Results of Bird Inventory at Russell Cave National Monument, Alabama, April 2003 to March 2004

 

The mouth of Russell Cave, the bottom half shrouded by mist, in Russell Cave National
Monument, Jackson Co., Alabama, 6 August 2003; photo SJS.

 

Under contract with the National Park Service, Barbara and Stephen Stedman conducted a bird inventory of this park service unit for each season of the year, beginning the inventory during the spring of 2003 and completing it at the end of winter 2004-2005.

   If you have data about any bird species not noted below or for any seasons without records in the table below, even if from a year before 2003, please contact us at the following e-mail address with the particulars of the sighting, including as accurate a date as possible:

                sstedman@tntech.edu

   Spring 2003 data were collected by BHS on the following dates: 22-24 April 2003.  x = present during season on at least one of the dates indicated.

   Summer 2003 data were collected by BHS on the following dates: 30-31 May, 1 and 18-19 June 2003.  x = present during season indicated.  Summer 2003 Point Count data derive from a set of 12 plots surveyed once (10 minutes at each plot) by BHS.

    Fall 2003 data were collected by BHS and SJS on 6 August 2003 and by BHS on 23 September 2003.  x = present during season indicated. 

    Winter 2003-2004 data were collected by BHS 26 December 2003, 25 and 29 February 2004, and 1 March 2004.  x = present during season indicated. 

    Codes for breeding evidence follow (a date is provided with codes for probable and confirmed breeding):

        Possible Breeders:

            X = present

        Probable Breeders:

            T = territorial (present at same site on dates at least a week apart)
            P = pair
            A = agitated behavior (presumably near nest or young)
            C = courtship or copulation

        Confirmed Breeders:

            DD = distraction display
            CN = adult carrying nest material
            NB = adult building nest
            UN = used nest
            FY = adult carrying food for young
            BG = begging young
            FL = fledged young
              FS = fecal sac removed from nest by adult
            ON = adult on nest incubating
            NE = nest with eggs
            NY = nest with young

       To view a checklist of species recorded at Russell Cave N. M. during the inventory, click on the following link:

   The following table summarizes bird inventory work at Russell Cave N. M. for the first year of the inventory.

 

Species Spring Summer

Fall

 Winter 
2003 2003 2003 2003-2004
Point Point Breeding
Counts Counts Evidence
Stops Individuals
Wood Duck x X
Wild Turkey x x 1 1 DD 06-01 x
Northern Bobwhite x X
Green Heron x X
Black Vulture x X x
Turkey Vulture x x X x x
Northern Harrier x
Sharp-shinned Hawk x X
Cooper's Hawk x
Red-shouldered Hawk x x NY 05-31 x x
Broad-winged Hawk x x 1 1 A 05-31 x
Red-tailed Hawk x X x x
American Kestrel x
Killdeer x
American Woodcock x
Ring-billed Gull x
Mourning Dove x 3 3 X x x
Yellow-billed Cuckoo x 7 8 T 06-19 x
Eastern Screech-Owl x x T 06-19 x x
Great Horned Owl x x T 06-19 x
Barred Owl x x 1 1 BG 05-31 x x
Chuck-will's-widow x X
Whip-poor-will x x T 06-19
Chimney Swift x x 1 1 T 06-19 x
Ruby-thr. Hummingbird x T 06-19 x
Belted Kingfisher x x T 06-19 x x
Red-headed Woodpecker x x
Red-bellied Woodpecker x x 3 5 FL 06-19 x x
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker x
Downy Woodpecker x x 3 5 FL 06-19 x x
Hairy Woodpecker x x 3 3 FL 06-19 x x
Northern Flicker x x x
Pileated Woodpecker x x 4 4 T 06-19 x x
Eastern Wood-Pewee x x 9 11 T 06-19 x
Acadian Flycatcher x x 4 5 T 06-19
Eastern Phoebe x x 5 6 NY 04-24 x x
Great Crested Flycatcher x x 5 7 ON 06-01
Eastern Kingbird x 1 1 ON 06-19
White-eyed Vireo x x T 06-19 x
Yellow-throated Vireo x x 3 3 T 06-19 x
Blue-headed Vireo x x 5 9 T 06-19 x
Red-eyed Vireo x x 12 36 T 06-19 x
Blue Jay x x 7 18 FL 06-01 x x
American Crow x x 5 13 FL 04-24 x x
Purple Martin x X
N. Rough-winged Swallow x x ON 04-24
Cliff Swallow x X
Barn Swallow x x 1 1 ON 04-24 x
Carolina Chickadee x x 8 12 FL 05-31 x x
Tufted Titmouse x x 9 19 FL 05-30 x x
White-breasted Nuthatch x x 8 16 NY 06-19 x x
Brown-headed Nuthatch x
Brown Creeper x
Carolina Wren x x 7 15 NY 06-19 x x
House Wren x
Winter Wren x
Golden-crowned Kinglet x
Ruby-crowned Kinglet x x
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher x x 3 6 FL 06-19 x
Eastern Bluebird x x 1 1 NY 04-24 x x
Hermit Thrush x
Wood Thrush x x 9 11 FL 06-18
American Robin x x 1 1 FL 05-30 x x
Gray Catbird x 1 1 X
Northern Mockingbird x x T 06-19 x x
Brown Thrasher x x ON 05-30 x x
European Starling x x FL 04-23 x x
Cedar Waxwing x x
Tennessee Warbler x
Northern Parula x X x
Yellow Warbler x
Chestnut-sided Warbler x
Magnolia Warbler x
Yellow-rumped Warbler x x
Black-thr. Green Warbler x x
Blackburnian Warbler x
Yellow-throated Warbler x x 2 2 FL 05-31 x
Pine Warbler x x 2 3 FY 04-24 x x
Prairie Warbler x X x
Palm Warbler x x
Bay-breasted Warbler x
Cerulean Warbler x
Black-and-white Warbler x x FL 06-19 x
American Redstart x x
Worm-eating Warbler x 6 9 FL 06-19 x
Ovenbird x x 6 8 T 06-19 x
Northern Waterthrush x
Louisiana Waterthrush x x 2 3 FL 05-30 x
Kentucky Warbler x 2 2 X
Common Yellowthroat x 1 1 X
Hooded Warbler x x 6 9 T 06-19 x
Yellow-breasted Chat x x X
Summer Tanager x x 6 16 X x
Scarlet Tanager x x 8 14 X x
Eastern Towhee x x 1 1 FL 06-19 x x
Chipping Sparrow x x 2 4 FL 06-19 x x
Field Sparrow x T 06-19 x
Grasshopper Sparrow x X
Fox Sparrow x
Song Sparrow x x
White-throated Sparrow x x
Dark-eyed Junco x
Northern Cardinal x x 9 25 NE 04-24 x x
Rose-breasted Grosbeak x
Blue Grosbeak x x 2 2 T 06-19 x
Indigo Bunting x x 5 10 FL 06-19 x
Red-winged Blackbird x x FL 06-19 x
Eastern Meadowlark x T 06-19 x x
Common Grackle x x FL 05-31 x x
Brown-headed Cowbird x x 2 4 P 06-01 x x
Orchard Oriole x x X
Baltimore Oriole x
Purple Finch x
House Finch x T 06-19 x
American Goldfinch x x X x x

   Thanks are due all personnel, especially Tom Diggs and Mary Belue-Shew, in the Resource Management Office at Russell Cave N. M. for providing vital logistical support that enabled the point counts to be conducted this year. Thanks are also due the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Program for support in providing funding to accomplish this bird inventory of the park.