Results of Fall Bird Counts in Putnam County, Tennessee, 2000-present

Barn Owls (above) have been recorded on seven of ten Fall Bird Counts thus far conducted in Putnam County; photo SJS.

 

A decade's worth of data have now accumulated from Fall Bird Counts (FBC) conducted in Putnam County, making it the Regional county with the most extensive array of mid-September bird data.  During these autumnal bird counts, 157 species have been observed, offering some insights into the nature of the bird fauna inhabiting the county during that part of the year. Seventy-three species (46%) have been reported on all ten counts; these species clearly represent the solid core of the county avifauna during mid-September.  Twenty-two (14%) species have been reported on just one of the ten FBCs; these species have but a tenuous hold on citizenship within the county avifauna during that time.  The remaining 62 species (40%) may be said to hover somewhere between solid citizenship and tenuous citizenship in the cohort of species detectible at that time.

    Of the 73 species detected on all ten counts, 43 (59%) are permanent residents; of the 22 species detected on only one count, none (0%) is a permanent resident; of the 62 species detected on 2-9 counts, 12 (19%) are permanent residents.  Clearly, the core of the county avifauna during mid-September is weighted heavily toward species residing year-round.

    To see Fall Bird Count results by party for any of the years during which a count has been conducted in Putnam County, click on one of the following links:

Table 1. Results of Fall Bird Counts in Putnam County 2000-2009. Species (22) recorded on just one of ten counts are presented in light-faced red; species (73) recorded on all ten counts are presented in bold-faced maroon; and species (62) recorded on 2-9 counts are presented in light-faced maroon.

Year

 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Date (September) 16 15 21 20 18 17 16 15 20 19
Number Field Observers 12 13 9 10 11 10 16 17 15 10
Number Feederwatchers 2 0 1 2 2 2 3 4 5 5
Compiler SJS SJS SJS SJS SJS SJS SJS SJS SJS SJS
Party Hours 34.5 43 39.25 48.5 51.5 47.5 65.25 75.25 75.75 61
Party Miles 305.5 338 291.5 331.75 441.5 420 438.75 524.75 547.25 482
Owling Hours 3 2.25 3.25 2 3 3.5 5 4.5 5.25 3.75
Owling Miles 44 39 64 30 39 28 58 34 55 38
Feederwatching Hrs. 0 2 6 4 7.75 5 7.25 8.5 8.5 13.5
Start CDT 0500 0600 0430 0420 0400 0415 0415 0400 0410 0420
End CDT 1830 1850 1845 1830 1840 1815 1855 1845 1845 1900
Total Species 97 103 107 111 109 105 118 124 121

123
Canada Goose 546 178 125 100 115 241 211 97 66 292
Wood Duck 20 23 39 33 43 140 88 55 53 51
Gadwall 1 0 3 1 0 0 0 14 0 0
American Wigeon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0
American Black Duck 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 0 0
Mallard 0 2 6 27 14 8 7 62 48 34
Blue-winged Teal 5 0 29 17 3 0 2 4 2 24
Hooded Merganser 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Wild Turkey 7 0 6 19 20 0 22 51 22 72
Northern Bobwhite 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 3
Pied-billed Grebe 13 2 4 5 0 12 0 19 8 9
Double-crested Cormorant 10 21 5 3 30 1 10 0 6 7
Least Bittern 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Great Blue Heron 17 12 13 17 11 18 29 19 25 20
   GTBH, white form 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Great Egret 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 1 9 2
Green Heron 5 5 5 9 4 9 10 3 7 21
Black-crowned Night-Heron 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0
   Night-Heron sp. 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Black Vulture 16 4 34 1 43 12 20 42 52 10
Turkey Vulture 64 42 68 53 104 87 144 120 151 62
Osprey 2 2 1 2 5 2 5 2 2 3
Northern Harrier 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 0
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 1 0 0 1 0 2 1 3 2
Cooper's Hawk 3 2 2 3 3 3 6 3 3 7
    Accipiter sp. 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 2 4 5 6 16 7 19 10 17 8
Broad-winged Hawk 0 65 27 30 18 3 5 12 153 1
Red-tailed Hawk 10 12 4 12 25 15 17 10 11 6
    Buteo sp. 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
American Kestrel 22 14 17 19 25 27 26 31 25 30
Merlin 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Killdeer 42 31 137 46 33 106 73 57 76 164
Spotted Sandpiper 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Semipalmated Sandpiper 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
   Peep sp. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3
American Woodcock 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 1 1 0
Ring-billed Gull 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Rock Pigeon 58 92 121 277 103 172 110 44 130 139
Eurasian Collared-Dove 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1
Mourning Dove 241 259 310 402 234 589 649 491 618 583
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 0 3 0 1 3 0 1 2 0 3
Barn Owl 0 1 1 1 1 0 2 0 1 2
Eastern Screech-Owl 8 7 15 8 10 13 16 22 25 17
Great Horned Owl 2 2 7 2 2 4 11 7 5 5
Barred Owl 0 2 4 7 1 7 13 7 14 11
Common Nighthawk 4 2 145 0 1 0 10 9 10 4
Whip-poor-will 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1
Chimney Swift 95 40 95 37 45 55 195 43 102 103
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 46 38 37 29 15 34 78 121 137 99
Rufous Hummingbird 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Belted Kingfisher 11 15 13 14 7 18 17 16 20 13
Red-headed Woodpecker 8 9 2 21 7 7 6 9 18 14
Red-bellied Woodpecker 26 53 54 44 54 23 64 59 64 104
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Downy Woodpecker 22 43 34 48 52 27 60 59 53 68
Hairy Woodpecker 5 11 18 9 9 11 14 13 16 19
Northern Flicker 20 25 28 27 33 20 29 34 38 47
Pileated Woodpecker 8 26 21 27 24 13 40 40 40 34
Olive-sided Flycatcher 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
Eastern Wood-Pewee 12 22 20 30 33 22 57 37 49 59
Acadian Flycatcher 0 0 1 1 0 4 6 11 4 6
Least Flycatcher 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
    Empidonax sp. 10 2 10 2 4 0 8 8 39 1
Eastern Phoebe 34 30 36 31 60 53 113 98 115 127
Great Cr. Flycatcher 0 0 1 0 3 0 2 5 1 2
Eastern Kingbird 4 0 0 1 4 0 8 10 3 6
Loggerhead Shrike 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
White-eyed Vireo 17 65 38 45 44 60 99 61 81 41
Yellow-throated Vireo 5 17 8 14 12 10 29 22 20 18
Blue-headed Vireo 3 5 3 1 8 2 11 3 6 1
Warbling Vireo 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Philadelphia Vireo 1 0 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 0
Red-eyed Vireo 9 7 2 6 6 5 22 23 17 16
Blue Jay 151 228 279 183 235 227 345 230 496 346
American Crow 179 250 266 233 216 304 320 371 517 493
Horned Lark 1 1 2 3 2 1 1 0 1 2
Tree Swallow 0 3 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 0
N. Rough-winged Swallow 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Barn Swallow 0 1 4 0 0 3 0 14 3 14
Carolina Chickadee 111 144 106 113 117 133 176 225 179 144
Tufted Titmouse 86 106 101 90 101 132 156 215 168 148
Red-breasted Nuthatch 0 6 0 1 0 0 0 4 2 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 35 52 56 44 60 48 102 103 91 75
Brown-headed Nuthatch 0 0 5 5 8 3 6 2 2 6
Carolina Wren 79 118 141 100 114 170 211 184 231 242
House Wren 4 1 3 2 5 6 1 4 31 5
Sedge Wren 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Marsh Wren 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 0 1 0 2 1 0 1 2 6 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 3 8 5 4 4 5 13 4 12
Eastern Bluebird 193 179 218 217 238 242 360 255 514 573
Veery 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
Gray-cheeked Thrush 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 11 1
Swainson's Thrush 11 12 7 2 14 9 13 21 56 8
Wood Thrush 7 2 3 1 4 2 7 15 21 11
American Robin 41 61 114 41 58 112 118 55 80 58
Gray Catbird 14 20 20 19 32 23 17 21 56 29
Northern Mockingbird 20 34 47 39 36 41 71 67 136 148
Brown Thrasher 19 23 24 12 37 21 35 28 60 28
European Starling 1014 2510 2475 3024 2094 2529 1502 873 4423 6268
American Pipit 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Cedar Waxwing 6 2 18 160 22 42 34 53 72 66
Blue-winged Warbler 2 1 1 0 1 4 2 7 2 2
Golden-winged Warbler 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 3 3 2
Tennessee Warbler 14 17 15 66 13 17 11 25 28 21
Orange-crowned Warbler 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nashville Warbler 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
Northern Parula 0 3 4 11 10 3 5 10 5 7
Yellow Warbler 1 1 1 1 0 2 1 1 6 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler 3 16 4 17 26 14 34 15 6 17
Magnolia Warbler 25 59 36 53 52 50 90 70 66 92
Cape May Warbler 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Yellow-rumped Warbler 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0
Black-throated Green Warbler 7 11 5 16 7 10 2 12 2 8
Blackburnian Warbler 0 0 1 1 2 2 1 2 4 2
Yellow-throated Warbler 2 6 0 1 2 6 2 7 3 2
Pine Warbler 5 14 12 28 13 7 26 23 26 12
Prairie Warbler 0 5 5 4 3 6 3 6 9 6
Palm Warbler 0 4 0 59 0 1 4 10 10 11
Bay-breasted Warbler 0 4 3 6 2 3 3 4 3 2
Black-and-white Warbler 9 29 3 8 18 15 21 24 25 17
American Redstart 11 25 9 13 17 15 13 42 24 34
Prothonotary Warbler 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Worm-eating Warbler 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0
Ovenbird 6 0 1 6 10 1 5 5 5 5
Northern Waterthrush 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 2
Kentucky Warbler 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Mourning Warbler 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Common Yellowthroat 29 21 29 40 28 27 27 29 34 28
Hooded Warbler 2 7 10 5 16 6 17 19 27 17
Wilson's Warbler 1 0 2 2 0 1 0 1 1 1
Canada Warbler 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 4 1 2
Yellow-breasted Chat 0 0 2 1 1 0 1 1 2 1
    warbler sp. 0 0 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Summer Tanager 7 33 16 24 13 16 40 26 44 30
Scarlet Tanager 1 7 12 13 23 17 12 21 27 21
Eastern Towhee 11 34 43 34 56 42 61 59 48 38
Chipping Sparrow 25 40 77 60 51 41 63 114 196 210
Field Sparrow 32 15 33 14 36 60 59 75 94 56
Savannah Sparrow 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 2 4
Grasshopper Sparrow 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Song Sparrow 46 35 86 29 60 61 38 58 65 36
Lincoln's Sparrow 1 1 1 1 2 0 4 0 0 0
Swamp Sparrow 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
White-throated Sparrow 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
White-crowned Sparrow 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Northern Cardinal 157 182 343 236 200 239 310 298 347 319
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 4 2 8 5 10 2 3 15 11 9
Blue Grosbeak 1 5 3 4 2 8 2 3 35 10
Indigo Bunting 26 17 133 57 45 47 37 33 104 66
Dickcissel 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Bobolink 0 2 12 4 0 0 0 1 0 0
Red-winged Blackbird 22 33 5 3 185 17 1 3 54 348
Eastern Meadowlark 8 13 38 18 19 4 39 8 63 38
Common Grackle 3 102 8 92 3 3 472 54 8 347
Brown-h. Cowbird 0 0 183 200 32 95 10 1 32 140
Baltimore Oriole 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
House Finch 35 33 104 29 12 23 15 35 61 50
American Goldfinch 74 138 77 49 83 123 105 248 215 165
House Sparrow 17 50 146 79 54 108 35 50 112 107
Total Individuals 4004 5925 6951 7083 5805 7001 7454 6078 11349 13351
Total Species 97 103 107 111 109 105 118 124 121 123
Cumulative Species Total 97 116 124 127 133 138 145 149 152 157

Year

 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Stephen J. Stedman (SJS) has been the compiler of the Putnam County FBC during the first decade of its existence.