This is a list of bird species confirmed in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Unless otherwise noted, the list is that of the Nova Scotia Bird Society (NSBS) as of 2021. The Society's field checklist contains 308 species, some of which are seen regularly but only in small numbers. To that list are added an additional 169 uncommon species from the full NSBS list. Of the resulting 491 species presented here, 246 are accidental and seven were introduced to North America. Birds that are considered probable escapees or to have been released, although they may have been sighted flying free, are not included.
This list is presented in the taxonomic sequence of the Check-list of North and Middle American Birds, 7th edition through the 62nd Supplement, published by the American Ornithological Society (AOS). Common and scientific names are also those of the Check-list, except that Canadian English spellings are used and the common names of families are from the Clements taxonomy because the AOS list does not include them.
(A) Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Nova Scotia (I) Introduced - a species introduced to Nova Scotia as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, bills which are flattened to a greater or lesser extent, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to special oils.
Black-bellied whistling-duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis (A) Fulvous whistling-duck, Dendrocygna bicolor (A) Snow goose, Anser caerulescens Ross's goose, Anser rossii (A) Greylag goose, Anser anser (A) Greater white-fronted goose, Anser albifrons (A) Tundra bean-goose, Anser serrirostris (A) Pink-footed goose, Anser brachyrhynchus (A) Cackling goose, Branta hutchinsii (A) Canada goose, Branta canadensis Brant, Branta bernicla Barnacle goose, Branta leucopsis (A) Mute swan, Cygnus olor (I) (A) Trumpeter swan, Cygnus buccinator (A) Tundra swan, Cygnus columbianus (A) Wood duck, Aix sponsa Garganey, Spatula querquedula (A) Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors Cinnamon teal, Spatula cyanoptera (A) Northern shoveler, Spatula clypeata Gadwall, Mareca strepera Eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope American wigeon, Mareca americana Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos American black duck, Anas rubripes Northern pintail, Anas acuta Green-winged teal, Anas crecca Canvasback, Aythya valisineria (A) Redhead, Aythya americana Ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris Tufted duck, Aythya fuligula (A) Greater scaup, Aythya marila Lesser scaup, Aythya affinis King eider, Somateria spectabilis (A) Common eider, Somateria mollissima Harlequin duck, Histrionicus histrionicus Labrador duck, Camptorhynchus labradorius Surf scoter, Melanitta perspicillata White-winged scoter, Melanitta deglandi Black scoter, Melanitta americana Long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola Common goldeneye, Bucephala clangula Barrow's goldeneye, Bucephala islandica Hooded merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus Common merganser, Mergus merganser Red-breasted merganser, Mergus serrator Ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis (A)
Pheasants, grouse, and allies Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
Phasianidae consists of the pheasants and their allies. These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump with broad relatively short wings. Many species are gamebirds or have been domesticated as a food source for humans.
Ruffed grouse, Bonasa umbellus Willow ptarmigan, Lagopus lagopus (A) Rock ptarmigan, Lagopus mutus (A) Spruce grouse, Canachites canadensis Grey partridge, Perdix perdix (I) (A) Ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicus (I)
Flamingos Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae
Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down.
American flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber (A)
Grebes Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.
Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus Red-necked grebe, Podiceps grisegena Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis (A) Western grebe, Aechmorphorus occidentalis (A)
Pigeons and doves Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. They feed on seeds, fruit and plants. Unlike most other birds, the doves and pigeons produce "crop milk," which is secreted by a sloughing of fluid-filled cells from the lining of the crop. Both sexes produce this highly nutritious substance to feed to the young.
Rock pigeon, Columba livia (I) Band-tailed pigeon, Patagioenas fasciata (A) Eurasian collared-dove, Streptopelia decaocto (I) Passenger pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius Common ground dove, Columbina passerina (A) White-winged dove, Zenaida asiatica (A) Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura
Cuckoos Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs.
Yellow-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus Black-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus
Nightjars and allies Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is cryptically coloured to resemble bark or leaves.
Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor Chuck-will's-widow, Antrostomus carolinensis (A) Eastern whip-poor-will, Antrostomus vociferus (A)
Swifts Order: ApodiformesFamily: Apodidae
The swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica
Hummingbirds Order: ApodiformesFamily: Trochilidae
Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings. They are the only birds that can fly backwards.
Ruby-throated hummingbird, Archilochus colubris Black-chinned hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri (A) Calliope hummingbird, Selasphorus calliope (A) Rufous hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus (A) Broad-tailed hummingbird, Selasphorus platycercus (A)
Rails, gallinules, and coots Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. The most typical family members occupy dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.
Clapper rail, Rallus crepitans (A) King rail, Rallus elegans (A) Virginia rail, Rallus limicola Corn crake, Crex crex (A) Sora, Porzana carolina Common gallinule, Gallinula galeata (A) American coot, Fulica americana Purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinicus (A) Yellow rail, Coturnicops noveboracensis (A) Black rail, Laterallus jamaicensis (A)
Limpkin Order: GruiformesFamily: Aramidae
The limpkin is an odd bird that looks like a large rail, but is skeletally closer to the cranes. It is found in marshes with some trees or scrub in the Caribbean, South America, and southern Florida.
Limpkin, Aramus guarauna (A)
Cranes Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae
Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".
Sandhill crane, Antigone canadensis (A)
Stilts and avocets Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.
Black-necked stilt, Himantopus mexicanus (A) American avocet, Recurvirostra americana (A)
Oystercatchers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large, obvious and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.
American oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus (A)
Plovers and lapwings Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.
Northern lapwing, Vanellus vanellus (A) Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola European golden-plover, Pluvialis apricaria (A) American golden-plover, Pluvialis dominica Pacific golden-plover, Pluvialis fulva (A) Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus Common ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula (A) Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus Piping plover, Charadrius melodus Wilson's plover, Charadrius wilsonia (A) Snowy plover, Charadrius nivosus (A)
Sandpipers and allies Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers, and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Different lengths of legs and bills enable multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
Upland sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda (A) Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus Eskimo curlew, Numenius borealis (A) (possibly extinct) Long-billed curlew, Numenius americanus (A) Eurasian curlew, Numenius arquata (A) Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica (A) Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa (A) Hudsonian godwit, Limosa haemastica Marbled godwit, Limosa fedoa (A) Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres Red knot, Calidris canutus Ruff, Calidris pugnax (A) Broad-billed sandpiper, Calidris falcinellus (A) Stilt sandpiper, Calidris himantopus Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea (A) Sanderling, Calidris alba Dunlin, Calidris alpina Purple sandpiper, Calidris maritima Baird's sandpiper, Calidris bairdii Little stint, Calidris minuta (A) Least sandpiper, Calidris minutilla White-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis Buff-breasted sandpiper, Calidris subruficollis Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos Semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla Western sandpiper, Calidris mauri (A) Short-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus griseus Long-billed dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus (A) American woodcock, Scolopax minor Wilson's snipe, Gallinago delicata Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularia Solitary sandpiper, Tringa solitaria Lesser yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes Willet, Tringa semipalmata Spotted redshank, Tringa erythropus (A) Common greenshank, Tringa nebularia (A) Greater yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca Common redshank, Tringa totanus (A) Wilson's phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor Red-necked phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus (A) Red phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius
Skuas and jaegers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae