Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Willet (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus)

Willet [lateral view of alternate-plumaged individual]. Photograph Credit: Roseanna M. Denton; Thurston's Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky; 22 April 1999.

Abundance: Very Uncommon; 17 records in 12 Regional counties [1 uncertain in Kentucky], 6 [1 uncertain] in Kentucky and 6 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 (15 records) and fall (2 records), photographs (see links below).

Regional High Count: 175 (3 May 1979; DeKalb County, Tennessee; Craig Empson; Bierly 1979c).

Information on Records: 

5 or 6 May 1956 (5) Lake Cumberland, uncertain county, Kentucky (Kay Altsheler et al.; Altsheler 1957).

13 May 1969 (3) Lillydale, Dale Hollow Lake, Clay County, Tennessee (Roy T. Hinds; Parmer 1969c).

3 May 1979 (175) Cove Hollow, Center Hill Lake, DeKalb County, Tennessee (Craig Empson; Bierly 1979c [cites location as "Cold" Hollow]).

2 May 1982 (6) just above Cumberland Falls, Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, Whitley/McCreary county line, Kentucky (Stephen Satterfield photo, Rebecca Satterfield).

29 April 1989 (40+) Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (Jim Williams, Anne L. Stamm, Gerry Williams; Stamm 1989c).

24 April 1992 (5) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Barbara H. Stedman et al.; Stedman 1993).

1 June 1997 (1) Mason Grissom Rd., Warren County, Tennessee (Susan N. McWhirter).

22 April 1999 (1) Thurston's Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo [see above]).

21 April 2004 (2) Waitsboro Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2004c), photo.

2 May 2005 (30) Stubblefield Rd., Warren County, Tennessee (Jason W. Norris).

13 July 2005 (3) Taft Church Rd., White County, Tennessee (Douglas A. Downs, Stephen J. Stedman).

14 July 2005 (1) Black Oak Rd., White County, Tennessee (Douglas A. Downs, Stephen J. Stedman).

30 April 2009 (4) Barren River Lake State Resort Park, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer photo).

20 April 2010 (3) Waitsboro Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2010c).

9 May 2010 (2) Holmes Bend, Green River Lake, Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2010c).

28 April 2012 (21) Lake Holiday, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand photo).

10 May 2013 (4) Edgar Evins State Park, DeKalb County, Tennessee (Mark Taylor).

Regional Extreme Dates: 

    Spring: 20 April 2010 (Pulaski County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton)–1 June 1997 (Warren County, Tennessee; Susan N. McWhirter).

    Fall: 13 July 2005 (White County, Tennessee; Douglas A. Downs, Stephen J. Stedman)–14 July 2005 (White County, Tennessee; Douglas A. Downs, Stephen J. Stedman).

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Habitat: Usually found along shorelines of both large and small bodies of water, but may perch on floating debris found in large bodies of water as was the case for the record from Pulaski County, Kentucky.

Remarks: Window of occurrence during spring fairly narrow, especially since there is only one record after 13 May—and the considerably more narrow during fall; note the possibility of encountering a medium- to large-sized flock.  The DeKalb County, Tennessee, sighting represented the high count for Tennessee at the time (Robinson 1990).  The first Barren County Willet flock was one of the two largest flocks to have occurred in Kentucky at the time it was observed, but the record number is now considerably higher—154 (Palmer-Ball 2003).

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.

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