Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis)

Winter Wren [ventral view of adult]: Photograph Credit: Stephen J. Stedman; Free State Rd., Jackson County, Tennessee; 28 December 2011.

Abundance: Uncommon during late fall, winter, and early spring; Rare during summer; recorded in all Regional counties (Map of UCR Distribution); the Regional wintering population trend is probably stable, but the data on which this determination is based are not robust (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Winter Resident; Rare Visitor during summer; photograph (above).

Regional High Count: 38 (19 December 1999; John Muir Trail from Terry Cemetery to Leatherwood Ford, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Scott County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman and Stedman 2002); CBC/CBB High Count: 15 (23 December 2009; Cumberland County, Tennessee [Crossville CBC]; m. ob.; and 23 December 2011; DeKalb County, Tennessee [CBC]; m. ob.).

Out-of-Season (Summer) Records:

4 June 1994 (1—male singing) North Old Mac Trail, Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).

16 June 1994 (1+—males singing) Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan County, Tennessee (C. P. Nicholson; Nicholson 1998b; Knight 1994c).

4 June 1995 (1—male singing) North Old Mac Trail, Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Robert G. Emmott).

June 1995 (1+—males singing) Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan County, Tennessee (C. P. Nicholson; Nicholson 1998b).

21–24 May, 1, 14, 28 June, and 3, 6–7 July 1999 (1—male singing) yard adjacent to City Lake Natural Area, Putnam County, Tennessee  (Stephen J. Stedman, Barbara H. Stedman; Stedman 2006–2013). 

Most of May 2010 (1— male singing) Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park, Van Buren County, Tennessee (David F. Vogt; Knight 2010c).  

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Early Fall: x (

    Late Spring: x (

Note: Fall arrival usually widespread by 20 October; spring departure usually complete by 10 April. Regional dates of earliest reported fall arrival and latest reported spring departure during winters from 2002–2003 to 2011–2012 follow:

* But see also Out-of-Season (Summer) Reports (above).

Breeding: Probable (Recent).

Habitat: x

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: Registered on 1 (of 125) monthly check-lists during 2003 and on 8 (of 206) check-lists during 2004, leading to YardWatch frequency classifications of Rare and Very Uncommon, respectively; neither of these YardWatch frequency classifications is very consistent with the overall Regional abundance classification, indicating that the Winter Wren is quite a bit less likely to be encountered in Regional yards and neighborhoods than in the Region as a whole.

Remarks: The Regional High Count (above) was obtained during a hike of 10.7 hrs along 32 km (c. 20 mi) of trail in optimal, or close to optimal, habitat for this wren.

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