Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea)

American Tree Sparrow [ventral view of adult]. Photograph Credit: David L. Roemer; Quarry Beach, Barren County, Kentucky; 14 February 2007.

Abundance: Uncommon to more usually Very Uncommon and Rare or even absent during winter; Rare during early spring; at least 54 records in 16 Regional counties, 6 in Kentucky and 10 in Tennessee (Map of UCR Distribution); data from the Regional bird-monitoring efforts are too few to determine a trend in the population wintering in the Region (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Winter Resident; somewhat irruptive; absent during most winters; irruption events irregular and often linked to inclement weather, including deep snow cover, to the north of the Region; photograph (see link below).

Regional High Count and CBC High Count: 89 (23 December 1936; Barren County, Kentucky [Glasgow CBC]; m. ob.).

Information on Records: 

23 December 1936 (89) in and near Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer[s] unspecified), "CBC" record.

25 December 1936 (12) Summer Shade, Metcalfe County, Kentucky (Robert L. Baldock), CBC record.

23 December 1937 (25) in and near Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer[s] unspecified), "CBC" record.

20 December 1938 (8) in and near Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer[s] unspecified), "CBC" record.

24 December 1939 (51) in and near Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer[s] unspecified), "CBC" record.

25 December 1939 (2) Science Hill, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Ben and Dan Wesley), CBC record.

25 December 1940 (11) in and near Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer[s] unspecified), "CBC" record.

15 December 1957 (4) in and near Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer[s] unspecified), "CBC" record.

27 December 1957 (1) Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (observer[s] unspecified), CBC record.

31 December 1959 (3) in and near Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer[s] unspecified), "CBC" record.

26 December 1960 (3) in and near Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer[s] unspecified), "CBC" record.

29 December 1960 (2) site unspecified, Putnam County, Tennessee (observer[s] unspecified), CBC record.

26 January 1963 (17) in and near Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky observer[s] unspecified), "CBC" record.

29 December 1964 (1) Burkesville, Cumberland County, Kentucky (Charles Guthrie), CBC record.

1 January 1965 (9) in and near Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer[s] unspecified), "CBC" record.

22 December 1965 (2) Burkesville, Cumberland County, Kentucky (Charles Guthrie), CBC record.

1 January 1969 (4) in and near Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer[s] unspecified), "CBC" record.

30 December 1970 (9) in and near Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer[s] unspecified), "CBC" record.

18 January 1976 (21) Smith County, Tennessee (William J. Jones; Williams 1976c).

26 January 1978 (5) Pickett County, Tennessee (observer[s] unspecified [but probably J. David Hassler and Robbie C. Hassler]; Bierly 1978b; Nicholson 1982).

30 December 1979 (2) in and near Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer[s] unspecified), "CBC" record.

7 December 1983 (1) Green River Lake Wildlife Management Area, Adair County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr. [notes]).

3 February 1984 (1) Eubank, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr. [notes]).

12 March 1984 (1+) Mt. Zion, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

3 February 1985 (1) Eubank, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr. [notes]).

12 February 1985 (2) Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.).

27 December 1995 (7) in and near McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee (fide C. Doug Malone), CBC record.

23 December 1997 (1) Lora Blevins Farmstead, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Scott County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman and Stedman 2002).

9 January 1999–14 February 2000 (1–2) Mt. Zion, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

19 December 2000 (1) Turkeytown Rd., Overton County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman), [Clay County] CBC record.

19 December 2000 (7) near Celina, Clay County, Tennessee (Roseanna M. Denton, Arlene M. Morton), CBC record.

22 December 2000–18 February 2001 (1–7) Mt. Zion, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton), probably includes CBC record [30 December 2000].

30 December 2000 (1) Lake Cumberland Wildlife Management Area, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton), CBC record.

30 December 2000 (13) in and near Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (observer unspecified), "CBC" record.

1–5 January 2001 (3) Bunker Hill Rd., Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Susan H. Ford, Ivan L. Cordrey, Stephen J. Stedman).

3–12 January, 19, 28 February 2001 (1–3) Shipley Farm, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).

29 January 2001 (2) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).

14 February 2007 (1) Quarry Beach, Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer photo [above]).

9 & 12 March 2008 (1) Near Mark, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Connie S. Neeley).

11 March 2008 (1) Pulaski County Park, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

10 December 2008 (1) Quarry Beach, Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer).

28 January–6 February/29 January 2009 (3/3) RMD home near Mt. Zion/Mt. Zion Loop Rd., Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

29 January 2009 (50) Rt. 551 east of Knifley, Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

1 February–15 March 2009 (1–2) Mark, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Connie S. Neeley).

4–5 & 11 February 2009 (1) Hurricane Ridge Rd., DeKalb County, Tennessee (Tommy L. Curtis and Virginia Curtis fide Judy C. Fuson photo).

16 February 2009 (1) County House Rd., DeKalb County, Tennessee (Judy C. Fuson).

1–7 January 2010 (1) Pikeville, Bledsoe County, Tennessee (David F. Vogt, m. ob.).

10 January 2010 (1) Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky (Linda Craiger).

12 January–17 February 2010 (1) near Shopville, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Connie S. Neeley).

19 February 2010 (1) Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness, White County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand photo).

11 December 2010 (1) B. Mann Rd., just south of southern end of Wolf Creek Dam, Russell County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton), a CBC (count week) record.

20 December 2010 (1) Pitman Rd., DeKalb County, Tennessee (Judy C. Fuson), a CBC record.

27 December 2010 (1) near intersection Denton Rd. and Rance Rd., White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman), a CBC record.

31 December 2010 (3) Pulaski County, Kentucky (David Powers et al.), a CBC record.

19 February 2011 (1) County House Rd., DeKalb County, Tennessee (Judy C. Fuson), a GBBC record.

Out-of-Season (Spring) Record: 

3 April 1996 (1—heard only) east of Monterey, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Stedman 2006–2010).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Early Fall: 7 December 1983 (Adair County, Kentucky; Jackie B. Elmore, Sr. [notes]).

    Late Spring: 15 March 2009 (Pulaski County, Kentucky; Connie S. Neeley), but see also Out-of-Season (Spring) Record (above).

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Habitat: Weedy fields, especially in river bottoms.

Remarks: The most recent Regional irruptions occurred during the winters of 2000–2001 (widely distributed but magnitude small), 2008–2009 (not widely distributed but magnitude moderate), and 2009–2010 (somewhat widely distributed and magnitude small).

    Tree sparrows were apparently more common during winters of the 1930s than during any decade since that period, if Glasgow CBC data from that period reflect the wintering numbers accurately.  CBCs in Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky, have been conducted within a circle 30 miles in diameter, rather than the standard 15-mile-diameter circle, so some records of American Tree Sparrows for that CBC undoubtedly pertain to birds counted in adjacent counties, especially Allen County, Kentucky, rather than to birds counted in Barren County.

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