Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)

White-rumped Sandpiper [lateral view]. Photograph Credit: Roseanna M. Denton; Fishing Creek, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky; 21 September 2006.

Abundance: Very Uncommon during spring; Rare during fall; 19 records in 6 Regional counties, 3 in Kentucky and 3 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 (15 records) and fall (4 records); photograph (see link below).

Regional High Count: 3 (2 records below).

Information on Records: 

25 April 1982 (2) Green River Wildlife Management Area, Adair County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Stamm 1982c; Palmer-Ball 2003).

9 May 1988 (1) Macedonia Pond, White County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman; Stedman 1988d).

17–18 May 1990 (2) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 1993).

4–14 May 1994 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman et al.)

5 & 8 May 1995 (2) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).

12 May 1995 (1) Hickey Ridge Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).

1–3 May 1997 (1) Pumphouse Pond, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton et al.).

3-4/7 June 2002 (2/1) Mt. Zion, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Busroe 2002d).

7 May 2003 (1) Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Ginger K. Ensor, Winston A. Walden). 

7 May 2003 (1) Hickey Ridge Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Daniel L. Combs).

28 May 2005 (2) Flat Fork Rd., Morgan County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Joseph E. Mast; Knight 2005c).

6 June 2005 (1) Clifty Pond near Science Hill, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

25 May 2006 (1) Valley Oak Ponds, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

28 May 2006 (1) Clifty Pond, Science Hill, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

20/21 September 2006 (2/1) Fishing Creek, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo [21 September 2006; see above]).

19 May 2007 (3) Fishing Creek, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2007c).

4/4&11 September 2008 (1/1) Casey Creek/Green River, Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

13 September 2008 (3) Thurston's Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

5 September 2016 (1) Murl Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo), an eBird record.

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Spring: 25 April 1982 (Adair County, Tennessee; Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Stamm 1982c; Palmer-Ball 2003)–7 June 2002 (Pulaski County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton; Busroe 2002d).

    Fall: 4 September 2008 (Adair County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton)–21 September 2006 (Pulaski County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton).

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Habitat: Mudflats with grassy edges; short-grass and bare fields when wet, especially following precipitation events.

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