Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)

Abundance: Very Uncommon during fall; Rare during spring; Rare during winter; at least 47 records in 12 Regional counties, 4 in Kentucky and 8 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 (7 records) and fall (35 records); Visitor during early winter (5 records); sight and sound records.

Regional High Count and FBC/FBB High Count: 6 (1 October 2005; White County, Tennessee [FBC]; Douglas A. Downs, Stephen J. Stedman); Next Highest FBC/FBB Count: 4 [tower kills, possibly the result of kills occurring over the course of several nights] (16/17 October 1990; Adair County, Kentucky; Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Elmore and Palmer-Ball 1991).

Information on Records: 

12 or 13 May 1951 (1) Overton County, Tennessee (TOS members; Anonymous 1951).

8 or 9 May 1954 (1) Overton County, Tennessee (TOS members; Anonymous 1954).

23 April 1977 (1) Putnam County, Tennessee (observers unknown; Stedman 1993), a Spring Bird Count record.

4–5 October 1982 (1) Eubank, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Stamm 1983a).

5 May 1988 (present) Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Barbara H. Stedman; Stedman 1993).

22 October 1989 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman, Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 1993).

30 September 1990 (1/1) Cane Creek Park/County Farm Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 1993).

16/17 October 1990 (4—tower kills) WGRB tower 6.5 km north of Columbia, Adair County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Elmore and Palmer-Ball 1991).

1 October 1994 (1) Mason Grissom Rd., Warren County, Tennessee (Susan N. McWhirter).

24–25 September 1999 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Ginger K. Ensor; Fekel 2000).

2 October 1999 (2) Warren County, Tennessee (Susan N. McWhirter; Fekel 2000).

15 April 2000 (present) Russell County, Kentucky (Scott Marsh; Palmer-Ball 2003).

30 September 2000 (2) Mason Grissom Rd., Warren County, Tennessee (Susan N. McWhirter).

27 October 2001 (1) Duncan Hollow Rd., Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Scott County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman and Stedman 2002).

9 November 2001 (1) Meiser Swamp, Warren County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, C. Douglas Malone, Crystal Malone).

27 September 2002 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Casteel 2003a).

7 October 2002 (1) Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

22 September 2003 (1) Mark, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Connie S. Neeley).

18 October 2003 (2) Scott County, Tennessee (Nell Moore, Stephen J. Stedman, Winston A. Walden).

19 October 2003 (1) near confluence of Flynn Creek and Cumberland River, Jackson County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman).

2 November 2003 (1) Walnut Grove Rd., White County, Tennessee (Wally Brines).

18 September 2004 (1—singing) Hackworth Farm, Rt. 62, Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman; Casteel 2005a; Hoff 2005a), a Fall Bird Count record.

20/25 September 2004 (1/1) Randolph Pond, Walter Stone Rd., White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Douglas A. Downs/Barbara H. Stedman), a Fall Bird Count record.

25 September 2004 (1) Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness, White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Douglas A. Downs), a Fall Bird Count record.

3 October 2004 (1) Mark, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Connie S. Neeley).

9 October 2004 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard L. Knight et al.).

9 October 2004 (1/1) Heritage Marsh/Randolph Pond, White County, Tennessee (Douglas A. Downs et al.).

10 October 2004 (2) Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness, White County, Tennessee (Richard L. Knight, Winston A. Walden et al.; Knight 2005a).

7 November 2004 (1) Mark, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Connie S. Neeley).

19 April 2005 (1—singing) Heritage Marsh, White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Douglas A. Downs; Casteel 2005c).

13 & 15 May 2005 (1) Bud Tanner Rd., near Mayland, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Joseph E. Mast; Knight 2005c).

1 October 2005 (1) Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2006a).

1 October 2005 (6) Heritage Marsh, White County, Tennessee (Douglas A. Downs, Stephen J. Stedman; Casteel 2006a).

18 October 2005 (1) Mark, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Connie S. Neeley).

7 & 24 October 2006 (1) Mud Creek, Warren County, Tennessee (Susan N. McWhirter, Mac McWhirter).

19 October 2006 (1) Pumphrey Farm, Pulaski County, Kentucker (Roseanna M. Denton et al.; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2007a).

5 October 2007 (2) Casey Creek, Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

8 October 2007 (2) Skaggs Creek and Dry Creek Unit, Barren River Reservoir Wildlife Management Area, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer).

9 October 2007 (1) Green River, Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton).

20 September 2008 (1—singing) Muddy Pond Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman), a Fall Bird Count record.

4 October 2008 (1—responded to recorded song) Eastland Rd., White County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand), a Fall Bird Count record.

3 October 2009 (2—seen) Heritage Marsh, White County, Tennessee (Douglas A. Downs, Stephen J. Stedman), a Fall Bird Count record.

Out-of-Season (Winter) Records:

8 December 2004 (1) Walnut Grove Rd., White County, Tennessee (Wally Brines; Casteel 2005b).

21 December 2004 (1) Heritage Marsh, White County, Tennessee (Douglas A. Downs, Stephen J. Stedman, Charlie Muise; Casteel 2005b), a White County CBC record (first record for that CBC).

31 December 2005/3 January 2006 (1/1) Twin Lakes, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Lynda M. Mills, Thomas B. Mills), a Somerset CBC record on former date (first record for that CBC).

16 December 2006 (1) Walnut Grove Rd., White County, Tennessee (Wally Brines), a Cookeville CBC record (first record for that CBC).

28 December 2006 (1) Ninemile Crossroad, Bledsoe County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Winston A. Walden).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Spring: 15 April 2000 (Russell County, Kentucky; Scott Marsh)–15 May 2005 (Cumberland County, Tennessee; Joseph E. Mast).

    Fall: 18 September 2004 (Putnam County, Tennessee; Barbara H. Stedman)– 9 November 2001 (Warren County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman, C. Douglas Malone, Crystal Malone), but see also Out-of-Season (Winter) Records (above).

Habitat: Thick, weedy vegetation growing to a height of 0.5–1 m, usually at mesic sites; small ponds ringed with cattail and spear-grass (Juncus spp.) are favored sites of this skulking wren; mesic meadows with vegetation of the proper height are also favored.

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: Registered on 2 (of 125 possible) monthly check-lists during 2003 and on 3 (of 206 possible) during 2004, yielding a YardWatch frequency classification of Rare during each year; this YardWatch frequency classification indicates that the Marsh Wren was about as frequently encountered in Regional yards and neighborhoods during the former year, and almost so during the latter year, as in the Region as a whole.

Remarks: Thirty of forty Regional records have occurred during the 2000s, including all five early winter records, a temporal distribution that possibly attests to an increase in the overall skill level of the Regional birding cadre but that alternatively may indicate a response to global warming or a recent increase in the frequency of occurrence of this species in the Region (or both).

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