Kentucky Ornithological Society

Kentucky:

Life Lists, Big Days, Mid-Winter Bird Counts, Spring &
Fall Migration Counts, One-year Lists, & County Lists

Kentucky Life Lists | Kentucky Big Days | Mid-winter Bird Counts | Spring Migration Counts

Fall Migration Counts | Most Species in One Year | County Life Lists | Yard Lists

Kentucky Life Lists
(Number of species observed in Kentucky):

Jane Bell - 339 species
Pat Bell - 339 species
David Roemer - 338 species
Roseanna Denton - 326 species
Ben Yandell - 323 species
Jackie Elmore - 320 species
Hap Chambers - 320 species
Mark Monroe - 319 species
Mark Bennett - 318 species
Robert Dever - 300 species
Diane Elmore - 296 species
Lee McNeely - 281 species
Darrin O'Brien - 275 species
Gary Boggs - 273 species
Lester Doyle - 269 species
David Chaffin - 266 species

Kentucky Big Days*:

187 species - May 9, 2008 - Mark Monroe and Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.

176 species - May 5, 2002 - Michael Bierly, Mark Monroe, & Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.

174 species - April 30, 2003 - Mark Monroe and Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.

172 species - May 6, 2003 - Lee McNeely, Mark Monroe, & Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.

171 species - May 7, 1997 - Jackie Elmore and Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.

168 species - May 6, 1999 - Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr., Don Parker, Burt Monroe III, & Mark Monroe

168 species - May 6, 1996 - Richard Healy, Jr., Burt Monroe III, Mark Monroe, Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr., and Don Parker

168 species - May 5, 2001 - Don Parker, Mark Monroe, Burt Monroe III, and Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.

165 species - May 6, 2000 - Jackie Elmore, Mark Monroe, Don Parker, and Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.

165 species - May 7, 1992 - Jackie Elmore, Joe Tom Erwin, Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr., and Don Parker

162 species - May 7, 1990 - Joe Tom Erwin, Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr., and Don Parker

Kentucky Big Days Throughout the Year:

Month
Date
Participants
Number 
of Species
January
January 27, 2002
 Jay Desgrosellier, Chris Sloan, & Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.
100
February
February 3, 2001
 Brian Leibacher, Mark Monroe, & Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.
102
March
March 24, 2002
 Darrin O'Brien & Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr. 
112
April
April 30, 2003
April 5, 2003
 Mark Monroe & Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.
Hap Chambers & Roseanna Denton
174
100
May
May 9, 2008
May 5, 2002
Mark Monroe & Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.
Michael Bierly, Mark Monroe,  & Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.
187
176
June
June 1, 2002
June 1, 1995
 Mark Monroe, Mark Vukovich, & Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.
Burt Monroe III & Mark Monroe
133
127
July
July 18, 1999
 Mark Bennett, Darrin O'Brien, & Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.
126
August
August 30, 2003
 Mark Monroe & Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr. 
130
September
September 17, 2006

September 21, 2003

Ben & Mary Yandell, Matt Stickel, & Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr. 

Matt Stickel, Ben Yandell, and Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.

137

123
October
October 1, 2003
October 1, 2000
 Jon Dunn & Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.
Mark Bennett & Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.
118
117
November
November 9, 2003
 Mark Monroe, Matt Stickel, Ben Yandell and Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.
100
December
December 30, 2003
 Matt Stickel and Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr. 
102

*For information about Big Days, check the ABA Big Day Count Rules.

Mid-Winter Bird Counts:

100 species - December 22, 1963 - Louisville
97 species - December 19, 1992 - Land Between the Lakes
96 species - December 16, 2000 - Land Between the Lakes
95 species - December 15, 1990 - Land Between the Lakes
95 species - January 1, 1999 - Paradise
94 species - December 18, 1983 - Louisville
93 species - December 21, 1997 - Louisville
93 species - December 17, 1995 - Louisville
93 species - December 14, 2002 - Land Between the Lakes
93 species - December 21, 2004 - Ballard County

Spring Migration Counts:

146 species - May 5, 2001 - Calloway County
137 species - May 11, 2002 - Calloway County
136 species - May 8, 1999 - Calloway County
134 species - May 11, 2002 - Jefferson County
130 species - May 8, 1999 - Boone County
129 species - May 1997 - Jefferson County
128 species - May 1998 - Jefferson County
128 species - May 8, 2004 - Boone County
127 species - May 11, 2002 - Pulaski County
127 species - May 8, 1999 - Jefferson County
126 species - May 10, 2003 - Boone County
121 species - May 8, 2004 - Pulaski County
120 species - May 11, 2002 - Boone County
120 species - May 13, 2000 - Calloway County

Fall Migration Counts:

120 species - September 15, 2007 - Jefferson County
118 species - September 18, 1999 - Jefferson County
113 species - September 15, 2001 - Jefferson County
111 species - September 17, 2005 - Jefferson County
101 species - September 16, 2000 & September 18, 2004 - Jefferson County
96 species - September 16, 2000 - Boone County
96 species - September 1998 - Jefferson County

Most Species Observed in Kentucky in One Year:

Number of Species
Year
Observer
300
2002
David Roemer
296
2008
Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr.
285
2000
David Roemer
281
1998
David Roemer
281
1999
David Roemer
275
2007
Ben Yandell
253 2004
 Ben Yandell
251
1997
Mark Bennett
250
2000
Hap Chambers
245
2003
Ben Yandell
231
2000
Ben Yandell

County Life Lists:

County
Number of Species
Observer
Adair
142
Roseanna Denton
Allen

Anderson
96
Terry Anderson
Ballard
220
146
Scott Record
Mark Bennett
Barren

115
105
60
Mitchell Sturgeon
Lee McNeely
Mark Bennett
Bath

Bell
80
Lee McNeely
Boone
234
Lee McNeely
Bourbon

Boyd
147
Lin Towler
Boyle
92
Roseanna Denton
Bracken
118
Lee McNeely
Breathitt

Breckinridge

Bullitt
97
Darrin O'Brien
Butler
56
Mark Bennett
Caldwell

Calloway
99
Mark Bennett
Campbell
211
Frank Renfrow
Carlisle
86
Mark Bennett
Carroll
122
Lee McNeely
Carter
83
Lee McNeely
Casey
81
Roseanna Denton
Christian
130
Mark Bennett
Clark

Clay

Clinton

Crittenden

Cumberland

Daviess

Edmonson
89
81
Mark Bennett
Lee McNeely
Elliott

Estill

Fayette

Fleming

Floyd

Franklin
34
Steve Patterson
Fulton
194
157
109
Roseanna Denton
Mark Bennett
Darrin O'Brien
Gallatin
167
Lee McNeely
Garrard

Grant

Graves

Grayson

Green

Greenup
137
Rick Seelhorst
Hancock

Hardin

Harlan

Harrison

Hart
154
Mitchell Sturgeon
Henderson
144
142
126
Lee McNeely
Mark Bennett
Darrin O'Brien
Henry

Hickman

Hopkins
104
Mark Bennett
Jackson

Jefferson
273
273
243
208
Pat Bell
Jane Bell
Ben Yandell
Darrin O'Brien
Jessamine

Johnson

Kenton
140
102
Ed Groneman
Lee McNeely
Knott

Knox

Larue

Laurel
97
Roseanna Denton
Lawrence

Lee

Leslie

Letcher

Lewis

Lincoln
94
Roseanna Denton
Livingston
133
Mark Bennett
Logan
213
183
Mark Bennett
Frank Lyne
Lyon
168
Mark Bennett
Madison
200
Gary Ritchison
Magoffin

Marion

Marshall
167
Mark Bennett
Martin

Mason

McCracken
179
101
Scott Record
Mark Bennett
McCreary
141
Roseanna Denton
McLean
115
Steve Anderson
Meade

Menifee

Mercer
104
Roseanna Denton
Metcalfe

Monroe

Montgomery

Morgan

Muhlenberg
192
131
89
Mark Bennett
Darrin O'Brien
Lee McNeely
Nelson
88
Darrin O'Brien
Nicholas

Ohio
95
Lee McNeely
Oldham

Owen

Owsley

Pendleton

Perry

Pike

Powell
75
Zeb Weese
Pulaski
252
Roseanna Denton
Robertson

Rockcastle
114
Roseanna Denton
Rowan
115
107
Lee McNeely
Roseanna Denton
Russell
158
Roseanna Denton
Scott

Shelby

Simpson
72
Mark Bennett
Spencer

Taylor

Todd
1369
Mark Bennett
Trigg
153
Mark Bennett
Trimble

Union

Warren
268
247
219
David Roemer
Lester Doyle
Mark Bennett
Washington

Wayne
180
Roseanna Denton
Webster

Whitley
94
Roseanna Denton
Wolfe

Woodford

Yard Lists*

Suburban Yard Lists

112 species - Joan Carr
Williamson, KY (~ 2 acres)

65 species - Leisa Royce
Lexington, KY (150 sq. ft.)

64 species - Mark Bennett
Russellville, KY (1.3 acres)

42 species - Jackie VanWilligen
Lexington, KY
Urban Yard Lists

112 species - Frank Renfrow
Bellevue, KY (126 ft x 50 ft)





















 
Country Yard Lists

143 species - Joan Carr
Williamson, KY (Pike Co.)

134 species - Scott and Glenda Record
McCracken Co., KY
(20 acres)

117 species - Steve Anderson
Calhoun, McClean Co., KY
(6 acres)

 










 

*A yard in an urban area might be a small plot measured in feet.  Meanwhile, yards out in the countryside might be measured in acres (and may include areas beyond a 'formal' yard, e.g., some birders may keep track of all species observed on their 5 or 10 or 20 acre or larger 'farm').  In an attempt to bring some basic comparability, our yards lists will be broken down into three categories. First is the Suburban Backyard list.  Most yard lists likely would fall into this category.  Next is the Urban Backyard list for yards found within cities in Kentucky. Finally, the Country Backyard list would be those yards more typically found far from urban areas and maybe even suburban areas. To be added to our Yard List, please provide the number of species of birds you've observed (visual or vocal identification) in (or from) your yard, your location (the city and/or county in Kentucky where your yard is located), and, if possible, the approximate size of your yard (square feet or number of acres).

To be added to the Yard List, or any of the other lists on this page,
submit pertinent information to Gary Ritchison.


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