The limpkin (Aramus guarauna) is an unusual wading bird found mostly in Florida and other parts of the southeastern United States. Limpkins are notable for their loud, distinctive cries that sound like human wailing. These medium-sized birds have drab brown plumage and long downcurved bills adapted for eating apple snails. While limpkins are well-established in parts of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Louisiana, their range only barely extends into Tennessee along the Mississippi River. Tennessee represents the northwesternmost edge of the limpkin’s range, and sightings in the state are infrequent. However, there is evidence that small numbers of limpkins do reside in Tennessee, at least occasionally. This article will explore what is known about the distribution and habitat of limpkins in Tennessee.
Limpkin Range and Habitat
The limpkin is widespread across Florida, including the Florida Keys, and the Gulf Coast region. Its range extends along the Atlantic Coast up to South Carolina. Westward, limpkins are found along the Gulf Coast into Louisiana and just into the extreme southwestern corner of Tennessee (Stevenson and Anderson 1994). Limpkins inhabit freshwater marshes, swamps, rivers, and lakes, where they feed almost exclusively on apple snails. Key habitat features include shallow, slow-moving water with abundant emergent aquatic vegetation like cattails that provide cover and support apple snail populations.
Within Tennessee specifically, the limpkin’s range is considered to include the counties bordering the Mississippi River in the southwest corner of the state (Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency 2022). This includes Lake, Dyer, Lauderdale, and Tipton counties. The Mississippi River and its backwaters, oxbow lakes, and wetlands provide the only suitable limpkin habitat in Tennessee. Limpkin populations likely extend a short distance up the Obion River as well. Tennessee represents the farthest north the limpkins occur apart from rare vagrant individuals.
Evidence of Limpkins in Tennessee
While limpkins are considered extremely rare in Tennessee even within their limited presumed range, there are documented sightings confirming they do occasionally inhabit the state. A review of records from citizen science databases finds reports of limpkins over the years from locations along the Mississippi River like Reelfoot Lake, Meeman-Shelby State Park, Chickasaw State Park, and the Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge (eBird 2023). There are also sightings along the Obion River in the northwestern corner of the state.
Many reports note limpkins are seen only occasionally or as transients in Tennessee, but there some indications of possible resident breeding pairs or individuals, at least in some years. For example, multiple limpkin sightings were reported at Meeman-Shelby State Park in the summer of 2016, suggesting probable breeding (Tennessee Birds Record Committee 2016). However, limpkins are not found reliably at any single location in Tennessee year to year. Tennessee is at the very northern extreme of the species’ range where habitat likely only marginally suitable. The state’s limpkin population is very small, local, and possibly declining.
Population Size and Conservation Status
Due to the rarity of limpkin sightings, there are no good estimates of the statewide population size in Tennessee. The number of resident breeding pairs is considered to be very low if they exist at all. Transient individuals likely account for many reports. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency classifies the limpkin as a species of special concern, although not officially endangered or threatened in the state at this time (Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency 2022).
Loss of wetland habitat is the major threat to limpkins across their range, including in Tennessee. Limpkins appear to have already disappeared from some historical sites along the Mississippi River in Tennessee where suitable habitat no longer exists. Meeman-Shelby State Park represents one protected area where wetlands are managed to provide habitat for limpkins and other waterbirds. Ongoing conservation and management of river floodplain wetlands will be important for preserving any limpkin population in Tennessee.
More extensive and regular surveys along the Mississippi River would help provide better baseline data on abundance, distribution, and habitat use of limpkins in Tennessee. Citizen science observations can also continue to track presence over time. If evidence indicates significant population declines, more urgent conservation action may be needed to keep limpkins from disappearing completely from the state.
Likelihood of Seeing Limpkins in Tennessee
The chances of observing limpkins in Tennessee are very low across most of the state. Only in the far western counties along the Mississippi River is there any realistic probability of sighting limpkins. Even within their presumed range in west Tennessee, limpkins cannot be guaranteed due to their scarcity, lack of breeding populations, and transitory habits. However, here are some tips for birdwatchers hoping to spot Tennessee’s only limpkins:
– Visit known hotspots like Reelfoot Lake State Park, Meeman-Shelby State Park, Chickasaw State Park, and Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge. Talk to park rangers for recent sightings.
– Scan lakes, marshes, and slow streams for limpkins, especially those with extensive stands of emergent vegetation where apple snails are found. Listen for their loud wailing cries.
– Focus efforts in spring and summer when transient limpkins may linger to breed.Aim for dawn and dusk when more active.
– Check eBird and other citizen science networks for recent reports of limpkins in western Tennessee and try those same locations.
– Be patient and persistent. Limpkins are rare and elusive in Tennessee. It may take many attempts over multiple seasons to finally observe them.
While seeing a limpkin is one of North America’s most elusive birdwatching challenges, their haunting calls and prehistoric appearance make a sighting worthwhile. With some luck and persistence, observers may be rewarded with a glimpse of one of Tennessee’s rarest waterbirds at the very edge of its range.
Conclusion
In summary, the limpkin is an uncommon to rare species in Tennessee, restricted to a few western counties along the Mississippi River if present at all. Habitat loss has made limpkins disappear entirely from parts of their historical range in the state. Small numbers likely persist as transients or ephemeral breeding pairs in protected wetland areas, but the Tennessee population is extremely limited. Dedicated birdwatchers have the best chance of observing limpkins at a few sites in west Tennessee, especially during spring and summer. However, limpkins remain difficult to find even within their presumed range. Ongoing conservation efforts focused on wetlands will hopefully prevent limpkins from vanishing completely from Tennessee. Continued monitoring is needed to track the status of this little-seen species at the fringe of its territory.
References
eBird. 2023. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available: http://www.ebird.org. (Accessed: January 20, 2023).
Stevenson, H.M. and B.H. Anderson. 1994. The Birdlife of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Tennessee Birds Record Committee. 2016. Annual report, 2016. Tennessee Ornithological Society, Nashville, Tennessee.
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. 2022. Tennessee Wildlife Action Plan. Nashville, Tennessee.