Results of Christmas Bird Counts Conducted in the Upper Cumberland Region of Kentucky and Tennessee during the 2009–2010 (110th) CBC Season
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| Bald Eagles were recorded on eight of the eleven Christmas season counts conducted in the Region; photo from DeKalb County, Tennessee, Judy C. Fuson (28 January 2010). |
About 120 species of birds were registered on the ten Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs—annually repeated bird counts) and the Christmas BirdBlitz (CBB—a one-time bird count) conducted this CBC season in the Region (Table 1). This species total exceeded the species totals achieved during each of the past six CBC seasons, suggesting that the 2009–2010 CBC season was an especially good one. This CBC season's high species total was largely caused by the presence of more than the usual number of late-lingering summer residents. The cause of the presence of these species in greater than usual numbers was, in turn, probably two-fold, involving weather and food supply, the usual driving forces behind changes in bird populations. The relatively warm weather experienced in the Region during November 2009 may have induced some summer residents to remain in the Region rather than to migrate south at their usual time of migration. A fairly good supply of soft mast may also have been involved in the greater than usual presence of lingering summer residents, especially those able to shift from insects to mast as their principal food source. First-ever Regional CBC—and winter season—records of White-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and Wood Thrush are all evidence of a CBC season with an unusual abundance of summer residents.
The circles for the ten CBCs and the CBB conducted in the Region cover a total of 5041+ square km (1947+ square mi); since the Region itself covers 26450 square km (10212 square mi), the eleven CBC/CBB circles represent 19% of the area within the Region, a percentage that probably equals or exceeds the threshold needed to allow the CBC data to be representative of the Regional birdlife as a whole.
Data from CBCs provide one of two major sources of data used in monitoring bird populations at the continental level, the other being data from the Breeding Bird Survey. At the Regional level, CBC/CBB data clearly have the same importance in monitoring bird populations, at least for species that can be classified as uncommon to common Regionally during winter. Here is a link to the Regional bird-monitoring plan:
To see a table comparing total species listed on CBCs with total species listed on Great Backyard Bird Counts (GBBCs) since the winter of 2003–2004, click on the following link:
To see a map (Figure 1) of the Upper Cumberland Region (UCR) showing locations of circles within which 1 CBB and 10 CBCs were conducted this season, click on the following link:
Click on the links below to access all data ever acquired at these Regional CBC sites:
Table 1. Results of CBCs and CBBs conducted in the UCR during the 110th CBC season; for species recorded on five or more counts, the high count for the season is bold-faced.
| Location | Somer- set |
Wayne Co. |
Russ.– Adair Co. | Glas- gow |
Clay Co. |
Cooke- ville |
Cross- ville |
White Co. |
De-
Kalb Co. |
War- ren Co. | Fent.– Morg. Co. |
| State | KY | KY | KY | KY | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN |
| Date | 1 Jan | 17 Dec | 14 Dec | 3 Jan | 16 Dec | 19 Dec | 23 Dec | 21 Dec | 26 Dec | 4 Jan | 29 Dec |
| Number of Field Observers | 14 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| Number of Feederwatchers | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Number of Parties | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 7–8 | 7–8 | 7 | 6-7 | 3 | 4 |
| Number of Party Hours | 54.75 | 41 | 32.5 | 19 | 48.25 | 66 | 77.75 | 65.75 | 51.5 | 30.5 | 38.5 |
| Total Species | 83 | 83 | 77 | 77 | 85 | 91 | 90 | 90 | 79 | 62 | 69 |
| Primary Compiler | RMD | RMD | RMD | WMM | TMC | SJS | EKL | DAD | CDW | RGG | SJS |
| Snow Goose, blue form | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| Canada Goose | 126 | 9 | 134 | 67 | 280 | 446 | 126 | 412 | 63 | 449 | 55 |
| Mute Swan | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Tundra Swan | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Wood Duck | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 12 | 7 | 5 | -- | -- | 5 |
| Blue-winged Teal | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Northern Shoveler | 7 | -- | -- | 2 | 37 | 7 | -- | 13 | -- | -- | -- |
| Gadwall | 28 | 21 | 10 | 22 | 31 | 72 | 71 | 9 | -- | 1 | -- |
| American Wigeon | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 15 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Mallard | 286 | 63 | 18 | 410 | 78 | 214 | 188 | 205 | 48 | 45 | 41 |
| American Black Duck | 52 | 4 | 1 | 19 | -- | 2 | 9 | 2 | 14 | -- | 2 |
| Northern Pintail | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
| Green-winged Teal | -- | 5 | -- | 124 | -- | 3 | -- | 13 | 2 | -- | -- |
| Canvasback | -- | -- | 2 | cw | -- | -- | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Redhead | -- | 2 | 72 | 1 | -- | -- | 15 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Ring-necked Duck | 4 | 65 | cw | -- | -- | 27 | 383 | -- | -- | 14 | 3 |
| Greater Scaup | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | cw | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Lesser Scaup | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 2 | 3 | -- | 4 | -- | -- |
| Black Scoter | -- | -- | cw | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ---- | -- |
| Bufflehead | -- | 12 | 3 | cw | 21 | 8 | 356 | 4 | 13 | -- | -- |
| Common Goldeneye | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Hooded Merganser | 34 | 25 | 19 | 116 | 21 | 84 | 211 | 137 | 17 | -- | 3 |
| Red-breasted Merganser | 3 | cw | -- | -- | 5 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Ruddy Duck | 4 | 4 | cw | -- | 1 | 15 | 118 | 4 | -- | -- | -- |
| Somer- set |
Wayne Co. |
Russ.– Adair Co. | Glas- gow |
Clay Co. |
Cooke- ville |
Cross- ville |
White Co. |
De-
Kalb Co. |
War- ren Co. | Fent.– Morg. Co. | |
| KY | KY | KY | KY | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | |
| Northern Bobwhite | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 19 | -- | 3 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Wild Turkey | 122 | 52 | 34 | 2 | 38 | 209 | 42 | 139 | 21 | 43 | 12 |
| Pied-billed Grebe | 8 | 8 | 4 | 43 | 10 | 8 | 110 | 3 | 15 | -- | -- |
| Horned Grebe | -- | 9 | 51 | -- | 4 | -- | 2 | -- | 230 | -- | -- |
| Western Grebe | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | ---- | -- |
| Rock Pigeon | 182 | 47 | 12 | 22 | 81 | 204 | 9 | 186 | 34 | 101 | 58 |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | -- | 5 | cw | -- | 2 | 3 | -- | 36 | 27 | -- | -- |
| Mourning Dove | 322 | 408 | 130 | 67 | 133 | 540 | 343 | 853 | 260 | 127 | 254 |
| Selasphorus sp. | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Virginia Rail | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| American Coot | 4 | 5 | 13 | 35 | 1 | 58 | 957 | -- | 222 | -- | -- |
| Sandhill Crane | 35 | 161 | 114 | 2000 | 715 | 246 | 7 | 146 | -- | -- | 2 |
| Killdeer | 21 | 87 | 63 | 21 | 51 | 99 | 165 | 165 | 171 | 24 | 7 |
| American Woodcock | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Wilson's Snipe | 31 | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Bonaparte's Gull | 12 | 47 | 200 | 300 | 114 | -- | 8 | 1 | 6 | -- | -- |
| Ring-billed Gull | 80 | 40 | 15 | 1000 | 179 | 1 | 47 | 1 | 79 | -- | -- |
| Herring Gull | -- | -- | -- | 5 | 2 | 1 | cw | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Gull sp. | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 5 | -- | -- |
| Common Loon | -- | -- | 6 | 1 | 21 | -- | 11 | -- | 48 | -- | -- |
| Double-crested Cormorant | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Great Blue Heron | 7 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 14 | 6 | 26 | 8 | 3 | 2 |
| Somer- set |
Wayne Co. |
Russ.– Adair Co. | Glas- gow |
Clay Co. |
Cooke- ville |
Cross- ville |
White Co. |
De-
Kalb Co. |
War- ren Co. | Fent.– Morg. Co. | |
| KY | KY | KY | KY | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | |
| Black Vulture | 34 | 116 | 162 | 62 | 147 | 70 | -- | 405 | 100 | 34 | 1 |
| Turkey Vulture | 31 | 76 | 89 | 54 | 296 | 101 | 1 | 71 | 49 | 38 | 5 |
| Golden Eagle | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Adult | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Immature | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Northern Harrier | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | cw | 2 | 2 | -- | 2 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 6 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Accipiter sp. | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | -- | 1 | 2 | 4 | -- | -- |
| Adult | 1 | 3 | 4 | ? | 1 | -- | 1 | 1 | 2 | -- | -- |
| Immature | -- | -- | 2 | ? | 1 | -- | -- | 1 | 2 | -- | -- |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 11 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 12 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 36 | 24 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 26 | 17 | 45 | 33 | 13 | 12 |
| "Krider's" form | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Buteo sp. | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Eastern Screech-Owl | 2 | 4 | 1 | -- | 5 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Great Horned Owl | 3 | 2 | 1 | cw | 1 | 8 | -- | 8 | 2 | 2 | -- |
| Barred Owl | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | -- |
| Somer- set |
Wayne Co. |
Russ.– Adair Co. | Glas- gow |
Clay Co. |
Cooke- ville |
Cross- ville |
White Co. |
De-
Kalb Co. |
War- ren Co. | Fent.– Morg. Co. | |
| KY | KY | KY | KY | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | |
| Belted Kingfisher | 8 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 7 | -- | 2 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | 66 | 30 | 27 | 36 | 51 | 66 | 76 | 94 | 59 | 28 | 34 |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | 2 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 31 | 20 | 7 | 6 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 50 | 32 | 22 | 7 | 34 | 42 | 45 | 58 | 28 | 10 | 21 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 7 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 1 | 5 |
| Northern Flicker | 72 | 33 | 29 | 32 | 16 | 68 | 54 | 87 | 26 | 23 | 16 |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 15 | 28 | 15 | 9 | 32 | 24 | 37 | 29 | 20 | 3 | 7 |
| American Kestrel | 71 | 40 | 33 | 14 | 30 | 46 | 40 | 69 | 28 | 31 | 28 |
| Merlin | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Eastern Phoebe | 12 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 26 | 16 | 19 | 37 | 11 | 10 | 16 |
| Loggerhead Shrike | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 5 | 2 | -- | -- |
| White-eyed Vireo | -- | -- | cw | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Blue-headed Vireo | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Blue Jay | 194 | 103 | 62 | 53 | 253 | 463 | 256 | 551 | 237 | 226 | 90 |
| American Crow | 593 | 415 | 152 | 75 | 431 | 631 | 557 | 730 | 346 | 238 | 320 |
| Horned Lark | 15 | 1 | -- | 135 | 7 | -- | 57 | 34 | 80 | 40 | 2 |
| Carolina Chickadee | 123 | 65 | 61 | 47 | 103 | 94 | 267 | 124 | 113 | 33 | 65 |
| Tufted Titmouse | 150 | 100 | 79 | 40 | 132 | 248 | 263 | 269 | 122 | 87 | 104 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | 1 | 3 | -- | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | -- | -- | 4 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 69 | 61 | 30 | 10 | 64 | 62 | 136 | 63 | 51 | 7 | 51 |
| Brown-headed Nuthatch | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 8 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Somer- set |
Wayne Co. |
Russ.– Adair Co. | Glas- gow |
Clay Co. |
Cooke- ville |
Cross- ville |
White Co. |
De-
Kalb Co. |
War- ren Co. | Fent.– Morg. Co. | |
| KY | KY | KY | KY | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | |
| Brown Creeper | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| House Wren | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Winter Wren | 4 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 6 |
| Carolina Wren | 80 | 78 | 98 | 44 | 115 | 151 | 108 | 140 | 98 | 27 | 41 |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | 24 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 28 | 21 | 102 | 41 | 27 | 1 | 28 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 3 | -- | 2 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 23 | 19 | 1 | 1 |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Eastern Bluebird | 276 | 191 | 196 | 48 | 303 | 400 | 338 | 417 | 220 | 77 | 154 |
| Hermit Thrush | 11 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 32 | 17 | 46 | 30 | 25 | 10 | 13 |
| Wood Thrush | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | cw | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| American Robin | 269 | 20 | 23 | 63 | 222 | 194 | 431 | 105 | 196 | 174 | 176 |
| Brown Thrasher | 2 | 2 | 1 | -- | 6 | 14 | 10 | 8 | -- | 18 | 3 |
| Northern Mockingbird | 110 | 49 | 45 | 34 | 60 | 152 | 79 | 176 | 69 | 100 | 21 |
| European Starling | 12936 | 2853 | 1384 | 1725 | 1444 | 4314 | 2147 | 5517 | 5986 | 6835 | 1747 |
| Cedar Waxwing | 14 | 9 | 37 | 14 | 147 | 206 | 226 | 70 | 44 | 37 | 26 |
| House Sparrow | 79 | 80 | 46 | 16 | 45 | 174 | 113 | 181 | 59 | 62 | 97 |
| American Pipit | -- | 1 | -- | cw | 1 | 50 | 23 | 145 | -- | -- | 6 |
| House Finch | 172 | 104 | 89 | 14 | 27 | 187 | 57 | 59 | 45 | 14 | 10 |
| Purple Finch | 3 | 3 | -- | -- | 18 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 4 | -- | 1 |
| Pine Siskin | -- | -- | 1 | -- | cw | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| American Goldfinch | 264 | 80 | 90 | 50 | 169 | 164 | 168 | 190 | 136 | 17 | 50 |
| Somer- set |
Wayne Co. |
Russ.– Adair Co. | Glas- gow |
Clay Co. |
Cooke- ville |
Cross- ville |
White Co. |
De-
Kalb Co. |
War- ren Co. | Fent.– Morg. Co. | |
| KY | KY | KY | KY | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | |
| Lapland Longspur | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Eastern Towhee | 54 | 12 | 15 | 4 | 36 | 62 | 53 | 61 | 53 | 34 | 15 |
| Chipping Sparrow | 27 | 12 | 8 | 22 | 55 | 50 | 31 | 52 | 62 | 72 | 2 |
| Field Sparrow | 122 | 62 | 22 | 58 | 190 | 125 | 153 | 177 | 76 | 127 | 55 |
| Savannah Sparrow | 12 | 14 | -- | cw | 6 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 10 | 4 | 17 |
| Fox Sparrow | 22 | 4 | 3 | -- | 2 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Song Sparrow | 268 | 85 | 106 | 50 | 236 | 261 | 258 | 330 | 92 | 236 | 184 |
| Swamp Sparrow | 12 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 42 | 8 | 55 | 10 | -- | 17 |
| White-crowned Sparrow | 71 | 29 | 4 | 8 | 7 | -- | 20 | 78 | 4 | 13 | 5 |
| White-throated Sparrow | 310 | 29 | 120 | 118 | 264 | 361 | 183 | 343 | 456 | 150 | 124 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 327 | 97 | 36 | 77 | 202 | 195 | 197 | 139 | 146 | 76 | 97 |
| Eastern Meadowlark | 51 | 110 | 47 | 43 | 175 | 102 | 206 | 291 | 196 | 120 | 68 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 194 | 20 | -- | 21 | 50 | 26 | 30 | 7 | 5301 | 3 | 22 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 132 | -- | 3 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 7 | -- | -- |
| Rusty Blackbird | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | 10 | -- | 1 | 110 | -- | -- | -- |
| Common Grackle | 1070 | -- | cw | -- | -- | 19 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Blackbird sp. | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Palm Warbler | 1 | 2 | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
| Pine Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | 65 | 47 | 49 | 51 | 210 | 88 | 177 | 97 | 55 | 28 | 7 |
| Northern Cardinal | 516 | 111 | 160 | 97 | 207 | 397 | 266 | 336 | 191 | 231 | 83 |
| Dickcissel | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Total Individuals | 20452 | 6393 | 4329 | 7481 | 7861 | 12199 | 10754 | 14370 | 16269 | 10128 | 4345 |
| Total Species | 83 | 83 | 77 | 77 | 85 | 91 | 90 | 90 | 79 | 62 | 69 |
| Somer- set |
Wayne Co. |
Russ.– Adair Co. | Glas- gow |
Clay Co. |
Cooke- ville |
Cross- ville |
White Co. |
De-
Kalb Co. |
War- ren Co. | Fent.– Morg. Co. | |
| KY | KY | KY | KY | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN | TN |
Key to compiler initials:
TMC = Terry M. Campbell
RMD = Roseanna M. Denton
DAD = Douglas A. Downs
RGG = R. Gregg Garrison
EKL = Edmund K. LeGrand
WMM = Wayne M. Mason
SJS = Stephen J. Stedman
CDW = Carol D. Williams
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