Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

 

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

American Robin [ventral view of adult].Photograph Credit: Stephen J. Stedman; City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee; 10 November 2013.

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Abundance: Common at all seasons; recorded in all Regional counties (Map of UCR Distribution); the breeding population trend is stable or possibly increasing (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Permanent Resident; specimen (16 June 1938; Stearns, McCreary County, Kentucky; W. M. Perrygo; Wetmore 1940); photograph [lateral view of adult] (Stephen J. Stedman; Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee; 25 February 2002); photograph [dorsal view of leucistic individual] (Stephen J. Stedman; Old Mill Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee; February 2007); photograph [lateral view of leucistic and standard individuals] (Judy C. Fuson; County House Rd., DeKalb County, Tennessee; 26 December 2007).

Regional High Count and CBC/CBB High Count: 11648 (26 December 2006; DeKalb County, Tennessee [CBC]; m. ob.); SBC/SBB High Count: 804 (9 May 2009; Putnam County, Tennessee [SBC]; m. ob.); FBC/FBB High Count: 222 (17 September 2011; White County, Tennessee [FBC]; m. ob.).

Breeding: Confirmed (Recent).

Habitat: x

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: Registered on 102 (of 125) monthly check-lists during 2003 and on 188 (of 206) check-lists during 2004, leading to a YardWatch frequency classification of Common each year; this Yardwatch frequency classification is consistent with the overall Regional abundance classification, indicating that the robin is as likely to be encountered in Regional yards and neighborhoods as in the Region as a whole (but see also Remarks [below]).

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
American Robin
Recorded
Total Individuals
Recorded
         
Adair 816 June 2014 46 43 643
Barren 1–6 June 2013 54 54 1851
Clinton 12–14 June 2009 24 24 452
Cumberland 1620 June 2014 35 27 199
McCreary 30 May5 Jun 2011 51 37 258
Metcalfe 812 June 2013 32 31 291
Monroe 1–12 June 2015 35 34 426
Pulaski 511 June 2010 72 70 1245
Russell 1316, 2629 June 2012 31 29 413
Wayne 28 May3 June 2012 54 44 664
         
Kentucky   434 (408) 393 (90.6%) 6142
         
Bledsoe 1824 June 2012 48 40 305
Clay 12–15 June 2010 30 28 251
Cumberland 29 May4 June 2010 75 65 782
DeKalb 2326 May 2008 40 35 318
Fentress 1117 June 2012 55 40 290
Jackson 29 May1 Jun 2009 40 32 153
Macon 1722 June 2013 32 28 205
Morgan 1–8 June 2014 58 38 252
Overton 2329 May 2011 47 43 455
Pickett 2225 May 2009 24 18 78
Putnam 6–12 June 2011 46 41 699
Scott 924 June 2016 62 33 257
Smith 1525 June 2015 37 32 178
Van Buren 13–15 June 2011 33 27 240
Warren 1–10 June 2016 47 42 433
White 1–6 June 2015 50 33 334
         
Tennessee   724 (651) 575 (79.4%) 5230
         
Region   1158 (c. 1059) 968 (83.6%) 11372

* 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.

RemarksThe robin vacates the yards and neighborhoods of most Regional suburbanites during winter, causing them to conclude that this thrush has left the Regional scene altogether, so they are surprised to learn that robins actually remain in the Region all winter, usually moving to areas with a supply of soft mast and/or leaf litter to investigate.

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