Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)

Abundance: Very Uncommon (at least 9 records in 4 counties, 2 in Kentucky and 2 in Tennessee; most records involve single birds).

Status: Transient in spring (4 records) and fall (5 records); photographs (see links below).

High Count: 3 (6 September 2008; Adair County; Roseanna M. Denton).

Information on Records: 

20-23 September 1983 (1) Pulaski County Park, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Stamm 1984a).

10 May 1988 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman photo; Stedman 1993), photo.

24-25 September 1988 (1) Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr. [notes]; Stamm 1989a).

9 May 2001 (1) Twin Lakes, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton unpubl. data).

8 September 2004 (1) Boiling Pond, White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Casteel 2005a).

2 May 2005 (1) Pulaski County Park, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2005c).

14 May 2005 (1--heard calling "tu-tu-tu" of 3 dowitchers observed) Martin Creek, Putnam County, Tennessee (Nancy S. Layzer, Stephen J. Stedman, Judy C. Fuson, Carol D. Williams photo and unpubl. data), photo.

4 & 6 September 2006 (1--juvenile) Fishing Creek, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo and unpubl. data).

22 August/4/6 September 2008 (2--juveniles/1/3) Casey Creek (1) and Green River (1)/Casey Creek/Casey Creek, Adair County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton [all 3 records] unpubl. data).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Spring: 2 May 2005 (1; Pulaski County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton unpubl. data)-14 May 2005 (1; Putnam County, Tennessee; Nancy S. Layzer, Stephen J. Stedman, Judy C. Fuson, Carol D. Williams photo and unpubl. data).

    Fall: 22 August 2008 (2; Adair County, Kentucky; Roseanna M. Denton photo and unpubl. data)-25 September 1988 (1) Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; [Stamm 1989a]).

Habitat: shallow ponds and transient wet areas with muddy bottoms; usually forages in water up to top of legs, submerging its head and probing in the mud with its long bill.

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Remarks: Roseanna M. Denton (pers. com.) observed a dowitcher sp. at Thurston's Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky, 21 April 1999, a date that would have superseded the early spring arrival date, if the bird had been identifiable to this species; Roseanna (pers. com.) also observed a dowitcher sp. at Cooley's Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky, 18 September 2002.  On 7 May 2003 two dowitcher sp. were noted with a small flock of Lesser Yellowlegs on Hickey Ridge Rd., Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Daniel L. Combs unpubl. data).  Besides the dowitcher that called with a classic "tu-tu-tu" of Short-billed Dowitcher on Martin Creek, Putnam County, Tennessee, 14 May 2005, two other dowitchers, one with a longish bill, were also present.  A dowitcher sp. was present 13 July 2005 on Taft Church Rd., White County, Tennessee (Douglas A Downs, Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data), a date that would have easily eclipsed the early fall arrival date, if the bird had been identifiable to this species; another unidentified dowitcher was noted at Cooley's Pond, Wayne County, Kentucky, 20 May 2006 (Roseanna M. Denton).

    The timing of most fall sightings of dowitchers in the Region suggests that many of these birds are juveniles.

Counties with Observations (boldfaced):

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

Literature Cited