Nova Scotia · 44.57°N

Birds of Herring Cove

What has actually been seen around Herring Cove: 339 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 339 within 6 mi
Observation records: 464,978 since 2010
Most recorded bird: American Crow
Busiest month: September
Elevation: 180 ft
Daylight, June / December: 15.6 h / 8.8 h

What the records say about Herring Cove

339 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Herring Cove (Nova Scotia) since 2010, across 464,978 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Crow, American Herring Gull and Song Sparrow.

Herring Cove is backyard-bird country: 60% 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.

19 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Osprey, Bald Eagle and Hen Harrier.

Records peak in September and are lowest in July — about 2.6 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.

Harrietsfield, 3 mi to the west, has fewer species on record (288 against 339). Birds logged far more often around Herring Cove than there include Common Pheasant, Savannah Sparrow, Hen Harrier and Semipalmated Plover.

Daylight runs from 15 h 34 min at midsummer to 8 h 49 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 Herring Cove

#	Bird	Records
1	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	28,027
2	American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus	24,923
3	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	23,872
4	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	21,812
5	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	19,312
6	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	16,564
7	American Black DuckAnas rubripes	14,691
8	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	14,017
9	Common EiderSomateria mollissima	12,205
10	American RobinTurdus migratorius	11,992
11	Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus	11,019
12	Rock PigeonColumba livia	10,936
13	Double-crested CormorantPhalacrocorax auritus	9,551
14	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	9,543
15	Mourning DoveZenaida macroura	8,703
16	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	7,223
17	Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis	7,074
18	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	6,498
19	Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator	6,218
20	Black GuillemotCepphus grylle	5,838

Records by month

What to put out in Herring Cove

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 Herring Cove?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Herring Cove are American Crow, Song Sparrow, Black-capped Chickadee, European Starling and Blue Jay, based on 464,978 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Herring Cove?

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

When is the best month for birds in Herring Cove?

Observation records peak in September and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 5:28 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.