Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

Snowy Egret [lateral view of alternate-plumaged adult]. Photograph Credit: Stephen J. Stedman; Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee; 23 April 2012.

Abundance:  Very Uncommon; 17 Regional records in 7 counties, 3 in Kentucky and 4 in Tennessee (Map of UCR Distribution); data from the Regional bird-monitoring efforts are too few to determine a trend in the population migrating through the Region (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Transient during spring (11 records) and fall (6 records); designated as an endangered breeding species by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission (2004); designated as in need of management by the Tennessee Division of Natural Heritage (2004); photographs (see links below).

Regional High Count: 2 (18 May 1997; Pulaski County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton photo).

Information on Records: 

9–14 May 1971 (1) Pickett County, Tennessee (Robbie C. Hassler; Stewart 1971; Nicholson 1982a).

5 September 1971 (1) western Pickett County, Tennessee (Robbie C. Hassler, J. David Hassler; Hassler and Hassler 1972).

29 March 1988 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman photo; Stedman 1988d).

26 May 1991 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Michael G. Beykirch; Stedman 1993).

12 August–10 September 1993 (1) Burgess Falls State Natural Area, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman et al.; Witt 1994a)

18 May 1997 (2) Pumphouse Pond, Pulaski County, Kentucky (fide Roseanna M. Denton photo).

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

16 October 2001 (1) Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball 2003).

16 April 2002 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman photo; Casteel 2002c).

21–27 August 2004 (1) Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2005a).

31 July 2005 (1) Celina, Clay County, Tennessee (Terry M. Campbell; Casteel 2005d).

14 April 2006 (1) Rt. 90 1.6 km west of Pulaski County line, Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2006c).

19 March 2008 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman photo).

20 April 2011 (1) Mt. Zion, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

23 April 2012 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand, Stephen J. Stedman photo [see top of page]).

5 May 2012 (1) White County, Tennessee (Winston A. Walden photo, Thomas M. Saya, Michael P. O'Rourke).

4–21 August 2012 (1) Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer photo, David R. H. Brown).

Regional Extreme Dates: 

    Spring: 19 March 2008 (Putnam County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman)–26 May 1991 (Putnam County, Tennessee; Michael G. Beykirch).

    Fall: 4 August 2012 (Barren County, Kentucky; David L. Roemer, David R. H. Brown)–16 October 2001 (Pulaski County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton).

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Habitat: Open shorelines of small and medium-sized lakes; inlets of larger lakes.

Remarks: The 29 March 1988 sighting in Putnam County, Tennessee, established the earliest spring arrival date for Tennessee at the time (Robinson 1990); the late fall date in Pulaski County, Kentucky, provided the second-latest fall departure date for Kentucky at the time (Palmer-Ball 2003).

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