47 | 68 | 15 | 36 | 53 | 48 | 26 |
| Am. Tree Sparrow | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Chipping Sparrow | 14 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 35 | 29 | 62 | 34 |
| Field Sparrow | 30 | 35 | 62 | 57 | 84 | 46 | 78 | 33 |
| Vesper Sparrow | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Lark Sparrow | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Savannah Sparrow | 4 | 6 | -- | 13 | 7 | -- | -- | -- |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | 10 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Henslow's Sparrow | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Fox Sparrow | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Song Sparrow | 7 | 11 | 28 | 28 | 12 | 26 | 49 | 25 |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Swamp Sparrow | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | 9 | 9 | -- |
| White-crowned Sparrow | 3 | 3 | -- | -- | 2 | 7 | 6 | 15 |
| White-throated Sparrow | 26 | 10 | 78 | 85 | 64 | 112 | 106 | 26 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | -- | -- | 3 | -- | 8 | 8 | 3 | -- |
| Yellow-breasted Chat | 2 | 8 | -- | 3 | 1 | 17 | 4 | 36 |
| Bobolink | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Eastern Meadowlark | 145 | 100 | 174 | 190 | 133 | 190 | 215 | 104 |
| Orchard Oriole | 1 | 1 | 1 | -- | 2 | 20 | 10 | 18 |
| Baltimore Oriole | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 57 | 22 | 49 | 100 | 43 | 80 | 402 | 107 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 17 | 53 | 92 | 77 | 165 | 84 | 69 | 56 |
| Rusty Blackbird | 2 | 14 | 2 | -- | -- | 5 | 2 | 15 |
| Brewer's Blackbird | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Common Grackle | 196 | 155 | 321 | 275 | 17000 | 300 | 601 | 170 |
| Year | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 |
| Ovenbird | -- | 2 | 2 | -- | 3 | 2 | 12 | -- |
| Worm-eating Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 2 |
| Louisiana Waterthrush | -- | 3 | -- | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Northern Waterthrush | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Golden-winged Warbler | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Blue-winged Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Black-and-white Warbler | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Prothonotary Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Swainson's Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Tennessee Warbler | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Orange-crowned Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- |
| Nashville Warbler | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Connecticut Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Mourning Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Kentucky Warbler | -- | -- | -- | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Common Yellowthroat | 2 | 7 | 7 | 45 | 3 | 60 | 58 | 70 |
| Hooded Warbler | -- | -- | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 4 |
| American Redstart | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 21 | -- |
| Cape May Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Cerulean Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Northern Parula | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Magnolia Warbler | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Bay-breasted Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Blackburnian Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Yellow Warbler | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -- | -- | 11 | 12 |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Blackpoll Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 8 | 1 |
| Black-throated Bl. Warb. | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Palm Warbler | 1 | 3 | -- | 4 | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Pine Warbler | -- | -- | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 4 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | 6 | 6 | -- | 6 | 30 | 21 | 4 | 4 |
| Yellow-throated Warbler | 1 | -- | -- | 3 | 1 | -- | 2 | 2 |
| Prairie Warbler | -- | -- | 4 | 32 | 4 | 15 | 22 | 11 |
| Black-thr. Green Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 2 | -- | -- |
| Canada Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 1 |
| Wilson's Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Summer Tanager | 10 | 6 | -- | 5 | 3 | 17 | 18 | 22 |
| Scarlet Tanager | 3 | 2 | -- | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| Northern Cardinal | 110 | 129 | 169 | 188 | 143 | 114 | 192 | 125 |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | -- | -- | 7 | -- | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Blue Grosbeak | -- | -- | -- | 5 | -- | 5 | -- | 7 |
| Indigo Bunting | 14 | 11 | 5 | 16 | 11 | 29 | 14 | 89 |
| Dickcissel | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Total Individuals | ||||||||
| Total Species | 76 | 82 | 76 | 74 | 88 | 98 | 101 | 98 |
| Cumulative Species Total | ||||||||
| Year | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 |
Results of SBCs conducted in Putnam County 1961–1978 derive from reports published in the TOS journal.
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