Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca)

Blackburnian Warbler [lateral view of basic-plumaged individual]: Photograph Credit: Rickey Shive; Pulliam Hollow, Metcalfe County, Kentucky; 7 September 2019.

Abundance: Uncommon during spring and fall; Rare during summer; recorded in 25 Regional counties (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 or in the small breeding population in the Region (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Transient in most Regional counties; Summer Resident, at least in some years, at higher elevations of Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan County, Tennessee; a few other summer season records indicate that it may breed sporadically at other sites around the Region, mostly at higher elevations.

Regional High Count: 19 (5 June 2005; Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Early Spring: x (

    Late Fall: x (

    Note: Because this warbler breeds in at least one site (Frozen Head State Natural Area) in the Region, the Extreme Dates are given as for Summer Residents. Spring arrival usually widespread by 1 May; fall departure typically complete by 5 October. In most Regional counties this warbler is a Transient only, its spring departure usually being complete by 15 May and its fall arrival usually being widespread by 15 September. Regional dates of earliest reported spring arrival and latest reported fall departure for the years 2002–2011 follow:

Breeding: x

Habitat: x

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: Registered on 3 (of 125 possible) monthly check-lists during 2003 and on 2 (of 206 possible) check-lists during 2004, leading to a YardWatch frequency classification of Rare each year; this warbler's song is variable and difficult to learn, and it is a canopy lover, so it is not surprising that the YardWarch frequency classification indicates lesser likelihood of encountering this warbler in Regional yards and neighborhoods than in the overall Region.

Foray Results: The following summary of data from UCR Forays includes information about a probable late spring migrant (Cumberland County, Tennessee) and a probable breeding individual (Morgan County) (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):

* 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.

** Probable transient, so not included in the total for blocks in which recorded.

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