NB Provincial Bird Black-capped Chickadee
Birds of New Brunswick Specialties
389 species in 45 families
- Black-capped chickadee
- Black-legged kittiwake
- Swainson’s thrush
- Osprey
- Pine grosbeak
- Fieldfare
- American black duck
- Piping plover
- Common tern
- Yellow-bellied flycatcher
New Brunswick is situated on the eastern Atlantic coast of Canada. It is bounded on the north by Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula and Chaleur Bay, and to the east by the island of Nova Scotia, which is connected to New Brunswick by a narrow isthmus. The south of the province is bounded by the Bay of Fundy, which has the highest tides in the world with a rise of 16 m.
New Brunswick has a landmass of 73,500 square kilometres, 85% of which is forest. The northern part of the province is quite mountainous. The interior consists mainly of a rolling plateau, flatter in the east and hillier in the southeast with elevations above 600 metres.
The southern landscape is characterized by hills sloping down to tidal marshes at the edge of the Bay of Fundy, whereas the eastern and central portions of the province consist of rolling hills cut by river valleys.
New Brunswick lies entirely within the Appalachian Mountain range. The northwestern part of the province is comprised of the remote and more rugged Miramichi Highlands, as well as the Chaleur Uplands and the Notre Dame Mountains with a maximum elevation of 820 metres.
Rare Bird Alert Hotlines
Moncton – French (506) 532-2873
Province Wide – English (506) 382-3825
New Brunswick Web Links
New Brunswick Winter Bird List
New Brunswick Federation of Naturalists
Where Do You Want To Go Birding in NB?
Growing up we had birds who called “tom peepadee, peepadee, peepadee when it sang. I am sure that this is not the proper name for it but in my home town (Chipman) that is all anyone called it Does anyone out there know the proper name? Would really appreciate any info you have on it.
Great information love learning about new places!
We are hearing from a lot of people wondering where their birds are this year. Unseasonal, unpredictably bad weather anywhere along their range is the most likely reason for it. Here in AB we have lots of robins, but many other normal birds are showing up in low numbers.
If you email some photos to birdcanada @ gmail.com we’ll take a shot at identifying your birds!
There is a pair of birds in my vegetable garden in New Brunswick that I’ve never seen before. Mostly dark grey on top with white specks over most of the body, white ring around eyes, and rust-coloured patches on the sides. I’ve looked through multiple websites now and haven’t seen any pictures that match it and are known for my province. Does anyone have an idea of what they are? I have pictures and short videos.
Why are we seeing so few robins this spring. I live in Minto, NB and have seen only one robin. Would the severe winter storms in the southern US last winter – and the year before – have anything to do with it?
I don’t think bald and golden eagles mate with each other. Young bald eagles however, look very similar to goldens as they don’t attain their white head until they are four years old. If it’s a juvenile bald eagle or a golden eagle, it is likely either one of them would be raiding the nest.
I am wondering if Golden Eagles mate with bald eagles. There is a bald eagle nest within view of my place and she has 2 babies. This week I have seen a golden eagle soaring around and today it went to the bald eagle nest. One baby flew away and the golden eagle was at the nest for several minutes before leaving and went soaring again. Shortly after, the momma bald eagle was doing a lot of squeaking for a while and I have not seen the baby come back yet but hear it in the distance in the woods. The golden came back and the momma bald eagle took off. I still hear squaking from momma and baby (from different directions). I haven’t seen the other baby at all today. They usually don’t fly far from the nest without the momma. So I’m wondering if the golden eagle has attacked the bald eagle nest or is it possible that they have mated.
Also, my stepdaughter is visiting and I’m wondering if there is a New Brunswick bird book that I can pick up for her at a reasonable price. Thanks for any info 🙂
I know this will sound strange, but have a look at the Northern Flicker in your bird book. These large woodpeckers spend a great deal of time on lawns looking for ants, and are quite common all across Canada. They are also the bird we get the most queries on from across the country. These birds are everywhere but many people are just seeing them for the first time. Because they’re feeding on lawns, no one thinks to look in the woodpecker section of the bird book!
It sounds like you might have a couple of warbler species. These small, busy birds are all insect eaters and never visit feeders. Take a look at https://www.audubon.org/bird-family/wood-warblers and see if your birds are there. The page takes awhile to load as there are 58 warbler pictures on it!
Looking for help to identify a bird we saw yesterday evening in Cap Pele area that we’ve never seen before. The size of a robin, distinguishing features were a bright red V across its shoulders, a black V on its breast and black patches under its eyes. Spent its time on the lawn looking for worms. Closest we could find in our bird book was the Lapland Longspur but not sure.
we have two types of birds we have never seen before,,one of them is fairly small with black and white and dark grey stripes,,they creep around the walls and eaves as if trying to get in to make a nest or something,,,the second is yellow with five fine black stripes on its breast,,running up and down,,it has green on the underside of its wings,,and its beak looks almost like a budgee,,,its doing the same as the above mentioned bird,,neither of them ever go to the feeders,,the yellow one will come perch on the window sill and watch me if the window is open,,anyone have any ideas
In most migrating bird species the males arrive a few weeks before the females. Every spring I get several members of the blackbird family in my yard, and the males are always weeks ahead of the females. When the ladies do show up, everyone flies off to the boreal forest to breed.
I have a bird at my feader in harvey that I have never seen before. It is a rose
breasted grosbeak. has been here about a week. I find it strange it is here all by
itself. have watched for female but have not seen here. It this rather unusual?
We don’t have any information like that but you might try the Boreal Songbird Initiative website at https://www.borealbirds.org/fast-facts-boreal-forest
Hello, my 9 year old son has chosen birds in the “into the forest” science project, also known as the Meduxnekeag Environmental Showcase.
He adores birds and wishes to make his project on the importance of the forest for the birds specifically in New Brunswick.
Do you have any literature or online pages we could use?
Thanks in advance!
Erin Lindsay
Swainson’s thrushes do migrate in the fall, as they eat only insects. Putting out a suet block is a wonderful idea as it provides the birds with many essential foods. I have suet blocks up all year. Feeding birds and bird feeders will not stop any birds from migrating. They just give them a healthy feed before facing the arduous journey.
I have birds around my back deck that look like Swainsons thrush. It’s now mid October and I’m wondering if these little birds migrate? There is still part of a suet block left and I’m hoping this isn’t keeping them here. Advise.
Audubon does not do a good job with birds in Canada, which I’ve noticed on many species. If you check ebird Canada you’ll see there are a huge number of merlin sightings in New Brunswick. This little falcon is one of the most common across Canada so that is likely what you saw. If you check https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Merlin/id you can see a series of photos and listen to the call of the merlin. That should help narrow down your ID!
I am trying to identify a larger bird nesting atop a pine trees in my yard. We back on a forested area just south of Fredericton. The subdivision is only two blocks wide so there is plenty of forest. Through my binoculars the feeding bird looks and sounds similar to a Merlin but I have my doubts based on Audobon’s website description of locale and nesting habits.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Jeff Leger
New Maryland, NB
Just saw probably over a hundred either cedar waxings or Bohemian waxwings on our street in Moncton, today, February 16, 2016 an they were in he trees by also in puddles on the street and I had to stop as they wouldn’t leave the puddle so got to watch them playing in the water…hundreds of them, all with the yellow band tail and red on them as well. Is it normal for them to be here and do anyone else see them. Curious!
I’ve added your group to all the Maritime birding pages! Thanks for letting us know about it.
Please add the Facebook Group, Birding in Atlantic Canada to your list, and thank you!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Birding.in.Atlantic.Canada/
As long as robins can find berries to eat, they can suffer through a Canadian winter! We have had them reported in every month of the year here.
Hi, I have also seen a red Groesbeck & some Robins in my yard. On top of Chickadees. Never seen Robins in the winter here in Campbellton NB, nor Groesbeck. Will they survive our frigid cold temperatures? We have some extreme wind-chills , ex. – 35 to – 42 Celsius..
Hi ! this is so strange, but there is a group of grosbeaks in our apple tree (that part is normal) and there is a robin (!) with them. It is January 31st. He is eating the apples and travelling with the Grosbeaks. Is this normal ? Thanks.
Hi Sharon, feel free to send it to me.
nathan.staples@nbed.nb.ca
I saw this bird fly into my backyard tree, scoudouc N.B. not sure what it is or if it even belongs here, wanted to send a picture so maybe some one could tell me what it is, but i do not see any where to send a picture, could you please help and let me know where or who i could send a pic. too. Thank you
Sorry, I don’t know. You could check the Nova Scotia Bird Society website at http://www.nsbirdsociety.ca/
My family will be in Sackville for a wedding the first week of July and then plan to spend another week exploring the coastline between Sackville and Bathurst for the following week. Being from Kenora, Ontario, the opportunity to go on a short ( 1-3 hour) pelagic bird watching cruise would be a wonderful. Any suggestions of what might be available or who I might contact?
I just saw a small grey bide about the size of a chickadee that had long white whiskers. It’s was slate grey and was picking up small debris from trees right in front of my door. It looked like a mouse. I can’t seem to find anything like it on the internet. Has anyone ever seen anything like this before?
I just saw 4 or 5 rare birds below my feeders in Memramcook. The looked like redpolls with snowy chests.
Before I had the camera ready they flew, it was the snow plow. I found a picture that suggests they were Hoary Redpolls (arctic birds?), a long way south and east.
http://birding.about.com/b/2013/01/03/bird-of-the-week-hoary-redpoll.htm
I hope they show up again.
We have an official provincial FACEBOOK page for New Brunswick ….its here: http/www.facebook.com/groups/379126472182336/ or find it with FACEBOOK BIRDING NB OISEAUX NB
I was just wondering if it is normal to see a large flock of well over one hundred robins on your lawn in January? I have never seen this in my lifetime. It was amazing to watch them all. I mostly see up to 5 on my lawn from March on but never this early. They were accompanied by four blue jays. I live in Beaver Harbour NB.
I have been seeing this hawk at Petersville all spring and summer right up until today September 13th. I make the trip to Oromocto once a week and keep an eye out for him. He is usually spotted somewhere between Coleman Brook and the graveyard just past the exit at Petersville. I suspect he likes that area because of the telephone poles and some field area. However, today I saw him about 5 miles past Petersville, and only by accident, high up on a tree beside the road. I have been trying to identify him as he has a lot of white and I am looking at photos of a ferrunginous hawk, but from what I have read so far they are usually seen in the prairies.
I am curious now and will keep researching. I will take the camera next week in the hope of seeing him and getting a photo.
Yesterday while working at a customers house, I saw a Turkey Vulture in Shepody, NB. This large bird is very impressive in size, and flight.
I live in Edmundston N.B. Last week a white Pelican was spotted on Long Lake in St Agatha Maine. Article was reported in FiddleHead Focus. he Lake is about 5 miles s the crow flies.
just saw a hawk type as I approached Petersville Hill June 20/13 at 4pm. Sun was starting to go toward treetops. The hawk was magnificant. It’s head and breast was white, beak beige, and wing shoulders tight to it’s body was fawn colour. The bird appeared to be larger than smaller hawks and closer to the size of an osprey. Any ideas?