Birds

Mapping Traditional Bird Knowledge for Urban Bird Conservation in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Yue Guan, 2010. MES Thesis, Dalhousie University “This study aimed at identifying important urban bird habitats as well as their characteristics in Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Fourteen local birders outlined bird habitats on maps, and the information was compiled and presented using GIS. In total, 28% of the study area was indicated as key habitat for urban birds. By comparing the GIS data with existing conserved areas, coastal areas, marine habitat and urban wetlands were found to be under-represented in conserved areas. Following from the research findings, recommendations for improving habitat identification and management are made.”. Includes the Backlands

Helping the Common Loon to stay common 17Nov2022
Post Nov 17, 2022

Second Atlas of Breeding Birds of the Maritimes Provinces
“This Atlas is the single most comprehensive, up-to-date information source on the status of Maritimes breeding birds. More than 260,000 records of 222 species are included in the database, including more than 8,700 records of 17 species at risk. Produced as a beautifully-illustrated hard-cover book, the Atlas is complemented by a comprehensive website where maps, results and much else are accessible online.” (Published 2016). The Introductory chapters are highly informative, available in Part 1 and Part 2. Data and descriptive information for all species are given as links to PDFs under the Table of Contents.
The First Atlas survey for the Maritimes was conducted 1986-90, published 1992. The second was conducted 2006 to 2010, published in 2016. As standardized methods were used, comparisons can be made between the two periods, and within the limits of statistical inference, declines and increases or no change are indicated for various species.

Nova Scotia Bird Society
The Nova Scotia Bird Society has been a focus for birders in this province for over 65 years. Serving about 600 members, we have much to offer anyone interested in wild birds. Browse through our website for a sample of what we do, and feel free to send us an e-mail if you would like more information.
WHAT WE DO…
The Nova Scotia Bird Society (NSBS) is a registered charitable organization (RN 873023550 RR0001) that promotes the study and conservation of wild birds in Nova Scotia. Since its establishment in 1955, the NSBS has grown into the largest single Natural History group in the province.
We are a not-for-profit organization that is run entirely by volunteers!

e-bird
“eBird is among the world’s largest biodiversity-related science projects, with more than 100 million bird sightings contributed annually by eBirders around the world and an average participation growth rate of approximately 20% year over year. A collaborative enterprise with hundreds of partner organizations, thousands of regional experts, and hundreds of thousands of users, eBird is managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.” Examples of uploads:
– e-bird Sightings – Nova Scotia
– e-bird Sightings – Halifax

Natural History of Nova Scotia: Birds (PDF) Brief overview
T11.1 Factors Influencing Birds (Page 226), T11.2 Forest and Edge-habitat Birds (Page 227),
T11.3 Open-habitat Birds (Page 231),T11.4 Birds of Prey (Page 233), T11.5 Freshwater Wetland Birds and Waterfowl (Page 236), T11.6 Shorebirds and Other Birds of Coastal Wetlands (Page 241), T11.7 Seabirds and Birds of Marine Habitats (Page 246)

It’s not trails that disturb forest birds, but the people on them
EurekAlert Nov 12, 2018. Forest trails that are used more frequently for human recreation have fewer birds and not as many bird species – even when the trails have been used for decades. It cites this paper: Effect of Recreational Trails on Forest Birds: Human Presence Matters, by Yves Bötsch et al., 2018. In Front. Ecol. Evol., 12 November 2018. ABSTRACT “Outdoor recreational activities are increasing worldwide and occur at high frequency especially close to cities. Forests are a natural environment often used for such activities as jogging, hiking, dog walking, mountain biking, or horse riding. The mere presence of people in forests can disturb wildlife, which may perceive humans as potential predators. Many of these activities rely on trails, which intersect an otherwise contiguous habitat and hence impact wildlife habitat. The aim of this study was to separate the effect of the change in vegetation and habitat structure through trails, from the effect of human presence using these trails, on forest bird communities… These findings imply that the mere presence of humans can negatively affect the forest bird community along trails. Visitor guidance is an effective conservation measure to reduce the negative impacts of recreationists. In addition, prevention of trail construction in undeveloped natural habitats would reduce human access, and thus disturbance, most efficiently.”