Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts
Mourning Warbler (Geothlypis philadelphia)
Abundance: Very Uncommon; at least 36 records in 12 Regional counties, 3 in Kentucky and 9 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 (21 records) and fall (15 records); occasional Summer Visitor (1 record); sight and sound records.
Regional High Count and SBC/SBB High Count: 2 (9 May 1992; Putnam County, Tennessee [SBC]; Richard W. Simmers, Jr.).
Information on Records:
18 August 1932 (1) Camp Hy-Lake on Caney Fork River, White County, Tennessee (Henry M. Stevenson; Stevenson 1933).
12 and/or 13 May 1951 (1singing) Standing Stone State Park, Overton County, Tennessee (James T. Tanner et al.; Anonymous 1951), a Spring Bird Count record.
4 October 1981 (1dead [specimen identified by Burt L. Monroe, Jr.JBE notes]) Hwy. 27 near Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.).
6 September 1982 (1) Eubank, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Stamm 1983a).
15 May 1986 (1) Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Stedman 1986c).
20 May 1989 (1) Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Vogt 1989c).
23 May 1990 (1) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 1993).
29 August/3 September 1991 (1immature) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Barbara H. Stedman; Stedman 1993 [incorrectly cites first date as 30 August]).
9 May 1992 (2) Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.), a Spring Bird Count record.
8 September 1993 (1dead) Science Hill, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Monroe, Stamm, and Stinson 1994).
27 May 1999 (1) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Fekel 1999c).
16 September 2000 (1) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman), a Fall Bird Count record.
22 September 2001 (1) Mason Grissom Rd., Warren County, Tennessee (Susan N. McWhirter).
6 June 2003 (1-singing) c. 3 km downriver from Station Camp on the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Scott County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Knight 2003c).
5 May 2004 (1singing) Walnut Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).
18 September 2004 (1) VoTech Center, Flat Fork Rd., Morgan County, Tennessee (David J. Trently).
22 May 2005 (1) near Mark, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Wendell Neeley; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2005c).
20 May 2006 (1male) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).
20 May 2006 (1) near Mayland, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Joseph E. Mast).
23 May 2006 (1) Dry Creek Unit, Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer).
11 May 2007 (1male) Mark, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Connie S. Neeley; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2007c).
12 May/18 May 2007 (1male) Pulaski County Park, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Arlene M. Morton/David L. Roemer; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2007c), a Spring Bird Count record [first date].
19 May 2008 (1male) Merle Osborn Nature Preserve, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).
1112 August 2008 (1male) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman [first date only], Barbara H. Stedman [latter date only]).
7 September 2008 (1male) Science Hill, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).
23 September 2008 (1) Leffle Webb Rd., Cumberland County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand).
30 May 2009 (singing) Whitleyville 4 block, Jackson County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman), a Jackson County Foray record.
6 October 2009 (1responded to call on iPod) West Oak Dr., Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Winston A. Walden).
15 May 2010 (1singing) Hinch Mountain, Cumberland County (Stephen J. Stedman; Knight 2010c), a Spring Bird Count record.
9 May 2011 (1male singing and seen) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).
10 May 2011 (1singing) Overlook at Appalachian Center for Craft, DeKalb County, Tennessee (Pingang Wang).
23 May 2011 (1singing) Standing Stone State Forest, Overton County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman), an Overton County Foray record.
25 May 2011 (1singing) southeastern Overton County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman), an Overton County Foray record.
9 September 2011 (1) Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).
9 September 2011 (1) Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).
8 September 2013 (1) Leffle Webb Rd., Cumberland County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand).
Out-of-Season (Summer) Records:
25 June 1985 (1) Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Stedman 1985d).
Regional Extreme Dates:
Spring: 5 May 2004 (Putnam County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman)6 June 2003 (Scott County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman; Knight 2003c), but see also Out-of-Season Records (above).
Fall: 11 August 2008 (Putnam County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman); Next earliest: 18 August 1932 (White County, Tennessee; Henry M. Stevenson; Stevenson 1933)6 October 2009 (Putnam County, Tennessee; Winston A. Walden).
Habitat: Usually, dense brushy and weedy sites in a variety of situations.
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 Mourning 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 | 0 | 0 |
| Kentucky | 434 (408) | 0 (0%) | 0 | |
| 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 | 0 | 0 |
| Fentress | 11–17 June 2012 | 55 | 0 | 0 |
| Jackson | 29 May–1 Jun 2009 | 40 | 1 | 0 |
| Macon | 17–22 June 2013 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Morgan | 1–8 June 2014 | 58 | 0 | 0 |
| Overton | 23–29 May 2011 | 47 | 2 | 2 |
| Pickett | 22–25 May 2009 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| 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) | 3 (0.4%) | 2 | |
| Region | 1158 (c. 1059) | 3 (0.26%) | 2 |
* 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: x
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
