Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)
Abundance: Uncommon during spring and fall; recorded in 19 Regional counties, 8 in Kentucky and 11 in Tennessee (Map of UCR Distribution); data from Regional bird-monitoring efforts are too few to allow determination of a trend in the population migrating through the Region (see also Regional Bird Monitoring Plan).
Status: Transient during spring and fall; sight records.
Regional High Count and SBC/SBB High Count: 6 (7 May 2011; Cumberland County, Tennessee [SBC], m. ob.); FBC/FBB High Count: 4 (29 September 2007; White County, Tennessee [FBC]; m. ob.].
Regional Extreme Dates:
Spring: x (
Fall: x (
Note: Spring arrival generally widespread by 1 May, while spring departure typically complete by 15 May; fall arrival generally widespread by 15 September, while fall departure generally complete by 10 October. Regional dates of earliest reported spring arrival and latest reported spring departure, as well as earliest reported fall arrival and latest reported fall departure, for the migration seasons 2002–2011 follow:
| Year | Early Spring Arrival Date | Late Spring Departure Date | Early Fall Arrival Date | Late Fall Departure Date |
| 2002 | 20 April | -- | 21 September | -- |
| 2003 | 23 April | -- | 20 September | 15 October |
| 2004 | 26 April | -- | 20 September | 31 October |
| 2005 | 24 April | 21 May | 21 September | -- |
| 2006 | 22 April | 19 May | 10 September | 10 October |
| 2007 | 25 April | -- | 14 September | 8 October |
| 2008 | 20 April | -- | 30 September | -- |
| 2009 | 26 April | -- | 18 September | 8 October |
| 2010 | 2 May | 10 May | 4 September | 3 October |
| 2011 | 13 April | 23 May | 30 August | -- |
Habitat: x
YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004:Registered on 3 (of 125 possible) monthly check-lists during 2003 and on 4 (of 206 possible) check-lists during 2004, leading to a YardWatch frequency classification of Rare each year; thus, the Northern Waterthrush is considerably less likely to be encountered in Regional yards and neighborhoods than it is in the Region as a whole.
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 Northern Waterthrush 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 | 0 | 0 |
| Macon | 17–22 June 2013 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Morgan | 1–8 June 2014 | 58 | 0 | 0 |
| Overton | 23–29 May 2011 | 47 | 1 | 1 |
| 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) | 1 (0.14%) | 1 | |
| Region | 1158 (c. 1059) | 1 (0.09%) | 1 |
* 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
