Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis)

Abundance: Rare; at least 8 Regional records in 6 counties, 1 in Kentucky and 5 in Tennessee (Map of UCR Distribution); data from the Regional bird-monitoring efforts are too few to determine a trend in the population breeding in or migrating through the Region (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Summer Resident; probably also Transient during spring and fall; deemed in need of management by the Tennessee Division of Natural Heritage (2004); deemed threatened by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission (2004); sight records.

Regional High Count: "Several" (26 May 1935; marsh near Morrison, Warren County, Tennessee; Albert F. Ganier, H. O. Todd, John Calhoun; Ganier 1935b).

Information on Records: 

1 June 1930 (1) near Albany, Clinton County, Kentucky (Albert F. Ganier; Ganier 1935a).

15 August 1932 (1) marsh "between Rock Island and McMinnville," Warren County, Tennessee (Henry M. Stevenson; Stevenson 1933).

26 May 1935 ("several") marsh near Morrison, Warren County, Tennessee (Albert F. Ganier, H. O. Todd, John Calhoun; Ganier 1935b).

21 May 1970 (2) near Lillydale, Clay County, Tennessee (Roy T. Hinds; Parmer 1970c).

7 September 1976 (1) Monterey Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Morris D. Williams; Williams 1977).

2 August 1977 (2—including 1 young) City Lake [Natural Area], Putnam County, Tennessee (William J. Jones; Bierly 1978a),

5 June 1994 (1—calling) City Lake Natural Area, Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman; Stedman and Stedman 1994b), registered during Breeding Bird Census.

19 September 2009 (1—seen) Waterview Rd. northeast of Monterey, Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman), a Fall Bird Count record.

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Early Spring: 21 May 1970 (Clay County, Tennessee; Roy T. Hinds; Parmer 1970c).

    Late Fall: 19 September 2009 (Putnam County, Tennessee; Barbara H. Stedman).

Breeding: Confirmed.  A young bird noted 2 August 1977 at City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Bierly 1978a), indicated breeding at that site, which, however, became nearly devoid of cattails by April 2005 and undoubtedly unsuitable as a breeding site for this species as a result.

Habitat: medium- to large-sized marshes with generous growths of cattails.

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Remarks: Probably nested at most of the sites where observed, as each provided good habitat for this secretive bittern at the time of the sightings, though changes in the habitat have occurred since the sightings occurred in at least one case (City Lake in Putnam County).

    Alsop undated [1980] lists records for Overton and Pickett counties, Tennessee, as well as a breeding record in Warren County, Tennessee, the latter probably based on the record from 1935 in that county, which, however, lacks sufficient detail to confirm breeding by this species.

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