Results of Christmas Bird Counts Conducted  in the Upper Cumberland Region of Kentucky and Tennessee during the 20142015 (115th) CBC Season

Northern Flicker male photographed 29 January 2014 near City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee; photograph credit: Stephen J. Stedman..

 

About 114 species of birds were registered on eight Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) conducted this season in the Region (Table 1). 

    The circles for the eight CBCs conducted in the Region cover a total of xxx square km (xxx square mi); since the Region itself covers 26450 square km (10212 square mi), the eight CBC circles represent xx% of the area within the Region, a percentage that probably does not equal the threshold needed to allow the CBC data to be representative of the Regional birdlife as a whole.

    Data from CBCs provide one of two major sources of data used in monitoring bird populations at the continental level, the other being data from the Breeding Bird Survey.  At the Regional level, CBC/CBB data clearly have the same importance in monitoring bird populations, at least for species that can be classified as uncommon to common Regionally during winter.  Here is a link to the Regional bird-monitoring plan:

    To see a table comparing total species listed on CBCs with total species listed on Great Backyard Bird Counts (GBBCs) since the winter of 20032004, click on the following link:

    To see a map (Figure 1) of the Upper Cumberland Region (UCR) showing locations of circles within which the eight CBCs were conducted this season, click on the following link, if active (underlined):

    Click on the links below to access most data ever acquired at these Regional CBC sites:

 

Table 1. Results of CBCs conducted in the UCR during the 115th CBC season; for species recorded on five or more counts, the high count for the season is bold-faced.

CBC Location Russ. Adair Cos. Wayne
Co.
Somer-
set
Cooke-
ville
De- Kalb
Co.
Cross-
ville
White
Co.
War- ren Co.
State KY KY KY TN TN TN TN TN
Date (Dec/Jan) 16 18 1 14 18 23 20 3
Number of Field Observers 7 5 10 16 13 11 11 7
Number of Feederwatchers -- -- -- 2 -- -- -- --
Number of Parties -- -- -- 6-7 -- 5-6 -- --
Number of Party Hours 27.25 33.75 48.25 55.5 63.3 51.25 48.5 33.5
Total Species 68 73 86 86 84 82 83 73
Primary Compiler RMD RMD RMD SJS CDW EKL DAD RGG
               
Snow Goose, white form -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- cw
Canada Goose 91 107 214 397 19 450 334 219
Mute Swan -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- --
Wood Duck -- -- 2 8 4 18 7 16
Blue-winged Teal -- -- -- -- 2 -- 4 --
Northern Shoveler -- -- 6 8 -- 6 23 --
Gadwall 17 14 68 21 8 51 78 51
American Wigeon -- -- -- -- -- 5 1 --
Mallard 49 93 189 166 53 188 118 32
American Black Duck 1 -- 4 2 -- 24 -- --
Northern Pintail -- -- cw 1 -- -- -- --
Green-winged Teal -- -- 4 2 4 -- 1 --
Canvasback -- -- cw -- -- 55 -- --
Redhead 1 9 cw -- -- 115 8 --
Ring-necked Duck -- 30 29 6 -- 698 145 46
Greater Scaup -- -- cw -- -- -- -- --
Lesser Scaup -- 3 cw -- -- 4 -- --
     Scaup sp. -- -- -- -- -- 2 -- --
Surf Scoter -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- --
Bufflehead -- 21 5 5 12 533 27 --
Common Goldeneye -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- --
Hooded Merganser 7 57 26 42 9 164 35 25
Common Merganser -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- --
Red-breasted Merganser -- -- cw -- -- 6 -- --
Ruddy Duck -- 1 2 6 -- 155 -- --
               
CBC Location Russ. Adair Cos. Wayne
Co.
Somer-
set
Cooke-
ville
De- Kalb
Co.
Cross-
ville
White
Co.
War- ren Co.
State KY KY KY TN TN TN TN TN
               
Northern Bobwhite -- -- 1 20 2 -- -- --
Wild Turkey 11 17 36 108 27 8 35 48
Pied-billed Grebe 2 7 9 16 36 58 9 8
Horned Grebe 1 15 1 2 231 2 -- --
Rock Pigeon 37 80 131 271 76 72 100 54
Eurasian Collared-Dove -- 9 -- 26 5 13 5 1
Mourning Dove 145 570 477 320 224 162 292 311
American Coot 1 4 12 54 15 525 4 --
Sandhill Crane cw 2 -- 80 2 -- 1704 cw
Killdeer 42 19 31 65 293 15 61 68
American Woodcock 3 -- -- -- -- 2 1 --
Wilson's Snipe 1 -- 7 1 6 24 31 1
Bonaparte's Gull cw -- 1 8 1 -- -- --
Ring-billed Gull 3 36 24 -- 6 2 -- --
     Gull sp. -- -- -- -- 2 -- -- --
Common Loon 1 -- cw -- 44 3 1 --
Great Blue Heron 5 10 12 19 20 10 14 4
Green Heron -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 --
               
CBC Location Russ. Adair Cos. Wayne
Co.
Somer-
set
Cooke-
ville
De- Kalb
Co.
Cross-
ville
White
Co.
War- ren Co.
State KY KY KY TN TN TN TN TN
               
Black Vulture 127 336 67 287 38 -- 72 162
Turkey Vulture 59 121 37 163 38 -- 147 338
Northern Harrier 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3
Sharp-shinned Hawk -- -- 4 -- 2 1 2 --
Cooper's Hawk -- 2 6 4 2 1 3 1
     Accipiter sp. 1 -- 1 1 -- -- -- --
Bald Eagle 1 1 cw -- 5 2 -- 1
     Adult -- -- -- -- 3 -- -- 1
     Immature -- -- -- -- 2 -- -- --
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 8 8 20 5 7 13 3
Red-tailed Hawk 7 13 32 36 35 5 54 12
Barn Owl -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- --
Eastern Screech-Owl 1 2 4 2 2 -- 4 2
Great Horned -- -- 2 5 -- -- 6 4
Barred Owl -- 1 4 2 2 cw 3 2
               
CBC Location Russ. Adair Cos. Wayne
Co.
Somer-
set
Cooke-
ville
De- Kalb
Co.
Cross-
ville
White
Co.
War- ren Co.
State KY KY KY TN TN TN TN TN
               
Belted Kingfisher 1 3 12 8 14 8 9 5
Red-headed Woodpecker 4 17 4 18 13 33 6 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 31 52 58 66 125 45 70 30
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 -- 6 21 41 3 15 9
Downy Woodpecker 12 25 59 40 55 21 25 8
Hairy Woodpecker 3 5 10 5 8 12 2 --
Northern Flicker 34 25 50 48 90 33 45 17
Pileated Woodpecker 8 22 14 25 41 16 16 4
American Kestrel 49 25 60 33 32 15 60 39
Merlin -- -- 1 -- -- -- 1 --
Eastern Phoebe 3 7 8 8 9 4 26 6
Loggerhead Shrike -- -- cw 2 cw -- 2 1
Blue Jay 82 218 233 289 203 102 233 115
American Crow 132 354 769 469 443 261 273 362
Horned Lark -- -- 4 -- -- 1 1 --
Carolina Chickadee 40 72 138 86 118 144 29 32
Tufted Titmouse 31 85 165 119 144 120 50 45
Red-breasted Nuthatch -- -- 1 1 1 1 -- --
White-breasted Nuthatch 25 42 40 60 64 44 31 7
Brown-headed Nuthatch -- -- -- 4 -- -- -- --
               
CBC Location Russ. Adair Cos. Wayne
Co.
Somer-
set
Cooke-
ville
De- Kalb
Co.
Cross-
ville
White
Co.
War- ren Co.
State KY KY KY TN TN TN TN TN
               
Brown Creeper 2 2 4 2 4 4 -- 3
Winter Wren 1 3 4 7 13 8 3 2
Carolina Wren 34 65 86 89 100 75 44 40
Golden-crowned Kinglet 5 5 15 9 20 26 8 7
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 1 1 3 18 1 5 3
Eastern Bluebird 93 89 109 260 154 112 172 102
Hermit Thrush 2 5 5 5 40 13 17 2
American Robin 6 107 89 120 614 47 121 580
Gray Catbird -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1
Brown Thrasher 1 2 3 17 6 9 4 4
Northern Mockingbird 34 37 118 111 94 24 95 49
European Starling 932 2557 7932 3888 3487 2287 1107 3590
Cedar Waxwing -- -- 8 15 391 21 120 224
House Sparrow 18 16 112 34 39 45 8 13
American Pipit -- -- -- -- 73 -- 12 190
House Finch 25 34 267 49 62 54 6 14
Purple Finch cw -- 3 7 11 2 -- 2
Pine Siskin -- -- 1 -- -- 5 -- --
American Goldfinch 66 45 308 90 201 90 50 101
               
CBC Location Russ. Adair Cos. Wayne
Co.
Somer-
set
Cooke-
ville
De- Kalb
Co.
Cross-
ville
White
Co.
War- ren Co.
State KY KY KY TN TN TN TN TN
               
Eastern Towhee 16 22 45 46 67 27 28 23
American Tree Sparrow -- -- 4 -- -- -- -- --
Chipping Sparrow -- 6 4 7 48 2 13 5
Field Sparrow 16 50 106 64 125 89 125 169
Vesper Sparrow -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1
Savannah Sparrow -- 9 -- 16 18 10 2 18
Fox Sparrow 1 -- 8 5 4 3 -- --
Song Sparrow 32 76 182 200 140 103 82 95
Swamp Sparrow 5 7 26 20 39 18 26 7
White-crowned Sparrow 8 24 84 19 52 9 48 24
Harris' Sparrow -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1
White-throated Sparrow 52 29 247 163 539 50 89 93
Dark-eyed Junco 72 65 271 64 251 66 136 26
Eastern Meadowlark 39 96 41 85 39 41 161 27
Red-winged Blackbird 24 100 7 88 706 10 5 4
Brown-headed Cowbird -- 8 9 -- 7 -- -- --
Rusty Blackbird -- 40 -- 30 4 -- -- --
Common Grackle 8 -- 1 2125 22500 -- 3 335
Orange-crowned Warbler -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- --
Palm Warbler -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 --
Yellow-rumped Warbler 3 1 19 12 134 -- 33 23
Northern Cardinal 82 118 495 159 348 133 141 96
                 
Total Individuals 2650 6161 13716 11289 32982 7657 6905 7825
                 
Total Species 68 73 86 86 84 82 83 73
               
CBC Location Russ. Adair Cos. Wayne
Co.
Somer-
set
Cooke-
ville
De- Kalb
Co.
Cross-
ville
White
Co.
War- ren Co.
State KY KY KY TN TN TN TN TN

Key to compiler initials:


RMD = Roseanna M. Denton
DAD = Douglas A. Downs
RGG = R. Gregg Garrison
EKL = Edmund K. LeGrand
SJS = Stephen J. Stedman
CDW = Carol D. Williams

 

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