Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus)

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Abundance: Variable, being Rare to Common prior to the 2000s, but being Rare during that decade and thus far thereafter; at least 42 records in 16 Regional counties, 4 in Kentucky and 12 in Tennessee (Map of UCR Distribution); the trend for the now small and sporadically occurring Regional wintering population appears to be decidedly negative (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Winter Resident.

Regional High Count: and CBC/CBB High Count: 86 (19 December 1975; Putnam County, Tennessee [Cookeville CBC]; m. ob.); SBC/SBB High Count: 40 (24 April 1976; Putnam County, Tennessee; m. ob.); FBC/FBB High Count: no data.

Information on Records: 

20 February 1936 ("flock" observed) Rocky River in western Van Buren County, Tennessee (F. V. Hebard; Hebard 1947).

February–April 1960 (30+) Pikeville, Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Clyde E. McCollum; Ganier 1960).

January–12 May 1962 (number not specified) Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Clyde E. McCollum; McCollum 1962).

20 March–22 April 1962 (number not specified) Burkesville, Cumberland County, Kentucky (fide C. S. Guthrie; Anonymous 1962c).

5–6 May 1962 (10) Cumberland County, Tennessee (TOS members; Anonymous 1962a).

7 May 1969 (?) Clay County, Tennessee (Roy T. Hinds; Parmer 1969c).

1 January 1969 (2) Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer[s] unknown), a CBC record.

28 December 1971 (2) Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (observer[s] unknown), a CBC record.

29 December 1972 (18) Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (observer[s] unknown), a CBC record.

28 December 1973 (26) Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (observer[s] unknown), a CBC record.

19 December 1975 (86) Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (observer[s] unknown), a CBC record.

24 April 1976 (40) Putnam County, Tennessee (observers unknown), a Spring Bird Count record.

19 May 1976 (?) Warren County, Tennessee (Mary C. Wood; Williams 1976c).

26 December 1977 (3) Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer[s] unknown), a CBC record.

30 December 1977 (19) Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (observer[s] unknown), a CBC record.

27 October 1985 (31) Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Stamm 1986a).

27 October 1985 (?) Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Stedman 1993).

5 December 1987 (5+—flyovers) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).

17 December 1987 (6) northern White County, Tennessee (Maxey Irwin), a Cookeville CBC record.

Mid-January 1988 (number not specified) McCreary County, Kentucky (D. Stephens fide B. Lemon Palmer-Ball, Jr.; Stamm 1988b).

8–29 April 1988 (2–3) Cumberland County, Tennessee (Roger S. Doxsey et al.; Knight 1988c).

3/6 December 1990 (6/3) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman/Barbara H. Stedman, Stephen J. Stedman).

7/16/23/25 November 1993 (15+/1/1/1) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).

20 November 1993 (?) Morgan County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).

17 January–7 March 1994 (1–10) Allardt, Fentress County, Tennessee (Mary C. Padgett).

10 November 1995 (1+) Daddy's Creek, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman).

12 November 1995 (1+) Blackburn Fork, Jackson County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman).

12/13/20 November 1995 (10/40+/present) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Barbara H. Stedman/Barbara H. Stedman/Barbara H. Stedman).

12 December 1995 (2+—males) Clifty/Todd Town, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Michael E. Hodge).

 4 January 1996 (2—males) Shenandoah subdivision, Putnam County, Tennessee (Homer Kemp photo).

17 or 22 January 1996 (6) Copperhead Dr., Rt. 62 east of Monterey, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Barbara H. Stedman), a Winter Roadside Survey record.

12 December 1997 (67) Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Debi Shannon, Roi Shannon; Knight 1998b).

16 December 1997 (?) Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Scott County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).

23 December 1997 (?) Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Fentress County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).

28 December 1998 (16) Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer[s] unknown), a CBC record.

28 December 1999 (4) Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer[s] unknown), a CBC record.

11 November 1999 (9) Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Pickett and Scott counties, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman and Stedman 2002).

19 December 1999/14 January 2000 (9/1) Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Scott County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman and Stedman 2002).

5 November 2001 (2) Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Roi Shannon; Knight 2002a).

21 December 2001 (1) Mark, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Connie S. Neeley).

2 April 2002 (3) near Byrdstown, Pickett County, Tennessee (Robbie C. Hassler; Casteel 2002c).

29 December 2003 (1) Barnett Bridge, Morgan County, Tennessee (Jeanne Richardson).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Early Fall: x (

    Late Spring: x (

Note: Regional dates of earliest reported fall arrival and latest reported spring departure for the first decade of the Twenty-first Century are too few to be worth presenting in tabular format.

Habitat: Evergreens appear to be favored during winter, but once leaves on deciduous trees have developed during spring, these grosbeaks readily forage in these types of trees.

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: Registered on 1 (of 125) monthly check-list during 2003 and on 0 (of 206) check-lists during 2005, leading to a YardWatch frequency classification of Rare during the former year; this YardWatch frequency classification is consistent with the overall Regional abundance classification during the 2000s.

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