We hope that the following information will help you if you plan to visit Nova Scotia for birding.
Who can I contact for local information?
For a list of local contacts, look here: Representatives
Where can I find a checklist of Nova Scotia birds?
The Society has prepared a PDF file with a checklist that can be printed double-sided and will fit in a standard small spiral binder. NSBS Checklist
Do you have a rare bird alert?
The Atlantic Canada Birding Discord channel has the most up to date and active rare bird alerts and discussions for our area.
What's the weather like in Nova Scotia?
We have fairly variable weather but it is generally quite moderate. You can expect warm sun in the summer, cool, wet conditions in spring and fall and snow in the winter. Check out this weather overview for Nova Scotia if you are hoping to travel here. For local weather forecasts see the Environment Canada weather information for Nova Scotia.
Where can I stay when I come to Nova Scotia?
Check out the Nova Scotia website for information on where to go, what to see and where to stay during a visit to Nova Scotia.
Can I read older copies of the Society's magazine "Nova Scotia Birds"?
Yes, you can. We have digitized all of our older publications and are available here in our library.
Go here to read our magazines - Older Publications
Are there any books about birding in Nova Scotia?
We can recommend the following books:
All the Birds of Nova Scotia by Ian McLaren. All the Birds of Nova Scotia aims to help observers evaluate bird sightings in Nova Scotia by focusing on the finer details of occurrence and identification. Compiling and evaluating a broad range of historical and contemporary data gathered by both ornithologists and amateur observers, Ian McLaren provides brief accounts of the status and key identification issues for all bird species, distinctive subspecies, and variations believed to have occurred in Nova Scotia up to 2010. In these accounts, readers can find answers to questions such as: Where does the bird normally occur? Is it common or rare, or becoming more, or less, common? Is it unusually late or early for the season? This book is required reading for any serious observer of Nova Scotia birds. 336 pages. Gaspereau Press, Nova Scotia Bird Society,co-publishers, 2012. ISBN 9781554471164 (hardcover).
Atlas of Breeding Birds of the Maritime Provinces by Anthony J. Erskine. The Atlas presents maps showing the breeding distribution of all species known to breed in the Maritimes (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia). Like other atlas projects, this represents the culmination of years of field work by dedicated amateurs and professionals. Dr. Erskine's text covers the global and local distribution of each species, an interpretation of the breeding distribution as shown on the map, and the prospects for the future. Apart from the species accounts, the book also has extensive information on the geography, distribution, and population levels of birds in the Maritimes. 270 pages. The Nova Scotia Museum and Nimbus Publishing, co-publishers, 1992. ISBN 1-55109-010-4 (paper). A digitized version can be found on the Maritime Breeding Birds website.
Atlas of Breeding Birds of the Maritime Provinces, 2006-2010. This is a follow-up atlas the one listed above. Published in 2015, this edition can be read online on the Maritime Breeding Birds website.
Birding Nova Scotia by members of the Nova Scotia Bird Society. This booklet discusses when to find birds in Nova Scotia and where to look for them. Ten suggested birding routes are offered, and there is a seasonal checklist of species found in the province. 86 pages. The Nova Scotia Bird Society, 3rd edition, 1991. Temporarily unavailable in printed form but we have a downloadable on-line version in our Older Publications under Birding NS.
Birding Sites of Nova Scotia by Blake Maybank. This comprehensive year-round guide comes with an interactive website to continually update owners on the latest birding hot spots and newly discovered trails in the province. 485 pages. Nimbus Publishing Ltd., 2005. ISBN: 1-55109-519-X.
Birds of Nova Scotia by Robie W. Tufts. A classic, this third edition was revised in 1986 by members of the Society under the direction of Ian A. Mclaren. It covers every species reported in the province up to the date of publication, with information about their status in the province and remarks on their lives, identification, breeding habits and range. Illustrations by Roger Tory Peterson and John Crosby, with line drawings by John H. Dick. 478 pages. The Nova Scotia Museum and Nimbus Publishing, co-publishers, 3rd edition 1986. ISBN 0-920852-64-5 (hardcover), 0-920852-66-1 (paper).
The Birds of Brier Island, Nova Scotia by Eric L. Mills and Lance Laviolette (2011/Revised edition 2022). Brier Island, at the southwestern entrance to the Bay of Fundy, is a prime birding destination, combining access to rich gatherings of pelagic birds, presence of rarities more frequently than in most other places in the province, and the spectacle of large volume land bird migrations. This book describes the biology, geology and history of the island in an ecological context and provides an annotated, illustrated list of the 355 species reported from the island through 2011. Proceedings of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science 46 (1), 107pp. This publication was revised and updated in 2022. Proceedings of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science 52 (1). A digital version can be found through the Nova Scotian Institute of Science website.