Rare Birds in Nova Scotia
Our list for Nova Scotia has 54 rare birds recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 11 summer visitors, 3 winter visitors, 28 passage migrants and 7 scarce visitors
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 54, most common first
Western KingbirdTyrannus verticalisPassage migrantRare20–24 cmRegularly Sep–Nov
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusPassage migrantRare48–66 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Black-backed WoodpeckerPicoides arcticusResidentRare21–24 cmRecorded all year
Little GullHydrocoloeus minutusResidentRare25–30 cmRegularly Nov–Jan
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusPassage migrantRare27–30 cmRegularly Sep–Dec
Long-tailed JaegerStercorarius longicaudusPassage migrantRare48–58 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Great SkuaStercorarius skuaScarceRare50–58 cm
Little EgretEgretta garzettaPassage migrantRare55–65 cmRegularly Nov
WheatearOenanthe oenanthePassage migrantRare15–16 cmRegularly Sep
Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineusSummer visitorRare13–17 cmRegularly Apr–Dec
Painted BuntingPasserina cirisPassage migrantRare12–14 cmRegularly May
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisPassage migrantRare58–70 cmRegularly Oct–Jan
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Sep
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorPassage migrantRare22–24 cmRegularly May–Sep
Gray-cheeked ThrushCatharus minimusPassage migrantRare16–17 cmRegularly Oct
Western MeadowlarkSturnella neglectaScarceRare16–26 cm
Upland SandpiperBartramia longicaudaPassage migrantRare28–32 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
White-winged DoveZenaida asiaticaPassage migrantRare27–30 cmRegularly Nov
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoWinter visitorRare30–32 cmRegularly Dec–Jun
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxSummer visitorRare58–65 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Say's PhoebeSayornis sayaPassage migrantRare17–20 cmRegularly Sep
Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citreaPassage migrantRare13–14 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Varied ThrushIxoreus naeviusScarceRare20–26 cm
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