Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)

American Avocet [lateral view of basic-plumaged male]. Photograph Credit: Ron Cornelius; Oneida City Park, Oneida, Scott County, Tennessee; 13 September 2013.

Abundance:  Very Uncommon; 14 records in 9 Regional counties, 4 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 migrating through the Region (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Transient during spring (3 records) and fall (11 records); photographs (see above and links below).

Regional High Count: 20+ (Spring 1997; Barren County, Kentucky; Mark Vessels fide David L. Roemer; Palmer-Ball 2003).

Information on Records: 

28 July 1978 (2) near Lonewood Cemetery (35 46 10 N; –85 15 50 W), Van Buren County, Tennessee (Rex Boner, Tim Frazier photo; Bierly 1978b).

11 October 1982 (2) Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore; Elmore 1983; Stamm 1983a).

29 April 1989 (6) Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (Virginia Kingsolver, Wendell Kingsolver et al.; Stamm 1989c).

1 October 1994 (10) Warren County, Tennessee (Mac McWhirter, Susan N. McWhirter; Witt 1995a).

15 August 1996 (1) Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer; Busroe 1997a [attaches an incorrect date—15 September 1996—to this sighting]).

Spring 1997 (20+) Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (Mike Vessels fide David L. Roemer; Palmer-Ball 2003).

14–25 November 1998 (2–5) Cooley's Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo, m. ob.; Palmer-Ball 2003 [cites the dates as 14-26 November 1998]), photo.

15 September 2005 (10) Celina Wastewater Treatment Plant, Clay County, Tennessee (Terry M. Campbell photo; Casteel 2006a); note that photo allows determination of the sex of most of these birds, based on fact that bill of the female is slightly shorter and considerably more recurved at the tip than the bill of the male.

28 July 2007 (2—alternate adults) Boiling Pond, Pete Felton Rd., White County, Tennessee (Douglas A. Downs, Stephen J. Stedman photo; Casteel 2007d).

10 November 2008 (1—basic female) Casey Creek, Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo).

28 April 2009 (c. 20) The Narrows, Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (Mike Vessels fide David L. Roemer).

26 September 2009 (1—basic) Irons Creek Rd., Clay County, Tennessee (Winston A. Walden photo, Michael P. O'Rourke, JD Becker), a Fall BirdBlitz record.

24 October 2009 (5) Barren River Lake State Resort Park, Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (Tom Durbin, Ben Yandell, Mary Yandell, David L. Roemer photo).

13 September 2013 (7—basic) Oneida City Park, Oneida, Scott County, Tennessee (Ron Cornelius photo [see above]).

Regional Extreme Dates: 

    Spring: 28 April 2009 (Barren County, Kentucky Mike Vessels fide David L. Roemer)–29 April 1989 (Barren County, Kentucky; Virginia Kingsolver, Wendell Kingsolver et al.); no other spring records with specific dates.

    Fall: 28 July 1978 (Van Buren County, Tennessee; Rex Boner, Tim Frazier; Bierly 1978b) and 28 July 2007 (White County, Tennessee; Douglas A. Downs, Stephen J. Stedman)–25 November 1998 (Wayne County, Tennessee; Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball 2003).

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Habitat: Usually found where extensive mudflats are present, but may occur in other mesic habitats, including open water.

Remarks: At the time, the 1978 sighting established the earliest fall arrival date ever in Tennessee (Bierly 1978b). 

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