Date: 7/8/26 11:53 am From: Joshua Spence <000020ffc55f0956-dmarc-request...> Subject: [GABO-L] Swallow-tailed Kite - Full Mountain Region Report (updated)
Upon seeing Mark's recent post concerning GA Swallow-tailed Kite post-breeding distribution, I thought it might be a good time to update the regional records for the north GA mountains. Mark had listed thirteen counties that still lacked a public STKI record, and seeing that seven of those are in, or are part of the mountain ecoregions, it seems fitting to share this update. Plus, it has almost been four years since the Ridge & Valley's longest running post-breeding foraging kite event. This lasted from 29 July to 16 September 2022 at Fagala Rd. in Murray County.
Historically, the STKI was considered to be an accidental occurrence in the Mountain Region of Georgia. It is still rare and extremely localized at locations used by post-breeding wanderers. To get an idea of their status in north GA, I’ve included a comprehensive list of current records for this region. This area includes all of the Ridge & Valley and Cumberland Plateau counties: Dade, Walker, Chattooga, Catoosa, Whitfield, Murray, Gordon, Floyd, Bartow & Polk. It also includes the Blue Ridge counties: Fannin, Union, Towns, Rabun, Gilmer, & Pickens……..as well as the northern portions of Cherokee, Dawson, Lumpkin, White & Habersham. Most of the records come from the Ridge & Valley, but some of these counties have no reports. These include Walker and Polk. Dade, which is mostly Cumberland Plateau, doesn't sport any records either. Counties in the Blue Ridge with no public records are Dawson, Lumpkin, Towns & Union.
Since 2022, there have been seven new ticks in the Ridge & Valley and two in the Blue Ridge. This brings the total for the Mountain Region to 48, however, seven of these are so close to other observations that the probability they are double-counts has been confirmed or is highly expected. In this case, we subtract those to come to a more accurate total of 41 records.
All listings below are of continuing individuals/groups at a location/vicinity with arrival and departure dates included. Records were taken from ebird unless noted as being from GABO archives or the Annotated Checklist of GA. As expected, most of the sightings take place in the late Summer to early Autumn. Only three are in Spring.
Ridge and Valley
Bartow County - 7
August 6, 1999 / Etowah Indian Mounds (Moore) ~ GABO archives
August 14, 2004 / Stiles Rd. (McCreary)
August 29 - September 5, 2004 / Cartersville Airport (Saleeby) ~ possibly the same group as the McCreary sighting listed above. ~ GABO archives
August 7, 2016 / Lucas & Kincannon Rds. (Bisgard, Vickers)
April 29, 2017 / Spruce St. (Venne)
July 16, 2017 / Lucas Rd. (Bowman) ~ GABO archives
August 10 – 19 / Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Park (McNeal)
Catoosa County – 1 (First County Record)
July 31, 2023 / Farming Rock Rd. (Trecartin)
Chattooga County - 6
August 14, 2006 / Subligna Rd. (Davis, Dobbs) ~ GABO archives
August 7, 2012 / Gore-Subligna Rd. (Brown) ~ GABO archvies
August 15, 2020 / Hwy 27, near Gore (Morris)
April 25, 2017 / James H. Sloppy State Park (Morris)
July 18 – August 3, 2023 / Little Sand Mountain vicinity (Morris)
August 1, 2025 / Farmersville Rd. (Morris)
Floyd County - 7
August 5, 2002 / Rome, GA (Blakeburn) ~ GABO archives
August 15, 2017 / Armuchee, GA (Moss)
August 20 - September 9, 2020 / Hwy 27 near Armuchee (Morris)
August 10, 2022 / Berry College (Haygood)
July 28, 2023 / Martha Berry Hwy (Morris) – Possibly part of the group that were nearby in Chattooga County at Little Sand Mountain (3 miles north).
August 10 – 14 2023 / Barron & Ward Mountain Rds. (Middleton)
August 22, 2025 / Cartersville Hwy (Quaranda)
Gordon County - 10
July 14 - Aug. 14, 2012 / Countyline & Mashburn Rds (McLean, Miller, Spence) ~ One of the same kites also observed on Fagala Rd., Murray County on July 14,2012.
July 14 - 19, 2012 / Pine Chapel Rd.(McLean, Miller)
July 30, 2018 / Hwy 136 , near Coosawattee River (Wade)
August 3, 2018 / Pine Chapel Rd. (Lotz, Maurice)
August 16, 2019 / Countyline Rd. (Spence) ~ Also observed on Fagala Rd., Murray County on August 15, 2019.
August 23, 2019 / Hwy 156, near NG Turf (Hartz, Schmalz)
July 29 - September 4, 2020 / Pine Chapel Rd.(Spence)
July 29 - September 7, 2022 / Pine Chapel Rd.(Spence)
July 29 - September 7, 2022 / Countyline Rd. (Spence) ~ Also simultaneously observed on Fagala Rd., Murray County.
August 7, 2023 / Nickelsville Rd. (Baird)
Murray County – 6
August 17, 1997 / Hwy 286, near Conasauga River (Spence)
July 14, 2012 / Fagala Rd. (McLean, Miller, Spence)
August 31, 2014 / Maple Grove Church Rd. (Spence)
May 29, 2018 / McEntire Rd. (Spence)
August 15, 2019 / Fagala Rd. (Spence)
July 29 - September 16, 2022 / Fagala Rd. (Spence)
Whitfield County - 2
August 17, 1997 / Hwy 286, near Conasauga River (Spence) ~ Same birds observed in Murray County, same day.
July 23 - 26, 2012 / Hopewell Rd. (Barb)
Blue Ridge
Only ten records from the Blue Ridge ecoregion. There are a few sightings from the southern portions of a few other mountain counties, but these fall south of the Blue Ridge/Piedmont divide.
Cherokee County - 3
September 3, 2009 / near Ballground (Michaels) ~ GABO archives
July 26, 2011 / Knoxbridge Lake (Barrow)
August 7, 2014 / Lake Arrowhead (Barbury)
Fannin County - 2
August 23 - September 3, 2011 / Davenport Rd. & vicinity (Finncum)
July 18, 2019 / Terry Farm Rd. (Stanley)
Gilmer County - 1
July 22, 2021 / Heeler Ridge (Ballew)
Murray County – 1
August 10 2025 / Carters Lake (Spence)
Rabun County - 1
August 1, 2019 / Hwy 76, west of Clayton (Miller, Seward)
Pickens County - 1
August 6, 2025 / Bryant St. (Edleman)
Towns/Union? - 1
July 20, 1975 / Brasstown Bald (Swiderski) ~ Annotated Checklist of GA
Joshua Spence,
Murray County
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