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THE WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY • Vol. 124. No. 2. June 2012 
known breeding an»e T T w u ' h, S h - eIevation Ending stations in eastern Tennessee, relative tot! 
abundance ^numbe^coi nt IT ™^ forests ' M *p coloration reflects patterns of region, 
abundance (number counted) obtatned from counts conducted along Breeding Bird Survey routes (Sauer et al. 2004). 
USGS aluminum bands, and classified to age and 
gender following Pyle (1997). 
RESULTS 
We captured and banded 4,324 Tennessee 
Warblers at Whigg Meadow from 1999 to 2008; 
14 were recaptured in subsequent years at this site 
(0.3%), including one individual recaptured in 
two different years. The median value among all 
recapture intervals was 1 year with the maximum 
interval of 5 years (3 individuals). All but two 
recaptures were hatch-year birds when first 
captured. We banded 5,514 Tennessee Warblers 
at Big Bald from 2003 to 2008 and none was 
subsequently recaptured. 
DISCUSSION 
Our finding of 14 returns is unprecedented for 
migrant Parulidae. However, despite the relatively 
large number of inter-year returns, only a small 
percentage of Tennessee Warblers used the same 
stopover site during successive autumn migra¬ 
tions. This finding supports previous studies 
which, although reporting higher incidence or 
stopover site fidelity (i.e., 3.6%. Tennessee 
Warbler; 3.2%, Yellow Warbler [Seiophagd 
petechial; 3.5% Blackpoli Warbler (5. srruita] 
(Nisbet 1969]). are limited to evidence drawn 
from a smaller number of individuals (all cases ^ 
4). Some studies have reported intervals of up to 
5 years (our study) between inter-annual recap¬ 
tures at some stopover sites (3 years; Magnolia 
Warbler |.S'. magnolici\: Goodpasture 1979; 
3 years: Northern Waterthrush [Parkesia now- 
boracensis]: Somershoe et al. 2009). but most an.’ 
limited to periods spanning 1 year. 
The limited suite of passerines thaf have been 
I mind to be site faithful suggests this behavior 
may be relatively unique among this group of 
birds. If migratory species such as Tennessee 
Warblers follow relatively narrow migratory 
