Most commonly seen birds in Nova Scotia
Stacker compiled a list of the most common birds seen near feeders in Nova Scotia using data from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Project FeederWatch. Birds are ranked by the percent of sites visited from Feb 18-Mar 3. Ties are broken by the average group size when seen, any further ties were not broken. Data was collected at 65 count sites in Nova Scotia. States with less than 10 count sites were not included in rankings for each bird.
Project FeederWatch, a citizen science project where participants collect data on birds at their feeders, was founded in Ontario by Erica Dunn and the Long Point Bird Observatory in 1976. The project partnered with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology after 10 years to scale the project across the U.S. and Canada and now has over 20,000 participants.
The data Project FeederWatch collects is used by scientists to understand trends in bird populations. If you would like to participate as a FeederWatcher you can learn more about the project here.
Read on to see which birds are most commonly seen in your state.
#42. Common Redpoll
- Average group size: 1.0
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Manitoba: 10%
--- #2. Prince Edward Island: 8%
--- #3. Quebec: 5%
--- #4. Ontario: 3%
--- #5. New Brunswick: 2%
#41. House Finch
- Average group size: 1.21
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. British Columbia: 50%
--- #2. Alberta: 35%
--- #3. Ontario: 34%
--- #4. Quebec: 27%
--- #5. Saskatchewan: 22%
#39. White-crowned Sparrow (tie)
- Average group size: 1.25
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. British Columbia: 15%
--- #2. Ontario: 2%
--- #2. Nova Scotia: 2%
#39. Golden-crowned Kinglet
- Average group size: 1.25
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. British Columbia: 3%
--- #2. Nova Scotia: 2%
#38. Ruffed Grouse
- Average group size: 1.73
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Prince Edward Island: 8%
--- #1. Newfoundland and Labrador: 8%
--- #3. British Columbia: 5%
--- #3. Alberta: 5%
--- #5. Saskatchewan: 4%
#37. Ring-billed Gull
- Average group size: 2.0
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Nova Scotia: 2%
#36. Boreal Chickadee
- Average group size: 2.17
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Alberta: 8%
--- #1. Newfoundland and Labrador: 8%
--- #3. Saskatchewan: 6%
--- #4. Nova Scotia: 2%
--- #5. Manitoba: 1%
#35. Red-winged Blackbird
- Average group size: 2.67
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. British Columbia: 10%
--- #2. Nova Scotia: 2%
--- #3. Ontario: 1%
#34. Common Goldeneye
- Average group size: 4.62
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Nova Scotia: 2%
#33. Bufflehead
- Average group size: 4.84
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Nova Scotia: 2%
#32. American Black Duck
- Average group size: 5.11
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Nova Scotia: 2%
#31. Mallard
- Average group size: 7.02
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. British Columbia: 3%
--- #2. Nova Scotia: 2%
--- #3. Quebec: 1%
#30. Bald Eagle
- Average group size: 1.07
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Nova Scotia: 3%
--- #2. New Brunswick: 2%
--- #3. British Columbia: 1%
#29. Pileated Woodpecker
- Average group size: 1.1
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Manitoba: 17%
--- #2. British Columbia: 13%
--- #3. Alberta: 8%
--- #4. Quebec: 6%
--- #4. Ontario: 6%
#28. House Sparrow
- Average group size: 1.48
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Saskatchewan: 68%
--- #2. Alberta: 57%
--- #3. Manitoba: 51%
--- #4. Ontario: 37%
--- #5. Quebec: 29%
#27. Common Grackle
- Average group size: 3.35
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. New Brunswick: 5%
--- #2. Nova Scotia: 3%
#26. Brown Creeper
- Average group size: 1.02
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Nova Scotia: 5%
--- #2. British Columbia: 3%
--- #3. New Brunswick: 2%
--- #3. Quebec: 2%
--- #3. Saskatchewan: 2%
#25. Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Average group size: 1.01
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Ontario: 30%
--- #2. New Brunswick: 9%
--- #3. Prince Edward Island: 8%
--- #4. Nova Scotia: 6%
--- #5. Quebec: 5%
#24. Herring Gull
- Average group size: 1.71
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Nova Scotia: 9%
#23. Purple Finch
- Average group size: 2.25
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. British Columbia: 9%
--- #1. Nova Scotia: 9%
--- #3. Manitoba: 8%
--- #3. Newfoundland and Labrador: 8%
--- #5. New Brunswick: 7%
#22. Pine Siskin
- Average group size: 1.88
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. New Brunswick: 12%
--- #2. Quebec: 11%
--- #2. Nova Scotia: 11%
--- #4. British Columbia: 9%
--- #5. Newfoundland and Labrador: 8%
#21. Common Raven
- Average group size: 2.96
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Prince Edward Island: 25%
--- #2. Nova Scotia: 11%
--- #3. British Columbia: 7%
--- #4. Manitoba: 6%
--- #5. New Brunswick: 5%
#20. Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Average group size: 1.01
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Nova Scotia: 14%
--- #2. New Brunswick: 9%
--- #3. Newfoundland and Labrador: 8%
--- #4. Ontario: 5%
--- #5. British Columbia: 4%
#19. Northern Flicker
- Average group size: 1.08
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. British Columbia: 60%
--- #2. Alberta: 44%
--- #3. Newfoundland and Labrador: 38%
--- #4. Prince Edward Island: 17%
--- #5. Nova Scotia: 15%
#18. Ring-necked Pheasant
- Average group size: 1.41
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Nova Scotia: 15%
--- #2. New Brunswick: 12%
--- #3. Saskatchewan: 2%
--- #3. Alberta: 2%
--- #3. British Columbia: 2%
#17. American Tree Sparrow
- Average group size: 2.82
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Ontario: 27%
--- #2. New Brunswick: 21%
--- #3. Quebec: 20%
--- #4. Nova Scotia: 15%
--- #5. Alberta: 3%
#16. White-throated Sparrow
- Average group size: 1.86
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. New Brunswick: 19%
--- #2. Nova Scotia: 18%
--- #3. Quebec: 8%
--- #4. Ontario: 5%
--- #4. British Columbia: 5%
#15. Rock Pigeon
- Average group size: 4.53
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. New Brunswick: 26%
--- #2. Nova Scotia: 22%
--- #3. Newfoundland and Labrador: 8%
--- #3. Prince Edward Island: 8%
--- #5. Quebec: 7%
#14. Evening Grosbeak
- Average group size: 9.36
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. New Brunswick: 42%
--- #2. Newfoundland and Labrador: 23%
--- #2. Nova Scotia: 23%
--- #4. Saskatchewan: 20%
--- #5. Manitoba: 15%
#13. Red-breasted Nuthatch
- Average group size: 1.4
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Saskatchewan: 64%
--- #2. Alberta: 51%
--- #3. Manitoba: 44%
--- #3. Ontario: 44%
--- #5. British Columbia: 41%
#12. Hairy Woodpecker
- Average group size: 1.27
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Manitoba: 68%
--- #2. New Brunswick: 58%
--- #3. Quebec: 55%
--- #4. Saskatchewan: 52%
--- #5. Nova Scotia: 45%
#11. Song Sparrow
- Average group size: 1.92
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. British Columbia: 62%
--- #2. Nova Scotia: 46%
--- #3. Prince Edward Island: 17%
--- #4. New Brunswick: 7%
--- #5. Quebec: 3%
#10. Northern Cardinal
- Average group size: 1.8
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Ontario: 69%
--- #2. Quebec: 63%
--- #3. Nova Scotia: 49%
--- #4. New Brunswick: 44%
#9. White-breasted Nuthatch
- Average group size: 1.4
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Quebec: 71%
--- #2. Manitoba: 63%
--- #2. Ontario: 63%
--- #4. Nova Scotia: 55%
--- #5. New Brunswick: 49%
#8. European Starling
- Average group size: 6.96
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Prince Edward Island: 67%
--- #2. Nova Scotia: 62%
--- #3. New Brunswick: 37%
--- #4. British Columbia: 32%
--- #5. Ontario: 24%
#7. Dark-eyed Junco
- Average group size: 4.23
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Newfoundland and Labrador: 100%
--- #2. British Columbia: 92%
--- #3. Ontario: 72%
--- #4. Prince Edward Island: 67%
--- #5. Nova Scotia: 66%
#6. Downy Woodpecker
- Average group size: 1.26
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Manitoba: 82%
--- #2. Quebec: 74%
--- #3. Ontario: 73%
--- #4. Alberta: 68%
--- #4. Nova Scotia: 68%
#5. American Crow
- Average group size: 2.62
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Prince Edward Island: 75%
--- #2. Nova Scotia: 68%
--- #3. Newfoundland and Labrador: 62%
--- #4. New Brunswick: 30%
--- #5. British Columbia: 27%
#4. American Goldfinch
- Average group size: 6.13
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Prince Edward Island: 75%
--- #2. Nova Scotia: 72%
--- #3. New Brunswick: 70%
--- #4. Newfoundland and Labrador: 69%
--- #5. Ontario: 59%
#3. Blue Jay
- Average group size: 4.37
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Prince Edward Island: 100%
--- #2. Newfoundland and Labrador: 77%
--- #3. Nova Scotia: 75%
--- #4. Manitoba: 74%
--- #5. New Brunswick: 67%
#2. Mourning Dove
- Average group size: 5.93
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Prince Edward Island: 83%
--- #2. Nova Scotia: 80%
--- #3. New Brunswick: 72%
--- #4. Ontario: 63%
--- #5. Quebec: 42%
#1. Black-capped Chickadee
- Average group size: 4.76
- Provinces with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Prince Edward Island: 100%
--- #2. Nova Scotia: 95%
--- #3. Manitoba: 94%
--- #4. New Brunswick: 93%
--- #5. Newfoundland and Labrador: 92%