STATUS OF THE BIRDS OF THE CHATTANOOGA AREA

This status report was updated by Kevin Calhoon  June 2,2009 using data from the report created by V. Jowayne Stone and Daniel R. Jacobson in October 1983 with revisions in 1985 and a list Birds of Hamilton County, Tennessee created by Rock L. Comstock, Jr. in March 1962.  Also the Checklist of Birds of the Chattanooga Area  by Kenneth H. and Lillian H. Dubke, October 1977 was used as well as records gleaned from the Chattanooga TOS and local birders.  Most records have been published either in The Migrant or American Field Notes, but a few unpublished records have been included also.

The Chattanooga area is defined as Hamilton, Marion, Sequatchie, Bledsoe, Meigs and Bradely counties in Tennessee and Catoosa, Walker and Dade counties in Georgia.

The seasons of the year are defined as follows:

Spring (Sp)        March, April, and May

Summer (Su)     June and July

Fall (F)               August, September, October, and November

Winter (W)        December, January, and February

Abundance is defined as follows:

c    common:  a species certain to be observed in suitable habitat

fc   fairly common:  a regulary occuring species not certain to be seen in all suitable habitat.

u    uncommon:   a species observed regularly in limited numbers

o    occasional:     observed one to five times during a season

r    rare:    observed only once or twice every few years

x    accidental:  observed fewer than five times

#    only one known record

Nesting status is defined as:

(*)   presently known to nest

(*r)  rare nester

(*f)   formely known to nest

(*?)   thought to nest in area

(*#)   only one known nesting record

Location:

These locations are historic centers of concentration or just good habitat to see specific species.  They should be used as a general guide to begin a search, but are not usually the only location where a species can be found

AMM    Amnicola Marsh – Hamilton co.

BAY      Baylor School – Hamilton co.

BRA      Brainerd Levee – Hamilton co.

BRO       Bradley County

BTW     Booker T Washington State Park – Hamilton co.

BLE       Bledsoe co.

CHA      Chattanooga, Hamilton co.

CHL      Chickamauga Lake – Hamilton co.

CHF      Chester Frost State Park – Hamilton co.

CRA      Craven’s House Unit of the Lookout Mountain National Military Park – Hamilton co.

HLC      Hamilton co.

HRA      Hiwassee Wildlife Refuges (including the Blythe Ferry unit) – Meigs co.

MAR      Marion co.

NIL        Nickajack Reservoir – Hamilton, Marion co.

RAM     Raccoon Mountain – Marion co.

RIV       Riverport area, Riverport Dr. – Hamilton co.

SEQ       Sequatchie Couinty

SAV       Savannah Bay – Hamilton co.

SIG        Signal Mountain – Hamilton co.

SGM       Standifer Gap Marsh, Hamilton co.

SMG        Soddy Mountain Hawkwatch

TNR      Tennessee River – Hamilton co.

TNR Gorge – Mullen’s Cove Rd., Marion co.

TWC     Tennessee Wildlife Center – Hamilton co.

WCG     Walker co, GA

This report follows the order and uses the common names of The AOU Checklist of North American Birds, Seventh Edition (1998).  It includes 323 species of which 127 have been known to nest in the Chattanooga area.

I would like to thank:  Benton Basham, Carl Chadwell, Dennis Harris, Ken Dubke, John Henderson, and Daniel Jacobson for their help with this report.

Kevin Calhoun

STATUS  OF THE BIRDS OF THE CHATTANOOGA AREA

Species

Status

Location

Sp

Su

F

W

Red-throated Loon

x

x

BTW

Common Loon

fc

x

fc

fc

BTW, NIL

Yellow-billed Loon

#

BTW

Pied-billed Grebe (*f,*?)

c

o

c

c

Rivers, ponds, lakes

Horned Grebe

u

fc

fc

BTW, NIL

Eared Grebe

x

TNR

Red-necked Grebe

x

x

BTW, NIL

Clark's Grebe (First TN record)

#

NIL

Western Grebe

#

NIL

Storm-petrel species (Band-rumped?)

#

HLC

American White Pelican

#

r

#

CHL,BTW

Brown Pelican

#

#

CHL

Double-crested Cormorant

u

r

u

u

TNR,HRA

Anhinga

#

#

AMM,SIG

American Bittern

o

o

r

BRA,AMM, SGM

Least Bittern (*)

o

r

o

BRA, Sugar Creek WMA, SGM

Great Blue Heron

c

c

c

c

Rivers, ponds, lakes

Great Egret

u

fc

fc

o

Rivers, ponds, lakes

Snowy Egret

r

o

o

Rivers, ponds, lakes

Little Blue Heron

o

fc

fc

Rivers, ponds, lakes

Tricolored Heron

#

BRA

Cattle Egret (*f)

u

u

u

Rivers, ponds, lakes

Green Heron (*)

c

c

c

r

Rivers, ponds, lakes

Black-crowned Night Heron

r

r

r

x

BRA,AMM

Yellow-crowned Night Heron (*)

u

u

u

Rivers, ponds, lakes

White Ibis

r

r

r

BRA

Glossy Ibis

r

r

BRA

Roseate Spoonbill

#

Thomas Farm, HLC

White-faced Ibis

#

BRA

Black Vulture (*)

fc

fc

fc

fc

Throughout

Turkey Vulture (*)

c

c

c

c

Throughout

Fulvous Whistling Duck

#

AMM

Greater White-fronted Goose

r

r

r

HRA,BRA

Snow Goose

r

o

o

HRA, BRA

Ross's Goose

#

#

HRA, TWC

Canada Goose (*)

c

c

c

c

Rivers, ponds, lakes

Cackling Goose

#

CHF

Brant

r

r

HRA

Mute Swan

r

r

Rivers, ponds, lakes

Tundra Swan

o

o

o

HRA

Wood Duck (*)

fc

fc

fc

u

Rivers, ponds, lakes

Gadwall

fc

fc

c

Rivers, ponds, lakes

Eurasian Wigeon

x

x

SAV,HRA,HCL

American Wigeon

fc

fc

c

Rivers, ponds, lakes

American Black Duck

u

u

fc

HRA

Mallard (*)

c

u

c

c

Rivers, ponds, lakes

Blue-winged Teal

c

c

r

BRA, HRA

Cinnamon Teal

X

BRA, HRA

Northern Shoveler

u

u

u

BRA, HRA

Northern Pintail

u

fc

fc

BRA, HRA

Green-winged Teal

u

u

fc

Rivers, ponds, lakes

Canvasback

u

u

u

HRA, NIL

Redhead

u

u

u

HRA,NIL

Ring-necked Duck

fc

c

fc

HRA,NIL

Greater Scaup

u

u

u

BTW.NIL

Lesser Scaup

fc

fc

u

BTW, NIL

Surf Scoter

r

r

r

CHL,HRA

White-winged Scoter

r

r

r

NIL, CHL

Black Scoter

x

x

BTW,CHL

Long-tailed Duck

r

r

BTW,CHL

Bufflehead

fc

fc

fc

Rivers, ponds, lakes

Common Goldeneye

u

u

u

BTW,NIL

Hooded Merganser (*r)

fc

r

fc

fc

Rivers, ponds, lakes

Common Merganser

r

r

r

BTW,HRA

Red-breasted Merganser

u

u

u

CHL,NIL

Ruddy Duck

fc

fc

fc

NIL, HRA

Osprey (*)

u

u

u

r

HRA,CHL

American Swallow-tailed Kite

#

#

SEQ,Rhea co.

Mississippi Kite

r

r

Bradely co.HLC

Bald Eagle (*)

u

o

u

fc

HRA, TNR, RAC

Northern Harrier

u

u

u

Open fields

Sharp-shinned Hawk (*r)

u

o

u

u

Throughout

Cooper's Hawk (*)

u

u

u

u

Throughout

Northern Goshawk

r

r

SMH,HLC

Red-shouldered Hawk (*)

fc

fc

fc

fc

Throughout

Broad-winged Hawk (*)

u

u

fc

#

Throughout

Swainson's Hawk

#

SMH

Red-tailed Hawk (*)

fc

fc

c

c

Throughout

Rough-legged Hawk

o

BLE

Golden Eagle **

r

r

BLE,HRA,MAR

American Kestral (*)

fc

u

fc

c

Throughout

Merlin

o

o

o

SMH,HLC

Prairie Falcon (First GA record)

#

Walker co., GA

Peregrine Falcon (*)

u

u

u

r

CHL,HLC, SMH

Ring-necked Pheasant   extirpated

HRA

Ruffed Grouse (*)

r

r

r

r

Wooded ridges

Wild Turkey (*)

u

u

u

u

PRC, Audubon Acres

Northern Bobwhite (*)

fc

fc

fc

fc

PRC,BRA

Yellow Rail

#

#

HLC

Black Rail

#

SGM

King Rail(*f)

r

r

r

Sugar Creek, AMM

Virginia Rail (*#)

r

r

r

#

BRA,AMM,SGM

Sora

fc

x

fc

BRA,AMM, SGM

Purple Gallinule

x

x

x

BRA

Common Moorhen

r

r

BRA

American Coot   (*r)

c

o

c

a

Rivers, ponds, lakes

Sandhill Crane

u

u

fc

HRA

Black-bellied Plover

r

r

BRA

American Golden Plover

o

o

BRA

Semipalmated Plover

u

u

BRA

Piping Plover

x

?

Killdeer (*)

c

c

c

a

Throughout

Black-necked Stilt

#

BRA

American Avocet

r

r

BRA,SAB

Greater Yellowlegs

u

u

u

BRA

Lesser Yellowlegs

u

u

u

BRA

Solitary Sandpiper

fc

u

fc

BRA, water

Willet

r

r

BRA

Spotted Sandpiper (*#)

fc

o

fc

BRA, Rivers, Ponds, Lakes

Upland Sandpiper

r

r

RIV

Hudsonian Godwit

x

x

SAB

Marbled Godwit

#

#

TNR

Ruddy Turnstone

r

?

Sanderling

r

BRA

Semipalmated Sandpiper

u

u

u

BRA

Western Sandpiper

u

u

u

BRA

Least Sandpiper

fc

fc

fc

BRA

White-rumped Sandpiper

o

r

o

BRA

Baird's Sandpiper

o

o

BRA

Pectoral Sandpiper

fc

fc

fc

BRA

Purple Sandpiper (unpublished)

#

HRA

Dunlin

o

o

u

HRA

Stilt Sandpiper

o

o

o

BRA

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

r

?

Ruff  (First TN Record)

#

SEQ

Short-billed Dowitcher

o

o

o

x

BRA, HRA

Long-billed Dowitcher

r

r

BRA

Common Snipe

fc

r

fc

fc

BRA, Throughout

American Woodcock (*)

fc

u

u

fc

Throughout

Wilson's Phalarope

r

o

BRA

Red-necked Phalarope

x

TNR,SAV

Red Phalarope (Only winter record for TN)

x

BRA,SAB

Pomarine Jaeger  (Third TN Record)

#

NIL

Laughing Gull

r

r

r

r

TNR,CHL,NIL

Franklin's Gull

x

NIL,CHL

Sabine's Gull (unpublished)

#

CHL

Bonaparte's Gull

u

u

u

TNR

Little Gull

#

TNR

Ring-billed Gull

c

r

c

c

TNR

Herring Gull

fc

fc

fc

TNR

Iceland Gull

#

CHL

Lesser Black-backed Gull

x

NIL.CHL

Glaucous Gull

x

CHL

Great Black-backed Gull

x

TNR

Black-legged Kittiwake

#

CHL, NIL

Caspian Tern

o

r

o

NIL,CHL

Common Tern

r

r

NIL,CHL

Forster's Tern

o

u

x

NIL,CHL

Least Tern

#

r

BRA, CHL

Bridled Tern (Second record for TN)

#

TNR

Black Tern

r

BRA, CHL

Sooty Tern

#

NIL

Black Skimmer

x

NIL, TNR

Rock Dove (*)

c

c

c

c

Throughout

Eurasion-collared Dove (*)

u

u

u

u

CHA,BLE,MAR

Mourning Dove (*)

c

c

a

c

Throughout

Common Ground Dove

#

HLC

Black-billed Cuckoo (*#)

o

r

o

Woods

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (*)

fc

fc

fc

Throughout

Barn Owl (*)

o

o

o

o

SEQ

Eastern Screech Owl (*)

c

c

c

c

Throughout

Great Horned Owl (*)

fc

fc

fc

fc

Throughout

Barred Owl (*)

u

u

u

u

Throughout

Long-eared Owl

r

r

NIL,SEQ

Short-eared Owl

r

r

NIL

Northern Saw-whet Owl

r

HRA,NIL

Common Nighthawk (*)

c

c

c

Throughout

Chuck-wills-widow (*)

fc

fc

fc

Throughout

Whip-poor-will (*)

u

u

u

Throughout

Chimney Swift (*)

c

c

c

X

Throughout

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (*)

fc

fc

c

X

Throughout

Black-chinned Hummingbird (First TN Record)

X

HLC

Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Second TN Record)

#

HLC

Calliope Hummingbird (Third TN Record)

#

HLC

Rufous Hummingbird

X

r

r

HLC

Allen's Hummingbird (First TN Record)

#

HLC

Belted Kingfisher (*)

c

c

c

c

Rivers, Ponds, Lakes

Red-headed Woodpecker (*)

u

u

fc

u

CHF

Red-bellied Woodpecker (*)

c

c

c

c

Throughout

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

fc

fc

fc

Throughout

Downy Woodpecker (*)

c

c

c

c

Throughout

Hairy woodpecker (*)

u

u

u

u

Woods, CRA

Red-cockaded Woodpecker (*f)

extirpated

Bradely co.

Northern Flicker (*)

c

c

c

c

Throughout

Pileated Woodpecker (*)

fc

fc

fc

fc

Throughout

Olive-sided Flycatcher

o

o

CRA,RAM

Eastern Wood-Peewee (*)

c

c

c

Woods

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

r

r

CRA

Acadian Flycatcher (*)

fc

fc

u

BPW,TNR Gorge

Willow Flycatcher (*f)