Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)

Abundance: Very Uncommon; at least 11 records in 5 Regional counties, 3 in Kentucky and 2 in Tennessee, most records involving single birds (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 (6 records) and fall (5 records); photographs (see links below).

Regional High Count: 19 (4 May 2011; White County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman photo).

Information on Records: 

20–23 September 1983 (1) Pulaski County Park, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Stamm 1984a).

10 May 1988 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman photo; Stedman 1993), photo.

24–25 September 1988 (1) Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr. [notes]; Stamm 1989a).

9 May 2001 (1) Twin Lakes, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

8 September 2004 (1) Boiling Pond, White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Casteel 2005a).

2 May 2005 (1) Pulaski County Park, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2005c).

14 May 2005 (1—heard calling "tu-tu-tu" of 3 dowitchers observed) Martin Creek, Putnam County, Tennessee (Nancy S. Layzer, Stephen J. Stedman, Judy C. Fuson, Carol D. Williams photo), photo.

4 & 6 September 2006 (1—juvenile) Fishing Creek, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo).

22 August/4/6 September 2008 (2—-juveniles/1/3) Casey Creek (1) and Green River (1)/Casey Creek/Casey Creek, Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton [all 3 records]).

4 May 2011 (19) field across from Gum Springs Baptist Church, Frank's Ferry Rd., White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman photo), a Spring Bird Count record.

Date (several) Berry Pond, Barren County, Kentucky (observers).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Spring: 2 May 2005 (Pulaski County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton)–14 May 2005 (Putnam County, Tennessee; Nancy S. Layzer, Stephen J. Stedman, Judy C. Fuson, Carol D. Williams photo).

    Fall: 22 August 2008 (Adair County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton photo)–25 September 1988 (Pulaski County, Kentucky; Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Stamm 1989a).

Habitat: shallow ponds and transient wet areas with muddy bottoms; usually forages in water up to top of legs, submerging its head and probing in the mud with its long bill.

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Remarks: Roseanna M. Denton (pers. com.) observed a dowitcher sp. at Thurston's Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky, 21 April 1999, a date that would have superseded the early spring arrival date, if the bird had been identifiable to this species; Roseanna (pers. com.) also observed a dowitcher sp. at Cooley's Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky, 18 September 2002.  On 7 May 2003 two dowitcher sp. were noted with a small flock of Lesser Yellowlegs on Hickey Ridge Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Daniel L. Combs).  Besides the dowitcher that called with a classic "tu-tu-tu" of Short-billed Dowitcher on Martin Creek, Putnam County, Tennessee, 14 May 2005, two other dowitchers, one with a longish bill, were also present.  A dowitcher sp. was present 13 July 2005 on Taft Church Rd., White County, Tennessee (Douglas A Downs, Stephen J. Stedman), a date that would have easily eclipsed the early fall arrival date, if the bird had been identifiable to this species; another unidentified dowitcher was noted at Cooley's Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky, 20 May 2006 (Roseanna M. Denton).

    The timing of most fall sightings of dowitchers in the Region suggests that many of these birds are juveniles.

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