Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea)

Bay-breasted Warbler [lateral view of basic-plumaged individual]: Photograph Credit: Rickey Shive; Pulliam Hollow, Metcalfe County, Kentucky; 15 September 2019.

Abundance: Very Uncommon to Uncommon during spring; Uncommon to Fairly Common during fall; recorded in 25 Regional counties (Map of UCR Distribution); data from Regional bird-monitoring efforts are too few to reliably determine a trend in the population migrating through the Region but suggest the possibility that the trend is negative (see also Regional Bird Monitoring Plan).

Status: Transient.

Regional High Count: 58 (5 October 1997; Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Scott County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman, Robert G. Emmott; Stedman and Stedman 2002); SBC/SBB High Count: 26 (9 May 1998; Putnam County, Tennessee [SBC], m. ob.); FBC/FBB High Count: 8 (24 September 2005; Pickett County, Tennessee [FBB]; m. ob.).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Spring: x (

    Fall: x (

    Note: Spring arrival usually widespread by 5 May while spring departure usually complete by 15 May; fall arrival usually widespread by 15 September while fall departure usually complete by 15 October; Regional dates of earliest reported spring arrival and latest reported spring departure, as well as earliest reported fall arrival and latest reported fall departure, for the migration seasons 2002–2011 follow:

Habitat: x

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: Registered on 0 (of 125 possible) monthly check-lists during 2003 and on 4 (of 206 possible) check-lists during 2004, leading to a YardWatch frequency classification of Rare during the latter season; this frequency classification indicates that the Bay-breasted is a bit less likely to be encountered in Regional yards and neighborhoods than in the Region as a whole.

Remarks: x

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