Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

 

Purple Martin (Progne subis)

– 

Abundance: Fairly Common during spring, summer, and early fall; recorded in all Regional counties (Map of UCR Distribution); the Regional population is probably stable (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Summer Resident.

Regional High Count: 40,000+ (2 August 2008; Lillydale, Dale Hollow Lake, Clay County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman, Edmund K. LeGrand et al.); SBC/SBB High Count: 295 (3 May 2011; White County, Tennessee [SBC]; m. ob.); FBC/FBB High Count: 1 (23 September 2006; White County, Tennessee [FBC]; Winston A. Walden, Michael P. O'Rourke, Thomas M. Saya).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Early Spring: x (

    Late Fall: x (

    Note: Spring arrival usually widespread by 20 March; fall departure largely complete by 1 September.  Regional dates of earliest reported spring arrival and latest reported fall departure for the years 20022011 follow:

Year Early Spring Arrival Late Fall Departure
2002 16 March 18 August
2003 9 March 22 September
2004 3 March 25 August
2005 24 February 24 September
2006 4 March 24 September
2007 25 February 25 August
2008 27 February 6 September
2009 23 February --
2010 10 March --
2011 28 February 9 September

Breeding: Confirmed (Recent). 

Habitat: x

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: Registered on 8 (of 125 possible) monthly check-lists during 2003 and on 32 (of 206 possible) check-lists during 2004, leading to YardWatch frequency classifications of Very Uncommon and Fairly Common, respectively; the former YardWatch frequency classification is rather inconsistent with the Regional abundance classification, but the latter YardWatch frequency classification is reasonably consistent with the Regional abundance classification; reasons for this disparity are not clear.

Foray Results: A summary of data 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
Purple Martin
Recorded
Total Individuals
Recorded
         
Adair 816 June 2014 46 15 77
Barren 1–6 June 2013 54 39 356
Clinton 12–14 June 2009 24 17 183
Cumberland 1620 June 2014 35 15 71
McCreary 30 May5 Jun 2011 51 15 292
Metcalfe 812 June 2013 32 13 38
Monroe 1–12 June 2015 35 16 53
Pulaski 511 June 2010 72 49 263
Russell 1316, 2629 June 2012 31 13 81
Wayne 28 May3 June 2012 54 20 101
         
Kentucky   434 (408) 212 (48.8%) 1515
         
Bledsoe 1824 June 2012 48 26 168
Clay 12–15 June 2010 30 19 526
Cumberland 29 May4 June 2010 75 44 337
DeKalb 2326 May 2008 40 14 132
Fentress 1117 June 2012 55 17 97
Jackson 29 May1 Jun 2009 40 24 151
Macon 1722 June 2013 32 13 53
Morgan 1–8 June 2014 58 25 70
Overton 2329 May 2011 47 31 351
Pickett 2225 May 2009 24 9 23
Putnam 6–12 June 2011 46 31 423
Scott 924 June 2016 62 17 82
Smith 1525 June 2015 37 22 192
Van Buren 13–15 June 2011 33 14 102
Warren 1–10 June 2016 47 17 64
White 1–6 June 2015 50 13 58
         
Tennessee   724 (651) 336 (46.4%) 2829
         
Region   1158 (c. 1059) 548 (47.3%) 4344

* 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: During the years in the period from 2005 to 2012 one of the most spectacular avian events of the year was the annual mustering of tens of thousands of Purple Martins at Lillydale, Dale Hollow Lake, Clay County, Tennessee. From mid-July through mid-August the martin numbers at this site increase and then remain stable for about two weeks, after which a mass exodus leaves few martins at the site by the end of August. So many martins were in this roost that it showed up on radar screens at dawn and dusk.

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.

Burgess Falls SP, Putnam/White Counties, TN Barren River Lake SP, Barren County, KY
Cumberland Mountain SP, Cumberland County, TN General Burnside Island SP, Pulaski County, KY
Edgar Evins SP, DeKalb County, TN  
Fall Creek Falls SP, Bledsoe/Van Buren Counties, TN Pulaski County Park, Pulaski County, KY
Frozen Head SNA, Morgan County, TN Waitsboro Recreation Area, Pulaski County, KY
Rock Island SP, Warren/White Counties, TN  
Standing Stone SP, Overton County, TN Big South Fork NRRA, KY and TN
   
Cane Creek Park, Putnam County, TN  
Roaring River Recreation Area, Jackson County, TN  

Literature Cited