Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Veery (Catharus fuscescens)

Abundance: Uncommon (spring) to Very Uncommon (fall); Very Uncommon to Rare during summer; records for 12 counties (3 in Kentucky and 9 in Tennessee).

Status: Transient during spring (at least 38 records, including some Spring Bird Count records from Putnam County not itemized below) and fall (at least 20 records); Summer Resident at high elevations of Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan County, Tennessee; on Dorton Knob at southern end of Brady Mountain, Cumberland County, Tennessee; and possibly on Fork Mountain, Scott/Anderson counties, Tennessee. Photograph (1; 5 September 2008; Holleman's Bend Rd., Jackson County, Tennessee; Stephen J. Stedman).

Regional High Count: 19 (21 June 2006; Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan County, Tennessee; David M. Engebretson unpubl. data); High Count during Fall: 10 (17 September 1989; Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee; Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Vogt 1990a); High Count during Spring: 7 (22 April 1966; Putnam County, Tennessee [Spring Bird Count]; observers unknown; Stedman 1993).

Information on Spring Migration Records:

5 or 6 May 1962 (3) Cumberland County, Tennessee (observers unknown; Anonymous 1962a), a Spring Bird Count record.

23 or 24 April 1966 (1) Putnam County, Tennessee (observers unknown; Anonymous 1966a; Stedman 1993), a Spring Bird Count record.

7 or 8 May 1966 (3) Cumberland County, Tennessee (observers unknown; Anonymous 1966a), a Spring Bird Count record.

22 April 1967 (7) Putnam County, Tennessee (observers unknown; Anonymous 1967a; Stedman 1993), a Spring Bird Count record.

6 May 1978 (1) Putnam County, Tennessee (observers unknown), a Spring Bird Count record.

4 June 1998 (1) Macon County, Tennessee (John D. Froeschauer; Fekel 1998d).

4 May 1999 (1) Nemo area, Obed Wild and Scenic River, Morgan County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman; Stedman and Stedman 2002).

15 May 1999 (1) Pulaski County Park, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton unpubl. data).

23 April 2000 (1) Twin Arches Loop, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Scott County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Daniel L. Combs; Stedman and Stedman 2002).

6 May 2000 (1) Mt. Zion, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton unpubl. data).

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

2 May 2002 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data).

7 May 2003 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Ginger K. Ensor unpubl. data).

15 May 2003 (?) Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr., unpubl. data).

25 April 2004 (1) Edgar Evins State Park, DeKalb County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Michael J. Hawkins unpubl. data).

28 April 2004 (1) Ensor Sink Natural Area, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data).

8 May 2004 (1) Pulaski County, Kentucky (fide Roseanna M. Denton), a Spring Bird Count record.

3 May 2005 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data).

29 April 2006 (1) near Burke, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data), a Spring Bird Count record.

3 May 2006 (2) Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data).

13 May 2006 (1) Mt. Zion, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton unpubl. data), a Spring Bird Count record.

14 May 2006 (1) Alpine Recreation Area, Daniel Boone National Forest, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton unpubl. data).

17 May 2006 (1) Ensor Sink Natural Area, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Steve Holzman unpubl. data).

1 May 2007 (1) Dorton Knob, Brady Mountain, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data), a Spring Bird Count record.

4 May 2007 (1) Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data).

12 May 2007 (3) Pulaski County, Kentucky (fide Roseanna M. Denton), a Spring Bird Count record.

3 May 2008 (1) Potter's Ford Rd., Catoosa Wildlife Management Area, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman unpubl. data), a Spring Bird Count record.

6 May 2008 ((2--singing) Greenbriar Rd., Adair County, Kentucky (Stephen J. Stedman, Thomas M. Saya unpubl. data), a Spring BirdBlitz record.

17 May 2008 (1) White Cave Rd., White County, Tennessee (Joseph E. Mast unpubl. data), a Spring Bird Count record.

Information on Fall Migration Records:

27 & 29 September 1986 (1) Mt. Zion, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton unpubl. data).

7 September 1987 (1) Jackson County, Tennessee (Michael J. Hawkins unpubl. data).

5 September 1988 (1) Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Vogt 1989a; Stedman 1993).

10/17 September 1989 (3/10) Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Vogt 1990a; Stedman 1993).

22 September 1995 (1) Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Stedman 2006).

28 August 1996 (1) Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Stedman 2006).

8 & 16 September (1) Mt. Zion, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton unpubl. data).

2 September 2000 (1) Burnt Mill Bridge Loop, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Scott County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman and Stedman 2002).

4 October 2000 (1) Lilly Bluff, Obed Wild and Scenic River, Morgan County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman; Stedman and Stedman 2002).

15 September 2001 (1) Putnam County, Tennessee (Winston Walden et al.; Hoff 2002a), a Fall Bird Count record.

21 September 2002 (1) Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Hoff 2002b).

21 September 2002 (1) Stephens Knob, Daniel Boone National Forest, McCreary County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton, Somerset Bird Club; Busroe 2003a).

18 September 2004 (1) Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Hoff 2005a), a Fall Bird Count record.

20 September 2004 (1) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data).

29 September 2005 (1) Rock Creek Campground, Obed Wild and Scenic River, Morgan County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman unpubl. data).

1 October 2005 (1) Old Railbroad Grade Rd., White County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, Douglas A. Downs; Hoff 2006a), a Fall Bird Count record.

5 September 2006 (1) City Lake, Putnam County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman unpubl. data).

17 September 2006 (1) DeKalb County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data).

28 August 2008 (1--heard calling) Leffle Webb Rd., Cumberland County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand unpubl. data).

5 September 2008 (2) Holleman's Bend Rd., Jackson County, Tennessee (Barbara H. Stedman, Stephen J. Stedman photo [see above]). 

First Breeding Season Record by County:

5 & 11 June 1982 ("several"--singing) High elevations of Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan County, Tennessee (Lou Fuller; Dubke and Dubke 1982; Nicholson 1987a).

11 June 2005 (4--singing) Dorton Knob at southern end of Brady Mountain, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Joseph E. Mast; Mast and Stedman 2006).

21 July 2005 (1--hatch-year banded) Fork Mountain power-line right-of-way, Scott/Anderson counties, Tennessee (Lesley Bulluck, Matthew Timpf; Bulluck and Timpf 2005).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Spring: 22 April 1967 (Putnam County, Tennessee [Spring Bird Count]; observers unknown; Anonymous 1967a; Stedman 1993).

    Fall: 4 October 2000 (Morgan County, Tennessee; Barbara H. Stedman; Stedman and Stedman 2002).

    Note: The extreme dates are given as for Summer Residents, since this species is a highly probable breeder at two Regional sites, possibly breeds at another site, and might be a high-elevation breeder elsewhere in the Region.  However, most birds found in the Region represent transients observed during spring and fall migration; the late spring date for sites without a known breeding population is 7 June 1998, a remarkably late record obtained in Macon County, Tennessee (John D. Froeschauer; Fekel 1998d), while the early fall date for sites without a known breeding population is 28 August 1996/2008, the former record having been obtained at Barnes Hollow, Putnam County, Tennessee (Richard W. Simmers, Jr.; Stedman 2006) and the latter on Leffle Webb Rd., Cumberland County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand). 

Breeding: Probable, highly so, at Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan County, Tennessee (Nicholson 1987a), and on Dorton Knob at the southern end of Brady Mountain, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Mast and Stedman 2006); possibly also on Fork Mountain, Scott/Anderson counties, Tennessee (Bulluck and Timpf 2005). Positive breeding evidence is currently lacking at any of these sites.

Habitat: When breeding, prefers the lower canopy and ground cover components of high-elevation (750-1000 m), mature deciduous forest; few Regional sites meet these elevational criteria.  However, Veeries occasionally adopt breeding sites on the Cumberland Plateau located at lower elevation than the range cited above; for instance, this thrush was recorded c. 25 km to the southwest of the Region during June 1979 in the Savage Gulf, Grundy County, Tennessee, singing at 470 m (Robertson 1979).  Consequently, late evening searches for Veeries might be undertaken at a number of sites on the plateau that have been preserved in large blocks, especially if they contain mature forests situated in areas of high relief.

    During migration this thrush, like the other migrant thrushes, is often found on or near the forest floor in fairly mature, quiet woodlands; preferentially forages in leaf litter.

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations (of 125) during 2003 and 1 registration (of 206) during 2004, indicating that this species is rare in Regional yards and neighborhoods, where one might expect greater numbers to have been noted than was the case, probably indicating the retiring habits of this thrush, its general scarcity, and its being a challenge to identify for the majority of observers.

Remarks: Results of a walking transect (S. Stedman pers. data) in Frozen Head State Natural Area, Morgan County, Tennessee, during early June of each year from 1994 to 2008 reveal the presence of small numbers of this thrush at that site during most years (range of individuals counted during 15 annual transects: 2-11); the Regional High Count (see above) was also obtained at this site.  High annual counts of Veeries detected on Dorton Knob, Cumberland County, Tennessee, have been 4 in 2005 (Mast and Stedman 2006), 6 in 2006 (Mast and Stedman 2006), and 2 in 2007 (Stephen J. Stedman pers. data).  Only a hatch-year bird captured and banded during late July 2005 (i.e., before the usual onset of fall migration) indicates the possibility of a breeding population in southern Scott County, Tennessee (Bulluck and Timpf 2005).

    Some credit for the detection of the first Veeries on Dorton Knob, Cumberland County, Tennessee, belongs to Anthony Tate, who had heard "interesting" birdsong at that site during at least one summer prior to 2005 and who provided location information to Joseph E. Mast, leading to the first confirmed breeding season observation at that site during 2005 (Mast and Stedman 2006).

    Data gathered on Regional FBCs are slim, revealing only that the Veery is occasionally detected at that season by that method of surveying.  Data from Regional SBCs offer a slightly larger "window" through which to view the status of Veery at that season than do the data for the fall, but they nonetheless remain considerably less robust than would be required to produce estimates of the Regional transient and breeding population sizes or to generate trend data.

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