2016 N.S. Migration Bird Count

Every year on the second Saturday of May, a bird count takes place to determine the number of birds and species that are in Nova Scotia during the bird migration period. The data is compiled by the Nova Scotia Bird Society and has been taking place since 1993 when it started as the North American Migration Count. For more information see the links in the footnote.
May 14th started out with low overcast and fog after rain overnight.  The temperature was 10 C. Late in the morning there was rain that for a short time was heavy. This changed at noon when it began to clear. By mid-afternoon it was clear and warmed to 20 C.
There were 19 field persons in 16 parties out in the field (over the period of 5:30 am to 8:00 pm)
These surveyors spent 56 hours walking and biking over 107 km.
In additions they occupied 16.4 hours driving over 285 km
There were 8 feeder watchers  for 19 total hours.
In the field,  the surveyors found 4829 birds and 102 species while feeder watchers observed 561 birds over 39 species. The total unique calcspecies observed was 104.  Detailed results are listed in the table below.

Species Field count Feeder count Total count
Canada Goose 120 0 120
Wood Duck 4 0 4
American Black Duck 72 0 72
Mallard 194 0 194
Northern Shoveler 18 0 18
Green-winged Teal 2 0 2
Ring-necked Duck 9 0 9
Common Eider 4 0 4
Black Scoter 12 0 12
Red-breasted Merganser 1 0 1
Ring-necked Pheasant 116 13 129
 Ruffed Grouse  7  0  7
 Common Loon  1  0  1
 Double-crested Cormorant  3  0  3
 Great Blue Heron  2  0  2
 Bald Eagle  34  0  34
 Northern Harrier  2  0  2
 Sharp-shinned Hawk  0  1  1
 Red-tailed Hawk  13  0  13
 Merlin  4  0  4
 Peregrine Falcon  1  0  1
 Sandhill Crane  3  0  3
 Killdeer  8  0  8
 Spotted Sandpiper  1  0  1
 Willet  4  0  4
 Wilson’s Snipe  2  0  2
 Herring Gull  153  0  153
 Great Black-backed Gull  76  0  76
 Black-legged Kittiwake  3  0  3
 Black Guillemot  2  0  2
 Rock Pigeon  52  0  52
 Mourning Dove  111  25  136
 Barred Owl  8  1  9
 Chimney Swift  18  8  26
 Ruby-throated Hummingbird  2  3  5
 Belted Kingfisher  9  0  9
 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  33  0  33
 Downy Woodpecker  44  27  71
 Hairy Woodpecker  15  9  24
Northern Flicker 73 11 84
Pileated Woodpecker 11  0 11
Eastern Wood Pewee 1 0 1
Least Flycatcher 11  0 11
Eastern Pheobe 4 0 4
Eastern Kingbird 4 0 4
Northern Shrike 1 0 1
Blue-headed Vireo 50 2 52
Red-eyed Vireo 1 0 1
Blue Jay 136 25 161
 American Crow  299  26  325
 Common Raven  72  2  74
 Tree Swallow   52  2  54
 N. Rough-winged Swallow  11  0  11
 Bank Swallow  14  0  14
 Barn Swallow  28  0  28
 Black-capped Chickadee  190  44  234
 Boreal Chickadee  7  0  7
 Red-breasted Nuthatch  21  4  25
 White-breasted Nuthatch  6  13  19
 Winter Wren  2  0  2
 Golden-crowned Kinglet  3  0  3
 Ruby-crowned Kinglet  4  0  4
 Hermit Thrush  13  0  13
 American Robin  279  12  291
 Grey Catbird  4 0  4
 European Starling  387  34  421
 Cedar Waxwing  51  0  51
 Nashville Warbler  1  0  1
 Northern Parula  53  0  53
  Yellow Warbler  87  1  88
 Chestnut-sided Warbler  21  0  21
 Magnolia Warbler  14  0  14
 Black-throated Blue Warbler  6  0  6
 Yellow-rumped Warbler  112  1  113
 Black-throated Green Warbler  56  1  57
 Blackburnian Warbler  1  0  1
 Palm Warbler  4  0  4
 Blackpoll Warbler  1  0  1
 Black-and-White Warbler  37  2  39
 American Redstart  12  0  12
 Ovenbird  171  2  173
 Northern Waterthrush  2  0  2
 Common Yellowthroat  4  0  4
 Wilson’s Warbler  1  0  1
 Chipping Sparrow  43  10  53
 Savannah Sparrow  28  1  29
 Song Sparrow  302  17  319
 Swamp Sparrow  2  0  2
 White-throated Sparrow  46  5  51
 Dark-eyed Junco  20  3  23
 Northern Cardinal  30  21  51
 Rose-breasted Grosbeak  20  7  27
 Bobolink  2  0  2
 Red-winged Blackbird  245  16  261
 Rusty Blackbird  3  0  3
 Common Grackle  168  19  187
 Brown-headed Cowbird  0  4  4
 Baltimore Oriole  1  0  1
 Purple Finch  46  27  73
 White-winged Crossbill  5  0  5
 Pine Siskin  16  13  29
 American Goldfinch  359  139  498
 Evening Grosbeak  5  2  7
 House Sparrow  6  8  14
 Sum of Birds  4829  561  5390
 No. Species  102  39  104

Links to more information on the NSMC.