Birds of Dartmouth
What has actually been seen around Dartmouth: 316 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 316 within 6 mi
- Observation records
- 601,384 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- American Crow
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 115 ft
- Daylight, June / December
- 15.6 h / 8.8 h
What the records say about Dartmouth
316 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Dartmouth (Nova Scotia) since 2010, across 601,384 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Crow, Song Sparrow and Black-capped Chickadee.
Dartmouth is backyard-bird country: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. American Crow, Song Sparrow, Black-capped Chickadee and European Starling make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
20 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Osprey and Bald Eagle.
Records peak in May and are lowest in August — about 2.2 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.
Port Wallace, 2 mi to the north-east, has fewer species on record (308 against 316).
Daylight runs from 15 h 35 min at midsummer to 8 h 48 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:31 AM in mid-April and 5:28 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Dartmouth
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos | 40,771 |
| 2 | Song SparrowMelospiza melodia | 35,410 |
| 3 | Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus | 34,042 |
| 4 | American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus | 31,317 |
| 5 | European StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 30,186 |
| 6 | Blue JayCyanocitta cristata | 28,142 |
| 7 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 23,355 |
| 8 | American GoldfinchSpinus tristis | 22,120 |
| 9 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 22,025 |
| 10 | American Black DuckAnas rubripes | 21,323 |
| 11 | American RobinTurdus migratorius | 17,976 |
| 12 | Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis | 15,474 |
| 13 | Mourning DoveZenaida macroura | 12,073 |
| 14 | Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis | 11,812 |
| 15 | Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis | 11,214 |
| 16 | Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens | 9,617 |
| 17 | Northern FlickerColaptes auratus | 8,689 |
| 18 | Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula | 8,107 |
| 19 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 7,936 |
| 20 | Double-crested CormorantPhalacrocorax auritus | 7,817 |
Records by month
What to put out in Dartmouth
Foods for the most recorded backyard birds here, from our species notes.
- American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
- Song Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
- Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
- European Starling
Suet · Cracked corn
- Blue Jay
Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet
- American Goldfinch
Nyjer (thistle) · Hulled sunflower chips · Black-oil sunflower
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 Dartmouth?
The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Dartmouth are American Crow, Song Sparrow, Black-capped Chickadee, European Starling and Blue Jay, based on 601,384 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Dartmouth?
316 species have at least one record within 6 mi of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Dartmouth?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 5:28 AM.
Sources
- GBIF occurrence search (birds, class Aves, 2010 onward)
- GeoNames gazetteer (place, population, elevation)
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.