Notes
Acknowledgments
The original publication and subsequent printings were made
possible by the hard work of dedicated volunteers who share the joy
and enthusiastic pursuit of birding. The original publication printed
in 1982 was supported by the tireless efforts and encouragement of
the late Ben B. Coffey, Jr. whose records provided invaluable data
about the occurrences of birds in Shelby County. Other helpful
friends including Mrs. Carolyn Bullock, Mrs. Noreen Smith, and Mr.
Jim Ferguson provided technical assistance and gave long, tireless
hours of devoted transcriptional services. The second printing was
an update of the original printing as the volume of additional
information provided substantial changes in early and late dates and
yielded additional species of birds sighted in Shelby County. This
new continued information would not have been available had it not
been for the continued cooperation and support of the Memphis
Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society.
The current printing extends the ongoing attempt to maintain a
reasonably accurate and timely record of the seasonal occurrences
of birds in Shelby County. This printing represents a revision of the
original monograph thanks to Ms. Leah McDonald, a graduate of
Rhodes College. Initially, Ms. McDonald undertook this project to
fulfill a course requirement, but she voluntarily continued her work
after receiving her degree. Leah's developing interest in birding and
avian conservation has been inspirational to the Memphis Chapter.
Her long hours and attention to detail are much appreciated. Special
thanks is also extended to Charles Alexander for his original cover
design. It is fitting that this printing is dedicated to the combined
efforts of many people spanning a continuum from novice to
seasoned veteran.
First Printing,
Second Printing,
Third Printing,
June, 1982
May, 1987
April, 1998
This publication is a compilation of several thousand
field cards and notes collected since 1929. These records
provide a reasonable estimate of arrival and departure
dates of transients, seasonal residents and visitors, in
addition to a historical record of occasional and accidental
sightings. The population density graphing of each species
also provides the reader with the degree of expectation of
sighting a species in any given season of the year.
Only the records for Shelby County, Tennessee are
used. Although much of Shelby County's forests and
farmlands have yielded to urban growth and
industrialization, there still remains a broad biological
diversity in river bottoms, wetlands, open ponds, mature
forests, meadows, and farmlands. In Shelby County there
are several large parks including Meeman Shelby Forest
State Park, T.O. Fuller State Park, Overton Park, Martin
Luther King Jr. Park, Shelby Farms, and a state-owned
tract, Eagle Lake Wildlife Management Area. In addition,
there are numerous small city parks and recreational
areas.
The Seasonal Occurrences of Shelby County.
Tennessee Birds is not intended to indicate trends in other
counties. Variance in species and population densities
among West Tennessee counties occurs as a consequence
of each county's location and offering habitat in the
Mississippi Flyway. For example, one county may be
primarily farmland, another with mixed grassland and
forest, yet another county may contain a wildlife refuge. In
addition, possible sightings in rural or isolated areas are
contingent on the number of experienced observers and
the frequency and consistency of their observations made
during periods of migration and breeding.
ii
Population densities of birds regularly sighted in
Shelby County are divided into three categories: common,
fairly common, and uncommon.
Unusual sightings are
divided into three categories: occasional, rare, and
accidental.
Common refers to species usually occurring in
concentrations of ten or more in their expected ranges.
Generally, large numbers of common species will be seen
depending on the season and habitat. Common Grackle,
Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Cardinal and American
Robin are examples of common species.
Species rated as fairly common are likely to be seen
with some degree of regularity in their proper habitat and
season. The concentrations will typically be less than
those recorded as common, however, observers should not
have much difficulty locating species classified as fairly
common. For example, species such as the Great Blue
Heron, Red-headed Woodpecker, Northern Parula Warbler,
and Savannah Sparrow are seen with regularity, but they
are not seen in great numbers during their anticipated
season.
Populations rated as uncommon are unpredictable in
number, and individuals are seen rather infrequently from
year to year. Species that occur naturally in sparse
numbers, like the Red-shouldered Hawk or populations
similar to Pine Siskin that are historically erratic, fall into
this category.
Occasional sightings are outside seasonal
occurrences such as extremely early or very late
departure dates for transients or seasonal residents.
iii
Rare sightings occur only once a year, or possibly
once every two or three years for species still within their
expected range.
Examples of rare sightings are the Bald
Eagle, Cape May Warbler, and Western Meadowlark .
Accidental refers to sightings of species occurring
outside their expected ranges.
In the following tables,
accidental sightings are denoted by open circles with a
notation of the actual month and day they were recorded.
These notations indicate only the occurrence of a species
sometime within the sixty-nine year period.
Multiple
accidental sightings may have occurred for some species
such as the Eared Grebe, Glossy Ibis, Northern Goshawk,
Saw-whet Owl, and the Snow Bunting. Again, these
sightings may have occurred in different years, but the
reader will have a record of the time of year the sightings
were made.
It is possible for a population density to shift from
one designation to another during the year.
This variation
should facilitate a better understanding
of the fluctuations
of bird populations during the year and among the species
sighted in Shelby County since 1928.
No attempt was made to indicate possible declines or
increases in populations over the period of coverage as
year to year fluctuations
in numbers were not recorded.
Information
obtained from breeding bird surveys indicate
that bird populations can change from one year to another.
iv
Frequency
•••••
Common
of Occurrence
Seen every day in proper habitat.
Numbers may vary from 10 to 100
or more when in flocks during
certain seasons.
1111I1111I11I111I11I11I1
Fairly
Common
Seen almost every day in proper
habitat. Numbers of individuals
will usually be less than 10.
Uncommon
Seen infrequently and may be in
unpredictable numbers.
I!llll:a=llll:a=llll:a=llll:a=llll:a=lli
l:a=ll11m I I I
~Rare
Seen once a year or once every
few years.
•
Occasional
Sightings outside seasonal
occurrence or single sighting.
o
Accidental
Sighting outside normal range.
Date Seen
This column is provided to record
the date of a sighting or to serve
as a field check list.
Date
I
Seen Species
Common
Greater
Duck
ScauD
Redhead
16
Canvasback
American
Black
DuckTeal
Rino-necked
American
Northern
Gadwall
14
Shoveler
Pintail
Wiaeon
Oldsouaw
Goose
Green-winaed
Canada
Goose
Lesser
Scaup
Snow
Goose
Black-bellied
Whistling
-Duck
Blue-winaed Teal
Wood Duck
Loon
Pied-billed
Grebe
••
Horned Grebe
I Sep
Aua
110
20
Brant
I Oct
I 21
Nov I Dec
28
125
05 Greater
Tundra
Swan
White-winaed
Scoter 8
White-fronted
Common
Goldeneye
>:
I.
=
•0••• ••••
"'*'''''
00
Date 111111
111111
11111111
111I11I
1111I11
19
20
23
20
315
18
17
111111
35Mar
21
15
1111
111I11
I
11I11I
111I11I11I1
Dec
Nov
Jul
Feb
II
•11I11I
11I11I
111I11
ADr
111111
SDecies
Aua
Jun
SeD
Oct
Mav
Seen
26
Mallard
17
1111
0 0
~""'*'~
00
~~
"'*''*'~'''''*'~,
00 •15
• 60 •
4III12111I11
27111I11
10
13
26
111I11I
2 11I11I
24
I1111I
111I11
915
111111
11I11
Jan
111I11
1111I1
23
3 28
11I11
111111
29
•
1 ••
~""""""""""""",."~,~~
25
o
Eared Grebe
White Pelican
10
.
i6T5
American
23
o
o
11 ~,"",""'\"",",,\,,""~
I I
I 29
Brown Pelican
Double-crested
8
• •
Cormorant
16
11
•
10
•
Anhinga
American
Least
24
•
Bittern
•
•••
Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great
Snowy
7
•
Earet
Earet
23
14
26
•
Little Blue Heron
15
Tricolored
Cattle
n
Heron
18
nI
00 0
17
Earet
24
Black-crowned
Heron
Night-
Yellow-crowned
Heron
-
White
07
Night-
6
19
o
00
0
0
10
1
ili
Ibis
18
• •
Green Heron
0
•
Accidental
Occasional
17
•
Glossy Ibis
White-faced
Wood
Ibis
Stork
11I11I1111I1
eEmm8
Common
Fairly
Common
Uncommon
~Rare
2
3
024
Date
Seen ISoecies
Date
Seen ISoecies
~I~I~I~IM.I~I~IA~I_I~I~I~
Bufflehead
Hooded
Merganser
Common
Merganser
Red-breasted
111I1111111I111111I1
••
~,~~~~
~'~'~~'''i>-~~''''':,..~'~'
1111I11I
•••
I
I
17
25
5
4
3
••
1
-
Virginia Rail
••
Sora
Black Vulture
IIIllllllljllllllilllllll'lIl11l1
Turkey Vulture
IIIjllllll
.
111I11
11I111I11I11I1
3
Osprey
~,"'\:
10
Swallow-
111111
111I11
111111
III
111I11
1111I1
111111
III
16
4
~"'~
~"'~
~",-...:::~
.
Purple Gallinule
Common
Moorhen
American Coot
()
tailed Kite
30
Sandhill Crane
Black-bellied
Plover
American
Golden-Plover
-'-
Mississippi Kite
25
Bald Eagle
Cooper's Hawk
Northern
Goshawk
Red-shouldered
Hawk
""",*"",,\\.,,~
20
15
Piping Plover
00 "
Broad-winged
Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged
Hawk
American
Kestrel
Wilson's Plover
Semi palmated
Plover
""~~~""''''''\.~'\.'''''\.~~
2 ~ I j 111111 JIIIIIIJIIIIIII~
111I11111I
Hili III
20
IIIIII~
111111 ~ 1I1111111~~
0 11II11l1II1II1ll1II1
111I11
29
6
I
13
••
~
••
10 118
11I11I
111I11
••••••
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
114
""~
22
Prairie Falcon
4
22
••20 112~,~'\."""&.~
•••
12
00
I
Killdeer
Black-necked
Stilt
American
Avocet
Greater
Yellowlegs
Lesser
15
11I11I
20
11
11I1
11I1
1111I
1111I11I1111I1
III
• 111111
11I11I
11I11I
11I11I
111111
11I11I
11I1.
1111I1
.1
111111
11I11
1111
11I11
111I11
111111
1111I1
11I1
• 11I11I
11I
11111I
111I1
••
I IlIIlIlllIIlIlllIIlIll~~
~,t",~:l,,,~:l,,,,,l,,,,~L,,,,~L
1 ~ 27
11
King Rail
19
Ruddy Duck
-.
4I524
324
•00
•157"235~&.,,~
13
•
• 1721•27 ~ 19•921
22
312
15
85••
500
31
15
11
I16
27
25
10
•60
••••11•
"""~~"""~~""~
29
0
0
21
29
••
••201726243125•23••
918
002311Rail
•00 • 00 •17 Yellow
-i5~"'l~""'l~"'"
19
•QQ 20 126326127129
1928190
•111I1
•
10
28II139 •
19
42111I11
II
16 12
122 9 I 262
16
Merganser
American
Wild Turkey
Northern
Bobwhite
111111111111111111111
21
•
~I~I~I~IM.I~I~I~I_I~I~I~
Yellowlegs
Solitary
Sandpiper
Willet
Spotted
Sandpiper
1
•••
1
I
22
18
18
21
~~.
•••••••••••
••••
•••••~••
•"""""""~~~
• GuliCasoian
••
.""',~.
• Ji• 012• •••
00
000 00
00
14
• Red-necked
113
0
••
6•
17
23
••
19
00
26
12
••
Phalarone
Cuckoo
Dove
Franklin's
Lana-eared
Owl
Lauohina
GullSnecies
Hernna
Gull
Black
Tern
Tern
Common
Tern
~•
Cuckoo
Great
Horned
Phalarone
BonaDarte's
Gull Least
08 Tern
Black-billed
Yellow-billed
Jaeoer
Rina-billed
Gull
25
7911
Date
13
27
20
26
4II24
3Oct
23
1111I
1111I1
17
40
17
715
25
11
14
721
27
16
425
~9
114
5SeD
19
19
2611111I1
4711111111
1Mar
10
26
'29
23
21
25
15
13
111I11
0 9 21
11I11I
18
1111I
lIIat
1111
29
Jul
Feb
18
1111I
26
326
27
23
Dee
NDV
SDecies
29
111I11
10
111I11
I 2
6111111
•24
0
1111I11I
111I11I
018
22
11
18
023 23
Au!!
511I11I
I316
rH+H
0
Jun
Apr
25
0513
1Jan
May
13
Seen
Woodcock
111I
III
Forster's
Wilson's Tern
Barn Owl
Rack Dove
00
30
15
93
11
7
7
=
•"'''''~~,~
••
••• J•• n 24• •2411••tI± 2271100•
~••
••••
b8
924
Date 'IHl3
1512
22
11
1612
5212
27
14III 1111I1
28
25
40
5Mar
811I11I
23
24
12
14
918
22
111I11
920111I11
24
111111
111I11
1111I1
III
0III
III
21
16
25
22
18
2Mav
111I11
11I111I111I1
111I11
11I11I
18
00
10
Dec
0313J
Feb
Jul
111I1
1111I1
Aor
00
411I11I
223
Aun
Sen
Oct
0 015
Soecies
00
00
Jun
111I11
24
Jan
Nov
00
913
22~~
13
Eastern
Owl
Screech
Seen
24 111I1111111I1
Common
Ground
Mournina
Barred OwlDove
111I1
00017
rI
,)
if
7
6
•
-~.~
~••
23
.
.~
• •• "'~,~~
•~ Swallow
0•~~
•II Wren
Jan
00
00 • 0
•Vermilion
•••Swallow
IH
Purple
MartinCreeper
Cliff
Swallow
Bank
Least
Flvcatcher
Bam
Flvcatcher
Rock
Flvcatcher
Tree
Nuthatch
Scissor-tailed
Eastern
Kinabird
Flvcatcher
Great
Crested
Brown
1
Date
141
23
3
11I11I
1111I11
111I11
11I11I
III
111111
1111I1
111I11
111I11I
1111I1
19
18
11I11I
11I11I
•25
1
111I11I
111111
1
Nov
11I1
11I11I
Dec
Mar
Jul
Feb
Oct
24
Aua
Jun
Apr
Mav
Species
Sep
I:I±Il±±
"Yellow-shafted"
Northern
SawWoodoecker
Kinalisher
Seen
Woodpecker
Hairy
Yellow-bellied
1
8
25
19
25
23
28
17
1111I1
111111
21
111I11
111I11
±±l
l±±11
27
28
11713 17
12
27
.11
16
1111I1
11I11I
29
20
19
25
III 11I11I
winged
8
Swallow
Blue
Jav
Carolina
Wren
Horned Lark
27
I
()~
24
Northern
•
•"'~,"l
• 0 ~",,'
"",~'"
1
Datem:FF
9
11
29
19
30
18
1111I1
11I11I
1111I111I11I11
11I11I
111I11
24
28 5119
11I11
11I11I111I11I1
111I11
111111 1
1Dec
1111I11
Mar
Feb
14
Nov
Aua
Jul
1111I1
1111I1
Jan 20
Species
Mav
Apr
SeD
Jun
Oct
Seen
White-breasted
Nuthatch
Carolina
Chickadee
Red-breasted
18
24
11
27
Rough~
23
•0"",~"l
""~,~,~~,~'='-~~,~,~,~~"'"
•0 • 0
m~,'" •
""'~'~~"l.
28 11I11 2811 23
78111I11
27
12 24
2
27
8
830
18
Fish Crow
Tufted
Titmouse
American
Crow
Eastern Phoebe
{f"
8
9
17
23
--,~.
-
•• •
•• ~~•~''*'~~
••••
•••
•19Chestnut-sided
• ~
•
~••~J
24 9120 Blue-winged
Orange-crowned
~ J ~ ",,*,,-l,*,J,*,,*,l~,*,-k,*,l,*,~~,~l~,-l,~~{L,*,,-l,*,,-l,*,~J
23
Vireo
Warbler
Warbler
Red-eved
Vireo
Green
Warbler
Warbler
Warbler
Warbler
Vireo
Date 31
Warbler
Blackburnian
Warbler
Warbler
1 1 :rmn
Yellow
Warbler
Warbler
Warblinn
Vireo
Bell's Vireo
Blue
Warbler
6 Warbler
31
18
Northern
Parula
Tennessee
Solitary
Vireo
9Apr
29
17
11I11I
111I11
2711I11I
25
Black-throated
17
10
11
Mar
2 1Jul
Golden-winged
Feb
10
Jan 49Nov
Yellow-throated
Nashville
12
Dec
Magnolia
12 May
Species
Cape
111I11
17II229
;t±l
Yellow-rumped
YellOW-throated
White-eyed
27
9219
Warbler
8 21
0
12"Brewster's"
9 13 810
22
~5 0 1714.1 22
Shrike
1 Sep Oct
StarlinQ
Mockingbird
European
12
Loggerhead
1
Augl
Ruby-crowned
30
May I Jun
Brown Thrasher
20W
~
.
=-
• ~,~~,~~~
••
•••
==•••••
=• • • 25 •
~'
• ~ • ~•••
-=.
-•~J••
,,~,~
•~~"
•• 1-
25
13III 27 3
19
28
10
27
18
DateHi25
11
21
13
24
25
58118
24
23
28
7Mar
21
227
8111I11
2711
27
25
11I11I
14
10
27
28
30
25
24
111I1
18
Nav
30
III
11I11I
13
Dec
Jul
18412
11I1
20
Feb
25
1111I1111I11I1
III
11I11I
111I11
18
Aua
27
...
I.......
11I1
22
19
III.
410
Soecies
19
19
12
Apr
II 323
~~"1II1111
16
l:R:l
• 48
17
8Jan
:m:m:m:t=
31
19III
1111I11I11I
Mav
SeD
24
Oct
21
25
Jun
27
3'>::
24 20
20
29
~O •1119
~O
111I11I11111I11
11I11I1'1111I11
11I11I11111I11I
.9
~
Black-throated
Seen
~5
11I1111111I1111
11I11111111I11I
Philadelphia
~'<tlt
10
11
• ••~
111111I11
27
-
•=
••0••••
••
•••
~
.
••
•••~
~• ~~0•• •••
•• • •••• ~'•
211I11I
Date
6121
26
16
324
128
118
28 II 625
11
421
727
13
19
820
17
19
22
61111I
15
30
11
12
111I
214
19
&<
19
24
28
19
17
23
5~"""""
17
12
29
31
13
11I11I
Jul
Mar
Feb
324
28
11I11I11
11111I
Dec
Oct
27
15·
Nov
29
Jun
&.'"111I1
4~""'-'"
Aug
Apr
Jan
ttt
23 11
27
27
Mav
31
11
25
30
11
26 912
•III
l±l±t
IIBunting
21
Species
11111
II
11I11I
17
111111
16
Sep
10
21
323
25
14
Dickcissel
,113
Blue
Grosbeak
Painted
Green-tailed
<, Sparrow
Eastern
Towhee
Towhee
Indigo
Bunting
Chipping
Seen
27
Prothonotary
22
22
.15
9 E
~
•
:::"""""""",~;,.,*,'"
•
Tana
er
22 18
Western
.
•
• • • ~'" •
••
•
16
14
29
15
Feb
Mar
Date12
613
3 5I Jun
Apr
06 I Dee I ••
May
I18
Jul I Aug
I10
I10
JanI Sep I Oct 12I Nov
11;
~~
S
Bachman1s
arrow
American
Tree
I~
1IS17 ecies
Seen
Sparrow
I :::,,"""""'"
6
h26
I
00
~
I 25
I 3 0J...J....J.2
24
•
9
Sparrow
Grasshopper
Sparrow
Henslow's
Sparrow
LeConte's
Sparrow
Sharp-tailed
Sparrow
21
•
Lark Sparrow
Savannah
o
9
11I111111I1
11I11I
11I11I
3
••
27
••
~
26
•
•
22 25·
~28
••••
27
Fox Sparrow
12
13
18
Date
Seen Species
Jan
Feb Crossbill
Mar
Apr Purple
MavSiskin
Jun Jul
Grosbeak
Pine
Finch
Evening
13
House Finch
Sona Sparrow
AuaCrossbill
Sep Oct
Red
American
22 7
White-winged
•
Lincoln's
Sparrow
31 14
••••
2
28
tHflHHf
27
•
16
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated
Sparrow
2
•
17
~
Smith's
Longspur
0
Jan
Date Dee
Jul
Mar
Feb
Nov
Oct
Jun
Apr
Aua
Mav
Species
Sep
Seen
Jan
21
1 ~~
T
I
11111111111111111111
J
.1.27
16
13
~~
27
0Western
Golden Eaale
Red Phalarope
Kinabird
17
Bobolink
Red-winged
Blackbird
Eastern
Meadowlark
III
Western
Brewer's
Blackbird
Common
Grackle
00
12
n24
22
1111
New Birds
15
27
6
nn
Shiny Cowbird
Brown-headed
Cowbird
4
Orchard Oriole
28
18
n
0
0
::-..,"""~~""~
19
111I11I111I1
Surf
21Scoter
14
15
I 3 nn n
Inn
10
1111I11
0
0
26
0
11I11
24
Yellow-headed
Blackbird
Addendum
Garoanev
16
15
29
"",'= ~ •
:-....",,, :>-""" """""
Baltimore Oriole •••••
0
26
31 ~
1
19
~~~.
1
•
11I11I1111I1
30
30
2 10
Snow Bunting
Rustv Blackbird
00 00
•
00
9
17
12
I. ~ 1 •••24
11
Meadowlark
Date Dee
Mar
Feb
Jui
Oct 0
Jun
Mav
Nov
Species
Apr
Aug
Sep
Seen
10
7
R ••.
Junco "Oregon" ~
Lapland
Longspur
Jan
III""
27
28
C~~~
Date Dee
20
11I11I1
Jul
Jun
Mar
Feb
6
Nov
Auo
Ma
~!m:m:
Species
Apr
Seo
Oct
11I111I
Seen
Goldfinch
House Soarrow
2
4
White-crowned
Sparrow
Junco
Harris'Sparrow
"Slate
0
Nov Dec
8
26
9
••••
26
13 4
••••
14
30
15
1
0