Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis)

Buff-breasted Sandpiper [lateral view]: Photograph Credit: Roseanna M. Denton; Murl Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky; 25 August 2016.

Abundance: Rare; 11 records, including 10 in 4 Kentucky counties and 1 in 1 Tennessee county (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 fall (11 records); photograph.

Regional High Count: 3 (2 records below).

Information on Records: 

17–20 September 1980 (1) Pulaski County Park, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore. Sr.; Stamm 1981a [cites only first date from this record]).

26/29/31 August 1983 (1/3/1 [JBE notes]) Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr., John Callahan; Stamm 1984a).

15–16 September 1996 (1) Pulaski County Park, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

7 September 2002 (1) Mt. Zion, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Busroe 2003a).

5 & 8 September 2005 (3) Fishing Creek, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2006a).

10 September 2006 (1) Boiling Pond, White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Casteel 2007a).

4 September 2007 (1) Casey Creek, Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo).

6 & 11 September 2008 (1) Casey Creek, Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

2 September 2011 (1) Dearing Rd., Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer photo).

1 September 2012 (1) Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

25 August 2016 (1) Murl Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky (Ray Bontrager, Roseanna M. Denton photo [see above]), an eBird record.

29 August 2016 (1) Fishing Creek, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Ray Bontrager photo), an eBird record.

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Spring: No records.

    Fall: 25 August 2016 (Wayne County, Kentucky; Ray Bontrager, Roseanna M. Denton)–20 September 1980 (Pulaski County, Kentucky; Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Stamm 1981a).

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Habitat: Open sites, often somewhat mesic, with short grass; mudflats with grassy fringes.

Remarks: 

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