Uncommon Birds in Nova Scotia
Our list for Nova Scotia has 88 uncommon birds recorded regularly there: 15 residents, 26 summer visitors, 31 winter visitors, 15 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
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 88, most common first
Mourning WarblerGeothlypis philadelphiaSummer visitorUncommon10–15 cmRegularly May–Sep
Fox SparrowPasserella iliacaWinter visitorUncommon15–19 cmRegularly Oct–Jul
GadwallMareca streperaResidentUncommon46–56 cmRecorded all year
Atlantic PuffinFratercula arcticaSummer visitorUncommon28–34 cmRegularly May–Dec
Leach's Storm-petrelHydrobates leucorhousSummer visitorUncommon18–21 cmRegularly May–Oct
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusWinter visitorUncommon62–68 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinusWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Oct–Jul
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaSummer visitorUncommon33–39 cmRegularly May–Sep
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Nov–May
Cattle EgretArdea ibisPassage migrantUncommon46–56 cmRegularly Oct–May
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Jul–Feb
Brent GooseBranta berniclaPassage migrantUncommon55–66 cmRegularly Oct–May
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaWinter visitorUncommon40–47 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolniiSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRecorded all year
Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicusWinter visitorUncommon15–16 cmRegularly Sep–Mar
DickcisselSpiza americanaWinter visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Aug–Feb
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataResidentUncommon44–51 cmRecorded all year
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorUncommon35–43 cmRegularly Oct–Jun
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podicepsSummer visitorUncommon31–38 cmRecorded all year
Piping PloverCharadrius melodusSummer visitorUncommon17–18 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorUncommon46–59 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantUncommon18–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusPassage migrantUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Jul–Nov
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