Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Common Merganser (Mergus Merganser)

Abundance: Very Uncommon (at least 25 records in 10 counties, 4 in Kentucky and 6 in Tennessee).

Status: Winter Resident or Visitor; photograph (see links below).

Regional High Count: 12 (24 November 1983; Barren River [Reservoir?], Barren County, Kentucky; D. Summerfield; Stamm 1984a).

Information on Records:

16 December 1969 (number unspecified) Pickett County, Tennessee (Robbie C. Hassler, J. David Hassler; Parmer 1970a).

27 December 1970 (2--age and sex unspecified) Lillydale, Clay County, Tennessee (Roy T. Hinds; Parmer 1971a).

Late December 1970/early January 1971 (number unspecified) Barren County, Kentucky (observers unspecified; ?), a CBC record.

18 December 1976 (2--age and sex unspecified) Putnam County, Tennessee (observers unspecified; Stedman 1993), a CBC record.

Fall 1980 (number unspecified) Lake Cumberland [county unspecified] (observer unspecified; Stamm 1981a).

22 November 1981 ("a number") Dale Hollow Lake [county unspecified, possibly Cumberland County], Kentucky (Russell Starr; Stamm 1982a).

14 February 1982 (4--age and sex unspecified) Green River Lake, Adair County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr. [notes]).

24 November 1983 (12--age and sex unspecified) Barren River [Reservoir?], Barren County, Kentucky (D. Summerfield; Stamm 1984a).

23 January 1982 (5--age and sex unspecified) Cordell Hull Reservoir, Jackson or Smith County, Tennessee (Ruth V. McMillan, M. R. McMillan; Bierly 1982b).

2 January 1988 (3--age and sex unspecified) Barren County, Kentucky (observers unspecified; ?), a CBC record.

7/10 February 1988 (1/10--age and sex unspecified) Holleman's Bend, Jackson County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Joseph W. Wahl/ Joseph W. Wahl; Stedman 1988c).

1 January 1993 (6--age and sex unspecified) Barren County, Kentucky (observers unspecified; ?), a CBC record.

1 January 1994 (3--age and sex unspecified) Warren County, Tennessee (observers unspecified; ?), a CBC record.

28 December 1996 (1--age and sex unspecified), ?, Warren County, Tennessee (observers unspecified), a CBC record.

29 December 1996 (4--age and sex unspecified) Barren County, Kentucky (observers unspecified; Ferrell 1997), a CBC record.

2 January 1999 (2--age and sex unspecified) ?, Pulaski County, Kentucky (fide Roseanna M. Denton; Ferrell 1999), CBC record.

20 January 2000 (1--female or immature) Wolf Creek Dam, Russell County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo and unpubl. data), photo.

7 December 2000 (3--age and sex unspecified) Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer; Busroe 2001b).

28 December 2000-2 January 2001 (1--female or immature) Lee's Ford, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Ferrell 2000), a CBC record.

20 November 2001 (1--female or immature) Waitsboro Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton unpubl. data).

30 December 2004 (3--females or immatures) Harvest Farms Lake, Warren County, Tennessee (Carol D. Williams photo, Stephen J. Stedman, Nancy S. Layzer unpubl. data), a CBC record.

31 December 2004 (7--1 adult male and 6 females or immatures) Walnut Creek, Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer photo, Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data), a CBC record.

18 February 2007 (8--age and sex unspecified) Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky (Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr., unpubl. data).

21-29 November 2007 (1--female or immature) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Thomas M. Saya, Stephen J. Stedman, Susan E. Pirolo photo et al. unpubl. data).

17 January 2009 (1) Peninsula, Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky (Steve Kistler, Janet Kistler unpubl. data).

Out-of-Season Records:

22 or 23 April 1961 (2, age and sex unspecified) site unspecified, Putnam County, Tennessee (observers unspecified; Anonymous 1961a; Stedman 1993), a Spring Bird Count record; see also Remarks.

15 & 24 May 1971 (1, age and sex unspecified) Lillydale, Clay County, Tennessee (Roy T. Hinds; Parmer 1971c), see also Remarks.

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Early Fall: 20 November 2001 (1; Pulaski County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton unpubl. data).

    Late Spring: 18 February 2007 (8; Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky; Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr., unpubl. data).

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Breeding: Confirmed (Historical). Six egg sets collected from 1896 to 1899 in Smith County, Tennessee (Cook 1985; Kiff 1989; Knight 1989b), indicate breeding of this northern species in the Region about a century ago, a most intriguing circumstance.

Habitat: Generally near shore on medium to large bodies of water, including large rivers.

Remarks: Probably present mostly as a consequence of severe weather to the north.

    The Spring Bird Count record (see Out-of-Season Records) in Putnam County, Tennessee (Stedman 1993), is rather late for this species and is considered hypothetical.  The same is true for the May 1971 record (see Out-of-Season Records) in Clay County, Tennessee (Parmer 1971c).

Counties with Observations (boldfaced) and Historical Breeding Records (red):

To see a map (Figure 1) displaying the data in the table above, click on the boldfaced word in this sentence.

Literature Cited