Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)

Caspian Tern [lateral view of adult]. Photograph Credit: David L. Roemer; Barren River Lake State Resort Park, Barren County, Kentucky; 9 September 2004.

Abundance: Very Uncommon during spring and fall; at least 43 records in 10 Regional counties, 4 in Kentucky and 6 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 (13 records) and fall (30 records); photograph (above).

Regional High Count: 11 (6 September 2008; Barren County, Kentucky; David L. Roemer).

Information on Records: 

27 April 1980 (1) Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.).

28 September 1984 (1) Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr. [notes]; Stamm 1985a).

3 August 1986 (1) Granville, Jackson County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, James D. Parrish; Stedman 1987a).

24 September 1986 (2) Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.).

22 August/5/10 September 1988 (1+/7/1+) Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.).

17 April 1990 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 1993; Stedman 2006–2010).

22 September 1990 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, David Hume, Graham S. Kash, Amy S. Johnson, W. Howard Groce, Carrell A. Warren; Stedman 1993; Stedman 2006–2010).

28 April 1991 (1) [probably Granville], Jackson County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).

1 September 1992 (1) Burgess Falls State Natural Area, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 1993; Stedman 2006–2010).

2 May 1995 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 2006–2010).

23 August 1995 (2) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 2006–2010).

3 August 1996 (2) Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky (David L. Roemer).

21 April 1997 ("a few") Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky (David L. Roemer).

16 September 2000 (3—adult & juvenile but number of each not noted) Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Busroe 2001a).

27 August 2001 (3—adult &juvenile but number of each not noted) Fishing Creek, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

12 September 2001 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 2006–2010).

18 August 2002 (3) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 2006–2010; Casteel 2003a).

26 August/22 September 2002 (1—adult/4) Fishing Creek, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Busroe 2003a [latter record only]).

6 October 2002 (1/5) Lilydale/Willow Grove, Dale Hollow Lake, Clay County, Tennessee  Stephen J. Stedman, Winston A. Walden; Casteel 2003a).

17 September 2003 (1) Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky (David L. Roemer).

8 September 2004 (3) Center Hill Dam, DeKalb County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Casteel 2005a).

8 September 2004 (1) Waitsboro Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2005a).

8/9 September 2004 (4/5) Fishing Creek, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo [first record only]; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2005a [first record only]).

9 September 2004 (2—1 adult & 1 juvenile) Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky (David L. Roemer photo; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2005a).

30 August/3/24 September 2005 (1/8/2) Wolf Creek Dam, Russell County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton/Roseanna M. Denton/Roseanna M. Denton et al. [KOS members]), possibly a product of the passage of Hurricane Katrina on the former date.

4/11 September 2006 (3/2) Fishing Creek, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton/Roseanna M. Denton, Steve Denton).

18 April 2007 (3) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Leonardo Chavez, Ginger K. Ensor, Nancy S. Layzer, Janie C. Finch; Stedman 2006–2010).

18 April 2007 (1) Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky (David L. Roemer).

20 April 2007 (2) Granville, Jackson County, Tennessee (Leonardo Chavez, Stephen J. Stedman) 

22 April 2007 (2) Salt Lick Creek, Jackson County, Tennessee (Michael J. Hawkins).

10 September 2007 (6—4 adults & 2 juveniles) Green River backwaters, Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo).

16 May 2008 (2) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand, Hope High; Stedman 2006–2010).

24 October 2007 (2) Grass Island, Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky (David L. Roemer).

26/28 August 2008 (1—juvenile/7—6 adults & 1 juvenile) Casey Creek, Adair County, Kentucky, (Roseanna M. Denton).

26 August 2008 (3—2 adults & 1 juvenile) Wolf Creek Dam, Russell County, Kentucky, (Roseanna M. Denton).

6 September 2008 (11) Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky (David L. Roemer).

21 August/15 September 2009 (1/1) Wolf Creek Dam, Russell County, Kentucky  (Roseanna M. Denton).

3 September 2009 (2) Fishing Creek, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

7 September 2009 (2) Cumberland River downstream from Indian Creek, Smith County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Barbara H. Stedman).

5/19 April 2010 (1/8) Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky (David L. Roemer, David Brown/David L. Roemer).

14 April 2010 (7) Floating Mill Recreation Area, Center Hill Lake, DeKalb County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data).

20 April 2011 (2) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Ginger K. Ensor, Janie C. Finch).

6 September 2011 (2) Lake Tansi, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Spring: 5 April 2010 (Barren County, Kentucky; David L. Roemer, David Brown)–16 May 2008 (Putnam County, Tennessee; Edmund K. LeGrand, Hope High).

    Fall: 3 August 1986 (Jackson County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman, James D. Parrish) and 3 August 1996 (Barren County, Kentucky; David L. Roemer)–24 October 2007 (Barren County, Kentucky; David L. Roemer).

Habitat: Large lakes and backwaters of impounded rivers.

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Remarks: Much more likely to be encountered during fall than during spring, the Caspian Tern is also much more likely to be encountered on the big lakes of the Region than on smaller and more isolated bodies of water, the 56-acre lake at Cane Creek Park, Putnam County, Tennessee—where more than a half dozen records have taken place—appearing to represent the lower limit of lake/pond size that this species readily investigates during its migratory passages through the Region.

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