Nova Scotia · 44.45°N

Birds of Mahone Bay

What has actually been seen around Mahone Bay: 249 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 249 within 6 mi
Observation records: 115,234 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Black-capped Chickadee
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 13 ft
Daylight, June / December: 15.5 h / 8.8 h

What the records say about Mahone Bay

249 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Mahone Bay (Nova Scotia) since 2010, across 115,234 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow and Song Sparrow.

Mahone Bay is backyard-bird country: 74% 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, Song Sparrow and Blue Jay make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle, Osprey and Red-tailed Hawk.

Records peak in May and are lowest in November — 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.

Lunenburg, 6 mi to the south-east, has more species on record (283 against 249).

Daylight runs from 15 h 33 min at midsummer to 8 h 50 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:35 AM in mid-April and 5:32 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Mahone Bay

#	Bird	Records
1	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	5,998
2	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	5,836
3	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	5,359
4	Blue JayCyanocitta cristata	4,965
5	American GoldfinchSpinus tristis	4,875
6	Mourning DoveZenaida macroura	4,860
7	American RobinTurdus migratorius	4,293
8	American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus	4,263
9	European StarlingSturnus vulgaris	3,852
10	Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis	3,712
11	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	3,004
12	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	2,341
13	Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens	2,188
14	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	2,138
15	Purple FinchHaemorhous purpureus	1,951
16	White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis	1,879
17	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	1,838
18	Common LoonGavia immer	1,774
19	White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis	1,756
20	Rock PigeonColumba livia	1,745

Records by month

What to put out in Mahone Bay

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
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
Mourning Dove
Millet · Cracked corn · 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 Mahone Bay?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Mahone Bay are Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Song Sparrow, Blue Jay and American Goldfinch, based on 115,234 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Mahone Bay?

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

When is the best month for birds in Mahone Bay?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 5:32 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.