Nova Scotia · 44.54°N

Birds of Chester

What has actually been seen around Chester: 224 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 224 within 6 mi
Observation records: 64,997 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Black-capped Chickadee
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 30 ft
Daylight, June / December: 15.6 h / 8.8 h

What the records say about Chester

224 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Chester (Nova Scotia) since 2010, across 64,997 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow and Blue Jay.

Chester is backyard-bird country: 75% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Blue Jay and American Goldfinch make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Osprey and Bald Eagle.

Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 3.1 times as many in the busiest month. Part of that is birds (migrants and breeding arrivals), part is people: more birders are out in good weather, so treat the curve as activity, not a census.

Mahone Bay, 10 mi to the south-west, has more species on record (249 against 224). Birds logged far more often around Chester than there include Golden-crowned Kinglet, Horned Grebe, Magnolia Warbler and Red-necked Grebe.

Daylight runs from 15 h 34 min at midsummer to 8 h 49 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:34 AM in mid-April and 5:31 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Chester

#	Bird	Records
1	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	4,120
2	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	3,541
3	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	3,374
4	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	2,939
5	American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus	2,910
6	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	2,830
7	American RobinTurdus migratorius	2,493
8	Mourning DoveZenaida macroura	2,415
9	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	1,888
10	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	1,795
11	Common LoonGavia immer	1,535
12	Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis	1,508
13	American Black DuckAnas rubripes	1,505
14	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	1,155
15	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	1,060
16	Ruby-throated HummingbirdArchilochus colubris	1,022
17	Golden-crowned KingletRegulus satrapa	960
18	Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronata	952
19	Purple FinchHaemorhous purpureus	916
20	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	911

Records by month

What to put out in Chester

Foods for the most recorded backyard birds here, from our species notes.

Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Blue Jay
Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet
American Goldfinch
Nyjer (thistle) · Hulled sunflower chips · Black-oil sunflower
Song Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets

Seasonal bird notes for Nova Scotia

What's arriving, what to feed and when to clean feeders, written for Canadian backyards. One email a month at most.

Nearby places

Frequently asked

What birds visit backyards in Chester?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Chester are Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Blue Jay, American Goldfinch and Song Sparrow, based on 64,997 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Chester?

224 species have at least one record within 6 mi of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Chester?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 5:31 AM.

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.