Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Sedge Wren (Sistothorus platensis)

Abundance: Very Uncommon during spring and fall; Rare during summer; Rare during winter; at least 51 records in 12 Regional counties, 4 in Kentucky and 8 in Tennessee (Map of UCR Distribution); data from the Regional bird-monitoring efforts are too few to determine a trend in the populations migrating through or visiting the Region (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Transient during spring (at least 12 records) and fall (at least 30 records, 2 merging with late summer records); Visitor during late summer (6 records, 1 involving breeding [see Breeding {below}] and 2 merging with fall records) and winter (5 records); photograph (L. Kay Stanley; Beesley Farm, Cumberland County, Tennessee; 22 September 2007).

Regional High Count: 9 singing (14 August 2004; White County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman, Douglas A. Downs; Casteel 2005a).

Information on Records: 

8 or 9 October 1948 (present) Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (fide Gordon Wilson; Wilson 1948).

20 April 1963 (1) Putnam County, Tennessee (observer unspecified; Anonymous 1963a), a Spring Bird Count record.

24 April 1976 (1) Putnam County, Tennessee (observer unspecified; Williams 1976e), a Spring Bird Count record.

3–10 May 1980 (1) Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Stamm 1980c).

27 July 1980 (2) Monticello, Wayne County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Stamm 1980d; Palmer-Ball 2003).

10 October 1981 (1) Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Bierly 1982a).

30 April 1983 (1) Pulaski County Park, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Stamm 1983c).

16 October 1983 (1) Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Stedman 1984a). 

16 October 1983 (1) Eubank, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr. [notes]).

22 July (1—singing), 27 July (4—singing), 29 July (1—singing), 8 August 1990 (2—singing) Cane Creek Park, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 1993).

17 August 1991 (1—singing) near Deer Lodge, Morgan County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Barbara H. Stedman).

16 October 1991 (1) Cane Creek Park, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 1993).

1 May 1993 (1) Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (C. Michael Stinson et al.; Monroe and Stamm 1993b).

2 October 1993 (1) McWhirter farm, Mason Grissom Rd., Warren County, Tennessee (Susan N. McWhirter).

19–24 August 1994 (1) Cane Creek Park, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Witt 1995a).

24 September 1995 (1) near Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Dona Coates; Busroe 1996a).

25 September 1999 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Fekel 2000).

7 October 1999 (1) Mt. Zion, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Busroe 2000a).

25 October 2003 (1) Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness, White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Winston A. Walden).

20 July–25 September 2004 (1–9—singing; 2 family groups on last date) Heritage Marsh, White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Douglas A. Downs et al.; Casteel 2005a).

19 April 2005 (2—singing) Heritage Marsh, White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Douglas A. Downs; Casteel 2005c).

30 April 2005 (1—singing and seen) Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park, Van Buren County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Douglas A. Downs), a Van Buren County Spring BirdBlitz record.

4 May 2005 (1—singing and seen) Duck Pond Rd., White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Edmund K. LeGrand).

7 May 2005 (1—singing and seen) Wal-Mart, Sparta, White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Douglas A. Downs, Joseph E. Mast), a Spring Bird Count record.

13–18 May 2005 (1–3—singing) Bud Tanner Rd., Mayland, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Joseph E. Mast; Knight 2005c).

12 August 2005 (1–2—singing) Clifty Pond, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2006a).

9 September 2005 (1) Randolph Pond, Walter Stone Rd., White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Paul S. Miliotis).

1 October 2005 (1) Green River Wildlife Management Area, Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2006a).

14 October 2005 (1) Heritage Marsh, White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).

29 October 2005 (2) Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness, White County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand, Stephen J. Stedman).

8 April 2006 (1) Whorton Springs Rd., DeKalb County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Carol D. Williams, and Nancy S. Layzer; Casteel 2006c).

22/27 July 2006 (2—singing [each date]) Heritage Marsh, White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Douglas A. Downs unpubl. data/Stephen J. Stedman, Scott G. Somershoe).

21 August 2006 (1—singing) Black Oak Rd., White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).

21 October 2006 (5) Heritage Marsh, White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).

15 September 2007 (1) Joe Jackson Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman).

22 September 2007 (1) Beesley Farm, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Kay Stanley photo; m. ob.).

22 April 2008 (2—singing) Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness, White County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand).

4 October 2008 (1—responded to recorded song) Eastland Rd., White County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand), a Fall Bird Count record.

1 August 2009 (1) Adair County, Kentucky (Derek Coomer fide Roseanna M. Denton).

29 September 2009 (1) Leffle Webb Rd., Cumberland County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand).

3 October 2009 (1) Randolph Pond, Walter Stone Rd., White County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman), a Fall Bird Count record.

6 & 8 June 2010 (1—singing) Oakes Rd., Pulaski County, Kentucky (Stephen J. Stedman), a Pulaski County Foray record.

31 July 2010 (1) Bliss Rd., Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; reported earlier at this site by Derek Coomer), an eBird record.

16 September 2010 (1) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman).

14 October 2010 (1) Mason Grissom Rd., Warren County, Tennessee (Susan N. McWhirter).

13 August 2016 (3) Spring Creek Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand audio recording).

Out-of-Season (Winter) Records: 

21 December 2004 (1) Heritage Marsh, White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Charlie M. Muise, Douglas A. Downs; Casteel 2005b), a CBC record.

21 December 2006 (1—calling) Heritage Marsh, White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Douglas A. Downs).

7 February 2009 (2) gravel road 1.5 km east of Clarkrange on north side of Rt. 62, Fentress County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Edmund K. LeGrand photo).

13 February 2010 (1) Heritage Marsh, White County, Tennessee (Douglas A. Downs).

15 January 2012 (2) Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness, White County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Spring: 8 April 2006 (DeKalb County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman)–18 May 2005 (Cumberland County, Tennessee; Joseph E. Mast).

    Fall: 20 July 2004 (White County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman, Douglas A. Downs et al.)–29 October 2005 (White County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman, Edmund K. LeGrand), but see also Out-of-Season (Winter) Records (above).

    Note: The Regional Extreme Dates are given as for Transients, although this wren has nested in the Region at least once and has overwintered on several occasions.

Breeding: Confirmed (Recent).  During a survey of the Heritage Marsh, White County, Tennessee, conducted as part of the White County Fall Bird Count 25 September 2004, Stephen J. Stedman, Douglas A. Downs, Winston A. Walden, and Michael P. O'Rourke encountered two family groups of Sedge Wrens.  An adult exhibited agitated behavior in the presence of one young, and an adult was found near three young about 100–150 m away from the first family group.  This breeding record was the first for the Region and just the second for Tennessee.

Habitat: Wet meadows and dryish marshes with thick grasses and sedges growing to a height of about 0.75–1 m.

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

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):

* 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: Birds singing in July may attempt to breed, as occurred during 2004 in the Heritage Marsh, White County, Tennessee.  Breeding evidence usually difficult to detect as several "dummy" nests may be built in addition to the nest in which eggs are laid.

    Note absence of records 19 May–5 June; 9 June–19 July; 30 October–20 December; 22 December–6 February; and  14 February–7 April.

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