Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Cattle Egret [two alternate-plumaged adults]. Photograph Credit: Judy C. Fuson; New Hope Farm, Alexandria, DeKalb County, Tennessee; 22 April 2013.

Abundance:  Very Uncommon; at least 40 Regional records in 14 counties, 4 Kentucky and 10 Tennessee (Map of UCR Distribution); data from the Regional bird-monitoring efforts are too few to determine a trend in the population migrating through (and possibly breeding in) the Region (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Transient during spring (21 records) and fall (11 records, 1 of which overlaps the summer season); Visitor during summer (7 records, 1 of which overlaps the fall season); strongly suspected to be breeding in the Region as of May 2007 (probably several years earlier); Visitor during winter (1 record); 1 record without a date (see Remarks); designated as a breeding species of special concern by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission (2004); photographs (see above and links below).

Regional High Count: 25 (15 July 2013; Student's Home Rd., DeKalb County, Tennessee; Judy C. Fuson, Eddie Fuson).

Information on Records: 

15 May 1965 (1) Hatches Valley, 23 km north of Livingston, Overton County, Tennessee (observer unspecified; Hollister 1966a).

11 or 12 May 1968 (1) near Thunderbird Motel, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (fide Ken Leggett; TOS members).

11 November 1978 (1) near Byrdstown, Pickett County, Tennessee (J. David Hassler, Robbie C. Hassler; Bierly 1979b).

14 November 1979 (1) Monroe, Overton County, Tennessee (J. David Hassler; Bierly 1980).

15 May 1983 (1 [JBE notes]) flooded field near Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Stamm 1983c).

21 October 1984 (1) Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Stamm 1985a).

24 September 1986 (3) Dale Hollow Lake, Overton County, Tennessee (Ruth V. McMillan, Larry McFarlin, Linda Bowman; Stedman 1987a).

12 July 1988 (1—adult) near Cumberland Mountain State Park, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Margaret L. Mann; Knight 1988d).

17 April 1989 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman photo; Stedman 1993), photo.

10 June 1995 (5) Mason Grissom Rd., Warren County, Tennessee (Susan N. McWhirter).

28 April 1998 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Fekel 1998c).

27 July–15 August 2001 (1–2) Stone Farm near Celina, Clay County, Tennessee (Terry M. Campbell).

11 May 2002 (1) Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Debbie Shannon, Roi Shannon; Hoff 2002c), a Spring Bird Count record.

26 October 2002 (1) north of Monterey at Bright property, Putnam County, Tennessee (Betty Bright, Harold Bright photo; Knight 2003a), photo.

5–6 June 2003 (1) Student's Home Rd., DeKalb County, Tennessee (Eddie Fuson, Judy C. Fuson).

19 November 2003 (1) Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (David L.Roemer; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2004a).

26/30 April 2004 (3/1) Black Oak Rd./Burgess Falls Rd., White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Douglas A. Downs/Douglas A. Downs).

30 April 2004 (1) Mayland, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Joseph E. Mast).

2 November 2004 (2) Grass Island, Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer photo).

22 April 2005 (1—alternate) Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

13 June 2005 (2—alternate) Tommy Dodson Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Daniel L. Combs).

6 May 2006 (1—alternate) Lizard Lane, White County, Tennessee (Michael P. O'Rourke, Thomas Saya).

13 May 2006 (1—alternate) Clemmons Rd. near Lexus Place, Putnam County, Tennessee (Carol D. Williams photo, Janie C. Finch, Nancy S. Layzer, Margo Hinkle), a Spring Bird Count record.

1 July 2006 (1—basic) Randolph Pond, Walter Stone Rd., White County, Tennessee (Douglas A. Downs, Stephen J. Stedman).

22 October 2006 (1—basic) Free State Rd., Jackson County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Winston A. Walden; Casteel 2007a).

11 April 2007 (1—alternate) Macedonia Pond, White County, Tennessee (Douglas A. Downs).

12 April 2007 (1—alternate) Bluff Top Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Annette Snow photo).

1 May 2007 (1) Vicinity of Bowman Loop/Potato Farm Rd., Cumberland County, Tennessee (Winston A. Walden, Michael P. O'Rourke, Tom Saya), a Spring Bird Count record.

12 May 2007 (1—alternate) St. Mary's Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Carol D. Williams, Judy C. Fuson, Stephen J. Stedman), a Spring Bird Count record.

10–13 September 2007 (1) Green River, Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

11 April 2008 (1) Black Oak Pond, Black Oak Rd., White County, Tennessee (Carol Eagle, Hope High, Don Eagle, Stephen J. Stedman).

24–25 April 2010 (1) Seven Springs Rd., DeKalb County, Tennessee (Kenneth Magness, Debra Magness, Kenderly Cripps fide Michael J. Hawkins).

3 May 2010 (2) Mason Grissom Rd., Warren County, Tennessee (Susan N. McWhirter).

26 October 2010 (16) Stone Memorial High School, Crossville, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Annell Fields, Louise Simmons photo).

5 April 2011 (1) Crossville, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Nan E. Beasley fide Edmund K. LeGrand).

28 April 2011 (13) Mason Grissom Rd., Warren County, Tennessee (N. P. "Mac" McWhirter).

18 April 2013 (1) Mason Gissom Rd., Warren County, Tennessee (Susan N. McWhirter, N. P. "Mac" McWhirter).

22 April 2013 (2) Alexandria, DeKalb County, Tennessee (Judy C. Fuson photo [above]).

15 July 2013 (25—including several juveniles) Student's Home Rd., DeKalb County, Tennessee (Judy C. Fuson, Eddie Fuson).

Out-of-Season (Winter) Records:

16 February 2008 (1) Will Thompson Pond, Will Thompson Rd., White County, Tennessee (Wally Brines), a Great Backyard Bird Count record.

Regional Extreme Dates: 

    Early Spring: 5 April 2011 (Cumberland  County, Tennessee; Nan E. Beesley fide Edmund K. LeGrand), but see also Out-of-Season (Winter) Records (above).

    Late Fall: 19 November 2003 (Barren County, Kentucky; David L. Roemer; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2004a).

    Note: the Extreme Dates are given as for Summer Residents because this species is strongly suspected to be a breeder in the Region, based on the appearance of alternate-plumaged birds in June and on the appearance of individuals very early in the period of post-breeding dispersal.

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Habitat: Usually found in large fields near cattle or other large herbivores, but may appear in other habitats, including open water as was the case with the Barren County bird which tried, unsuccessfully, to "roost" with a flock of gulls on Barren River Reservoir (David L. Roemer, pers. com.).

Remarks: This self-introduced exotic has established rookeries both east and west of the Region in Tennessee and west of the Region in Kentucky, making Regional breeding a distinct possibility at some point in the future, but the small numbers recorded Regionally prior to 2003 suggest that breeding had not yet taken place in the Upper Cumberland Region up to that time.  However,  the increase in sightings since 2003, possibly an artifact of increased numbers of Regional observers, was more probably a sign of the species' real increase in numbers in the Region.  The occurrence of summer records during June 2003 (DeKalb County) and June 2005 (Putnam County) suggests the probability of Regional breeding, not documented as of 2013, as does the occurrence of birds representing post-breeding dispersal in early July 2006 (White County) and July 2013 (DeKalb).

    The record without a date was obtained in Warren County, Tennessee (fide C. Douglas Malone), sometime prior to 2000.

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