Common Birds in Nova Scotia
Our list for Nova Scotia has 77 common birds recorded regularly there: 23 residents, 30 summer visitors, 18 winter visitors and 6 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · Oct
Share of all bird records in Nova Scotia in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 77, most common first
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorCommon31–35 cmRegularly May–Oct
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesPassage migrantCommon23–27 cmRegularly Jul–Oct
Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgianaSummer visitorCommon12–15 cmRegularly Apr–Feb
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisWinter visitorCommon45–65 cmRecorded all year
Blue-headed VireoVireo solitariusSummer visitorCommon12–15 cmRegularly May–Oct
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year
WilletTringa semipalmataSummer visitorCommon33–41 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaSummer visitorCommon27–30 cmRegularly May–Feb
American Tree SparrowSpizelloides arboreaWinter visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Chestnut-sided WarblerSetophaga pensylvanicaSummer visitorCommon10–14 cmRegularly May–Sep
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year
Gray CatbirdDumetella carolinensisSummer visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly May–Oct
Palm WarblerSetophaga palmarumSummer visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorCommon39–56 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusPassage migrantCommon23–32 cmRegularly Jul–Oct
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Apr–Dec
Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimusSummer visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly May–Sep
OspreyPandion haliaetusSummer visitorCommon54–58 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphiaWinter visitorCommon28–38 cmRegularly Jul–Mar
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataWinter visitorCommon48–60 cmRecorded all year
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataWinter visitorCommon53–69 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorCommon24–33 cmRecorded all year
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made