Birds of Fall River

213 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Fall River (Nova Scotia) since 2010, across 188,946 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee and Song Sparrow.

Fall River is backyard-bird country: 90% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Song Sparrow and Blue Jay make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk and Osprey. A hawk that hunts feeder birds is among them, so set feeders about 10 feet from shrubs: close enough for cover, far enough that a cat can't ambush from it.

Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 1.8 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.

Waverley, 2 mi to the south, has more species on record (238 against 213).

Daylight runs from 15 h 36 min at midsummer to 8 h 47 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:31 AM in mid-April and 5:27 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

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

• American Crow

  Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts

• Song Sparrow

  Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn

• Blue Jay

  Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet

• American Goldfinch

  Nyjer (thistle) · Hulled sunflower chips · Black-oil sunflower

• European Starling

  Suet · Cracked corn

• Waverley2 mi south · 238 species
• Beaver Bank3 mi west · 209 species
• Bedford7 mi south · 270 species
• Burnside8 mi south · 295 species
• Port Wallace9 mi south · 308 species
• Enfield10 mi north-east · 160 species