Birds of Putnam County, Tennessee: Appendix J, Table 9A&B: Breeding Bird Census (BBC) Results for Putnam County
A Breeding Bird Census is a standardized bird census conducted at many sites across North America during the breeding season. This census uses the "spot-mapping" technique, which requires an observer to mark on a map the spot where each bird was heard or seen during each of at least eight walking tours of a 10 ha (25 acre) to 40 ha (100 acre) census plot. When the results for all tours are lumped (i.e., when all the spots where a species was located are transferred to a single map), the territories of that species in the plot are (usually) revealed. The primary result of this census technique is a figure for the number of territories the plot harbors for each of the species determined to be present. Results of BBCs were published in Audubon Field Notes (later American Birds) for a number of decades through the mid-1980s; The Journal of Field Ornithology then published results for nearly a decade from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s; since then results have been available only on request from the Resident Bird Counts Program of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
Breeding Bird Censuses have been conducted at two sites in Putnam County: Barnes Hollow, located on Macedonia Rd. about midway between Cookeville and Monterey at an elevation of c. 485 m (1600 ft) on the escarpment between the Highland Rim and the Cumberland Plateau; and City Lake Natural Area, located on City Lake, an impoundment of the Falling Water River, southeast of Cookeville on the Highland Rim at an elevation of 285 m (950 ft). The habitat at the Barnes Hollow plot features mixed woods, fields, and brush; the habitat of the plot at the City Lake Natural Area is a deciduous-coniferous forest with a stream.
At least fourteen BBCs have been conducted on plots at Barnes Hollow by Richard W. Simmers, Jr., during the following breeding seasons (data for bold-faced censuses presented in Table 9A):
The size of the plot used in 1977 was 8.7 ha (21.5 acres [Simmers 1978]); the size of the plot used 1978–1988 was 27 ha (66.7 acres [Simmers 1989]); and the size of the plot used 1989-1990 was 22.9 ha (56.5 acres [Simmers 1990]). Only data for the BBCs conducted 1978-1988 appear in Table 9A.
Table 9A. Breeding Bird Census results for 74 species at Barnes Hollow, 1978–1988. The data reflect the number of territories found per season on a 27-ha (66.7-acre) plot. V = a visitor (not considered to be breeding) on the plot; + = less than half a territory on the plot; * = nest found; # = see bibliography entry for Stedman (1993).
| Species | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 |
| Northern Bobwhite | -- | -- | + | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 |
| Ruffed Grouse | + | + | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | V | -- | -- | -- |
| Wild Turkey | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.5 |
| Mourning Dove | 0.5 | + | 0.5 | + | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 1 | 2 | 3* |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Black-billed Cuckoo | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | V | -- | -- | -- |
| Chuck-will's-widow | -- | -- | -- | -- | + | -- | -- | + | -- | + | -- |
| Eastern Whip-poor-will | 1.5 | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 1 | 1.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Chimney Swift | V | V | V | V | V | V | V | V | V | V | V |
| Ruby-thr. Hummingbird | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.5* | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 |
| American Woodcock | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1* | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | V |
| Turkey Vulture | V | V | V | V | V | V | -- | V | V | -- | V |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | V | -- | -- | -- | V | -- | V | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | + | 0.5 | 1 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | + | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | + | 0.5 | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | + | + | V | -- | V | V | V | -- | -- | + | V |
| Eastern Screech-Owl | 0.5 | + | 0.5 | 0.5 | -- | + | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Barred Owl | -- | + | -- | -- | -- | -- | V | -- | + | + | 0.5 |
| Red-bell. Woodpecker | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | -- | 1.5 | 1 | 0.5 | + | + | + | 1 |
| Downy Woodpecker | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.5* | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 0.5 | + | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1* | 1 | + | -- | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | + | + | + | 0.5 |
| Great Crest. Flycatcher | -- | V | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | + | 1 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Eastern Kingbird | -- | V | --- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | -- | + | + | + | + | + | + | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Acadian Flycatcher | 6.5 | 3.5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Eastern Phoebe | -- | 1 | 1.5* | 1* | 1* | 1* | 1* | 1* | 1* | 1* | 2 |
| White-eyed Vireo | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | 1 | 2 | 2.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Red-eyed Vireo | 23.5 | 22.5 | 17 | 17.5 | 19.5 | 16 | 14 | 14.5 | 19.5 | 21.5 | 23 |
| Blue Jay | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | -- | + | V | V | + | V | 1 | 1 |
| American Crow | V | V | V | V | V | V | V | V | V | + | V |
| Purple Martin | -- | V | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | V |
| Barn Swallow | -- | V | V | V | V | V | V | V | -- | -- | -- |
| Carolina Chickadee | 1.5 | 2 | 1.5 | 2* | 3.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 3 | 3 | 2.5 | 5.5 |
| Tufted Titmouse | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 5* |
| White-breast. Nuthatch | -- | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 | -- | 0.5 | 1 | 1.5 |
| Carolina Wren | -- | + | -- | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 | -- | 0.5 | 1 | 1.5 |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 7 | 6.5 | 5* | 7.5 | 7* | 5* | 4.5 | 12.5* | 7.5 | 8 | 4.5 |
| Eastern Bluebird | -- | V | -- | + | 1* | 1 | -- | V | V | -- | + |
| Wood Thrush | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2.5 |
| American Robin | -- | -- | -- | -- | V | -- | V | V | V | -- | V |
| Gray Catbird | -- | -- | V | V | -- | -- | V | + | V | -- | V |
| Brown Thrasher | 0.5 | + | V | -- | V | 0.5 | V | + | -- | -- | 1 |
| European Starling | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | V | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| House Finch | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | V |
| American Goldfinch | 1 | + | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | V | 1 | -- | + | V |
| Eastern Towhee | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3 | 1.5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 6 | 6 |
| Bachman's Sparrow | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Chipping Sparrow | -- | V | V | V | 1 | 1 | V | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| Field Sparrow | 2.5* | 4 | 5 | 6.5 | 9* | 9 | 9* | 5.5 | 5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Song Sparrow | -- | -- | -- | V | -- | V | V | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Yellow-breasted Chat | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5.5 | 3.5 | 4 | 4 | 5.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| Eastern Meadowlark | + | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Red-winged Blackbird | V | -- | V | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Ovenbird | 1.5 | 1 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3.5 | 3 | 1 |
| Worm-eating Warbler | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.5 | -- | 1.5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Golden-winged Warbler | -- | -- | -- | V | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Blue-winged Warbler | -- | 0.5 | V | -- | 1 | -- | + | 1 | V | -- | V |
| Black-and-white Warbler | -- | -- | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4.5 | 3 |
| Kentucky Warbler | 4* | 3 | 2 | 4.5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 3 | 1.5 |
| Common Yellowthroat | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Hooded Warbler | 2 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| American Redstart | -- | -- | -- | V | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Cerulean Warbler | V | V | 1.5# | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | V |
| Pine Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | V |
| Yellow-throated Warbler | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.5 | -- | + | 0.5 | + |
| Prairie Warbler | 4.5 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 5* | 5.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4 |
| Summer Tanager | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.5 | + | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 1 |
| Scarlet Tanager | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 2 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 2 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Northern Cardinal | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5.5 | 7 | 9* | 9.5 | 7* | 9* | 11.5* |
| Blue Grosbeak | V | V | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | V |
| Indigo Bunting | 7.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 7.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7 | 6 | 4.5 |
| Total Species | 36 | 44 | 41 | 38 | 43 | 41 | 38 | 42 | 40 | 47 | 44 |
| Total Territories 27 ha | 99 | 95.5 | 96 | 93 | 110 | 102 | 102 | 109 | 108.5 | 118 | 128 |
| Total Territories (extrapolated to 40 ha) | 147 | 141 | 142 | 138 | 163 | 151 | 151 | 161 | 160 | 175 | 190 |
Seven BBCs were conducted on a 10.2-ha (25-acre) plot at City Lake Natural Area by Stephen J. Stedman and Barbara H. Stedman during the following breeding seasons (all data from these BBCs are presented in Table 9B):
Table 9B. Breeding Bird Census results for 74 species from City Lake Natural Area, 1991–1996, 1998. The data reflect the number of territories found per season on a 10.2-ha (25-acre) plot. V = a visitor (not considered to be breeding) on the plot; + = less than half a territory on the plot; * = nest found.
| Species | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1998 |
| Canada Goose | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | V |
| Wood Duck | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 3* | 0.5 | 1.5 | V |
| Mallard | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | V |
| Rock Pigeon | 3 | 1* | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Mourning Dove | 1 | 1* | 1 | 1* | 0.5 | V | V |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | 0.5 | V | -- | + | V | 1 | 1 |
| Black-billed Cuckoo | -- | V | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Chimney Swift | V | V | V | V | V | 1* | V |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | + | + | V | V | 1.5 | 1 | |
| Least Bittern | -- | -- | -- | V | -- | -- | -- |
| Great Blue Heron | V | V | V | -- | V | V | V |
| Green Heron | 1 | + | + | + | V | 0.5 | + |
| Cooper's Hawk | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.5 | -- | -- |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0.5 | V | -- | V | -- | - | -- |
| Broad-winged Hawk | + | +* | 0.5* | 0.5* | +* | + | -- |
| Belted Kingfisher | + | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | + | 0.5 | + |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | 1.5* | 1 | 1 | + | + | 1.5 | 1 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 2 | 1.5 | 2 | 1.5 | 1 | 1.5 | 1 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | + | + | 0.5 | + | -- | V | + |
| Northern Flicker | 1.5 | 1* | 0.5 | 1* | V | -- | -- |
| Pileated Woodpecker | -- | V | + | -- | -- | 0.5 | V |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | + | + | + | 0.5 | 0.5 | V | V |
| Eastern Kingbird | 1* | -- | -- | V | V | -- | -- |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | 1.5 | 0.5 | + | + | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Acadian Flycatcher | V | -- | -- | -- | V | V | V |
| Eastern Phoebe | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2 | 1.5* | 2.5 | 2* | 1.5* |
| White-eyed Vireo | 0.5 | + | + | V | V | + | -- |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Warbling Vireo | V | -- | -- | -- | V | -- | -- |
| Red-eyed Vireo | + | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2.5 | 4 |
| Blue Jay | 2 | 2* | 1.5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| American Crow | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1* | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Tree Swallow | -- | + | + | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | -- | + | V | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 | + |
| Barn Swallow | -- | V | -- | V | -- | 0.5 | -- |
| Carolina Chickadee | 2.5 | 2 | 2.5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Tufted Titmouse | 3.5 | 2.5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3.5 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 |
| Carolina Wren | 4.5 | 2.5 | 3 | 3 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3 |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 1* | + | V | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Eastern Bluebird | + | -- | -- | 0.5 | -- | V | + |
| Wood Thrush | 3.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2* | 1 | 2.5 | 1 |
| American Robin | 2* | 1.5* | 1.5 | 1.5* | 1.5* | 2* | 1.5 |
| Gray Catbird | + | + | 1* | 1* | 0.5* | 1 | 0.5 |
| Brown Thrasher | 0.5 | + | 0.5 | V | -- | V | V |
| European Starling | 3 | 1* | 4* | 2* | 2 | 2 | + |
| Cedar Waxwing | V | V | -- | V | -- | -- | V |
| House Finch | -- | -- | V | -- | V | -- | -- |
| American Goldfinch | V | V | -- | -- | V | -- | 1 |
| Eastern Towhee | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 2.5* | 2 | 1.5 | 0.5 |
| Field Sparrow | + | + | -- | -- | -- | -- | + |
| Song Sparrow | 1.5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1.5 | 2 | 0.5 |
| Yellow-breasted Chat | 0.5 | V | -- | -- | -- | -- | V |
| Orchard Oriole | 0.5 | -- | -- | V | -- | V | -- |
| Northern Oriole | 0.5 | + | V | + | -- | -- | -- |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 1.5 | 3 | 2* | 2 | 1 | 1.5 | + |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | + | 2 | + |
| Common Grackle | + | 0.5 | 1.5 | 3 | 1.5 | 1 | V |
| Ovenbird | -- | -- | V | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Worm-eating Warbler | -- | -- | V | -- | V | -- | -- |
| Louisiana Waterthrush | V | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Black-and-white Warbler | V | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Kentucky Warbler | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Common Yellowthroat | -- | 0.5 | + | + | + | -- | V |
| Hooded Warbler | -- | -- | -- | V | -- | -- | -- |
| Northern Parula | V | -- | -- | V | -- | V | -- |
| Yellow Warbler | -- | V | -- | V | -- | -- | -- |
| Pine Warbler | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | V | + | 1 | 1 |
| Yellow-throated Warbler | 0.5 | V | 0.5 | 1 | + | 1* | 1* |
| Summer Tanager | V | + | -- | + | + | + | -- |
| Scarlet Tanager | V | V | -- | -- | -- | V | -- |
| Northern Cardinal | 4 | 5* | 7* | 9* | 6* | 7 | 5* |
| Blue Grosbeak | -- | -- | -- | -- | V | -- | -- |
| Indigo Bunting | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | + | 0.5 | 0.5 | + |
| Total Species (excluding Visitors) | 47 | 44 | 42 | 42 | 38 | 41 | 37 |
| Total Territories (10.2 ha) | 54.5 | 39.5 | 53.5 | 58 | 41.5 | 61.5 | 37 |
| Total Territories (extrapolated to 40 ha) | 214 | 155 | 210 | 227 | 163 | 233 | 153 |
A valuable feature of BBCs is that the plots on which they are conducted may also be used as plots for Winter Bird Population Studies (WBPSs), another standardized census, to be undertaken during the winter season. Both the plot at Barnes Hollow and the plot at City Lake Natural Area were used for WBPSs, as well as BBCs. Some data from the WBPSs conducted on these plots may be viewed at a page accessible via the following link:
Literature Cited:
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