Birds of Port Hawkesbury
What has actually been seen around Port Hawkesbury: 199 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 199 within 6 mi
- Observation records
- 11,812 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- American Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- December
- Elevation
- 82 ft
- Daylight, June / December
- 15.7 h / 8.7 h
What the records say about Port Hawkesbury
199 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Port Hawkesbury (Nova Scotia) since 2010, across 11,812 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Herring Gull, American Crow and Double-crested Cormorant.
Water shapes this list. 55% of records near Port Hawkesbury are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — American Herring Gull, Double-crested Cormorant and Great Black-backed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. American Crow is still the most logged backyard bird.
16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle and Osprey.
Records peak in December and are lowest in April — about 6.7 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.
Princeville, 11 mi to the north, has fewer species on record (103 against 199). Birds logged far more often around Port Hawkesbury than there include American Herring Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Black-backed Gull and Iceland Gull.
Daylight runs from 15 h 42 min at midsummer to 8 h 41 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:21 AM in mid-April and 5:15 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Port Hawkesbury
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus | 878 |
| 2 | American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos | 762 |
| 3 | Double-crested CormorantPhalacrocorax auritus | 551 |
| 4 | Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus | 540 |
| 5 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 527 |
| 6 | Iceland GullLarus glaucoides | 523 |
| 7 | Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis | 375 |
| 8 | American Black DuckAnas rubripes | 362 |
| 9 | Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus | 319 |
| 10 | European StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 319 |
| 11 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 315 |
| 12 | Song SparrowMelospiza melodia | 311 |
| 13 | Northern GannetMorus bassanus | 297 |
| 14 | Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator | 273 |
| 15 | Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphia | 271 |
| 16 | American GoldfinchSpinus tristis | 229 |
| 17 | American RobinTurdus migratorius | 227 |
| 18 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 212 |
| 19 | Common RavenCorvus corax | 190 |
| 20 | Common LoonGavia immer | 183 |
Records by month
What to put out in Port Hawkesbury
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
- European Starling
Suet · Cracked corn
- Rock Pigeon
None recommended — flocks crowd out other feeder birds
- Song Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
- 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 Port Hawkesbury?
The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Port Hawkesbury are American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, European Starling, Rock Pigeon and Song Sparrow, based on 11,812 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Port Hawkesbury?
199 species have at least one record within 6 mi of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Port Hawkesbury?
Observation records peak in December and are lowest in April. Sunrise in late June is around 5:15 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.