Birding in Metro Halifax

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Despite the title, this guide covers birding anywhere in Halifax County,
Nova Scotia, not only within the city limits. It is a supplement to
identification guides, giving extensive information on what species can
be seen and on when and where to view them.

The bulk of the guide is a month-by-month odyssey through the calendar
year, detailing both typical and noteworthy bird activity in and around
Halifax during each month. Facts, anecdotes, examples, identification
tips, and a bit of light humor make these chapters a delightful read.
This section is followed by notes on the most productive places to spot
birds in the county, and a checklist of birds of Nova Scotia. The
checklist features some innovations intended to make it easier to use
than the traditional AOU lists, such as codes for rarity in the Halifax
area.

Because of its position in the Atlantic flyway and its unique
geography, Nova Scotia is an extremely rewarding place for birding.
Halifax County is at the centre of this richness, with nearly 450
species spotted there annually. Enthusiasm for birding in the area is
therefore quite understandable—and Stevens, a well-known Halifax
naturalist, conveys that enthusiasm beautifully in his easy-to-read
text.

This is a book for birders of all degrees of involvement, from casual
bird-feeder watchers to dedicated listeners. Reading it keeps the
passion for birding alive when it is too cold to take to the fields, and
it is a practical when-and-where guide to take along on excursions.