Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts
Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis)
Abundance: Very Uncommon (Spring) and Occasional (Fall): at least 24 records in 11 Regional counties, 4 in Kentucky and 7 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 (at least 23 records) and fall (1 record); sight and sound records only
Regional High Count 2 (1—19 May 1990; City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 1993; and 1—19 May 1990; Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee; Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Vogt 1989c; Stedman 1993).
Information on Records:
6 October 1983 (1) Lake Cumberland State Resort Park, Russell County, Kentucky (William Zwartjes), an eBird record (S5087394) discussed by Roseanna M. Denton with the observer.
15 May 1986 (1) Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Stedman 1986c; Stedman 1993).
19 May 1989 (1) Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Vogt 1989c; Stedman 1993).
19 May 1990 (1 singing) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 1993).
19 May 1990 (1) Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Stedman 1993).
11 May 1991 (1—singing) Oil Center, Lake Cumberland Wildlife Management Area, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr., Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.; Stamm and Monroe 1991c).
16 May 1991 (1—singing) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 1993).
14 May 1994 (1) near Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.), a Spring Bird Count record.
28 May 1994 (1) Lake Cumberland Wildlife Management Area, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.[notes]; Stamm 1994a [cites incorrect date]).
16 May 1998 (1—singing) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Barbara H. Stedman).
9 May 1999 (1) Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.).
19 May 1999 (1—singing) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Ginger K. Ensor; Fekel 1999c).
21 May 2002 (1) Lake Cumberland Wildlife Management Area, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Busroe 2002c).
8 May 2004 (1—singing) Lilly Bluff, Obed Wild and Scenic River, Morgan County, Tennessee (David J. Trently; Knight 2004c), a Spring Bird Count record.
13 May 2006 (1—singing and seen) Campground Rd., eastern Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman), a Spring Bird Count record.
30 April 2007 (1) near Mayland, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Joseph E. Mast), a Spring Bird Count record.
25 May 2008 (1 presumptive female) Ard's Farm, Mount Zion, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton), an eBird record (S3891328).
26 May 2008 (1—singing) Butternut Valley, DeKalb County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman et al.), a DeKalb County Foray record.
12 May 2009 (1—singing and seen) Leffle Webb Rd., Cumberland County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand).
25 May 2009 (1—singing) Mt. Union Rd., Pickett County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman), a Pickett County Foray record.
15 May 2010 (1—singing) Hinch Mountain, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Knight 2010c), a Spring Bird Count record.
14 May 2012 (1—singing) Pointer Creek Rd., Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton), an eBird record (S10742397).
2 June 2012 (1—singing) southeastern Wayne County, Kentucky (Stephen J. Stedman), a Wayne County Foray record.
29 May 2014 (1—singing) stop 47 on Hegira BBS, eastern Monroe County, Kentucky (Stephen J. Stedman), a Breeding Bird Survey record.
Regional Extreme Dates:
Spring: 30 April 2007 (Cumberland County, Tennessee; Joseph E. Mast)–2 June 2012 (Wayne County, Kentucky; Stephen J. Stedman).
Fall: 6 October 1983 (Russell County, Kentucky; William Zwartjes (eBird).
Habitat: Fairly mature woodlands with thick understory vegetation adjacent to open areas in the understory.
YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.
Foray Results: A summary of data about late spring transients from UCR Forays follows (to view a map displaying foray data for a county or a sub-Region for this species, click on the name of an underlined county or state below):
| County | Dates when Foray Conducted | Total
Blocks in County * |
Total
Blocks in which Connecticut Warbler Recorded |
Total
Transients Recorded |
| Adair | 8–16 June 2014 | 46 | 0 | 0 |
| Barren | 1–6 June 2013 | 54 | 0 | 0 |
| Clinton | 12–14 June 2009 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Cumberland | 16–20 June 2014 | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| McCreary | 30 May–5 Jun 2011 | 51 | 0 | 0 |
| Metcalfe | 8–12 June 2013 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Monroe | 1–12 June 2015 | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| Pulaski | 5–11 June 2010 | 72 | 0 | 0 |
| Russell | 13–16, 26–29 June 2012 | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| Wayne | 28 May–3 June 2012 | 54 | 1 | 1 |
| Kentucky | 434 (408) | 1 (0.23%) | 1 | |
| Bledsoe | 18–24 June 2012 | 48 | 0 | 0 |
| Clay | 12–15 June 2010 | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| Cumberland | 29 May–4 June 2010 | 75 | 0 | 0 |
| DeKalb | 23–26 May 2008 | 40 | 1 | 1 |
| Fentress | 11–17 June 2012 | 55 | 0 | 0 |
| Jackson | 29 May–1 Jun 2009 | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| Macon | 17–22 June 2013 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Morgan | 1–8 June 2014 | 58 | 0 | 0 |
| Overton | 23–29 May 2011 | 47 | 0 | 0 |
| Pickett | 22–25 May 2009 | 24 | 1 | 1 |
| Putnam | 6–12 June 2011 | 46 | 0 | 0 |
| Scott | 9–24 June 2016 | 62 | 0 | 0 |
| Smith | 15–25 June 2015 | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| Van Buren | 13–15 June 2011 | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Warren | 1–10 June 2016 | 47 | 0 | 0 |
| White | 1–6 June 2015 | 50 | 0 | 0 |
| Tennessee | 724 (651) | 2 (0.27%) | 2 | |
| Region | 1158 (c. 1059) | 3 (0.26%) | 3 |
* Because some foray blocks fall into two or three counties, the total of blocks in the Kentucky or Tennessee portions of the Region is less than the sum of the blocks in the counties of each portion of the Region; similarly, because some blocks fall into both states, the total of blocks for the Region is less than the sum of the blocks in the two states.
Remarks: A female Connecticut Warbler was found in Overton County, Tennessee, by Stephen J. Stedman during late May of 1986, but the exact date and site of this record are currently unavailable. C. Douglas Malone reported Connecticut Warbler from Warren County, Tennessee, without being able to provide a date or site for the observation.
Details about the Russell County, Kentucky, record—to date the only Regional fall record—are missing from the eBird record cited above, so some readers may wish to consider that record as hypothetical.
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.
| Barren | Metcalfe | Adair | Russell | Pulaski |
| Monroe | Cumberland | Clinton | Wayne | McCreary |
| Macon | Clay | Pickett | Fentress | Scott |
| Smith | Jackson | Overton | Putnam | Morgan |
| DeKalb | White | Cumberland | ||
| Warren | Van Buren | Bledsoe |
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
