Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)

Lesser Yellowlegs [lateral view]. Photograph Credit: Stephen J. Stedman; Upper East Valley Rd., Bledsoe County, Tennessee; 23 April 2014.

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Abundance: Uncommon; recorded in 17 Regional counties, 5 in Kentucky and 12 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 and fall; photograph (see above).

Regional High Count: 79 (5 September 2011; Pulaski County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton); SBC/SBB High Count: 53 (3 May 2011; White County, Tennessee [SBC]; m. ob.); FBC/FBB High Count: 6 (18 September 2010; White County, Tennessee [FBC]; m. ob.).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Spring: x (

    Fall: x (

    Note: Spring arrival generally widespread by 1 April, while spring departure typically complete by 5 May; fall arrival usually widespread by 1 August, while fall departure often complete by 15 October. Regional dates of earliest reported spring arrival and latest reported spring departure, as well as earliest reported fall arrival and latest reported fall departure, for the migration seasons 2002–2011 follow:

Habitat: x

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: Registered on 0 (of 125) monthly check-lists during 2003 and on 1 (of 206) check-lists during 2004, leading to a YardWatch frequency classification of Rare during the latter year; this YardWatch frequency classification is inconsistent with the overall Regional abundance classification, as expected for a species with habitat requirements that are seldom met in Regional yards and neighborhoods.

Foray Results: One was recorded as a late migrant during the 1982 TOS Foray in White County, Tennessee; unrecorded during any UCR Foray since 2007; a map of the approximate location of the 1982 foray sighting may be viewed via this link:

• White County Foray—28–31 May 1982

Remarks: x

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