Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea)

Abundance: Occasional; 2–3 records in 1 Kentucky county, each involving a single individual (Map of UCR Distribution); data from the Regional bird-monitoring efforts are too few to determine a trend in the population visiting the Region (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Visitor during winter; photograph (see link below).

Information on Records: 

16–30 January 1994 (1) Science Hill, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo, Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Stamm and Monroe 1994 [cite the record by referring only to 16 January 1994]), photo

18–19 January 1994 (1) Science Hill, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr., Roseanna M. Denton; Stamm and Monroe 1994), possibly the same bird noted in the preceding record; see Remarks.

25 November 1995 (1) Science Hill, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr., photo, Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball 2003), photo.

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Early Fall: 25 November 1995 (1; Science Hill, Pulaski County, Kentucky; Jackie B. Elmore, Sr., photo, Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball 2003).

    Late Spring: 30 January 1994 (1; Science Hill, Pulaski County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton).

Habitat: Feeding stations; weedy fields.

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Remarks: Associates with goldfinches and siskins.

    The distance between the 2 feeders where redpolls were seen near Science Hill, Pulaski County, Kentucky, during January 1994 was about 4–5 km; this distance is probably short enough to allow one bird to travel between the feeders, making it difficult to determine whether these sightings should be treated as 1 or 2 records.

    The record from fall 1995 is currently the earliest fall arrival date for Kentucky (Palmer-Ball 2003), as well as the Region.

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