Halifax County
Stilt Sandpipers, © Rob Bielawski
Halifax County is located in the Southern Piedmont along the North Carolina border. Although it is the fourth largest county in Virginia at 830 sq. mi. total area, it is among the least densely populated in the state with only around 36,000 residents. Nearly a quarter of that population resides in the town of South Boston, which is located near the the county’s geographic center and was formerly an independent city until reverting to town status in 1995. The county seat is the eponymous town of Halifax, despite South Boston’s status as the largest town in the county. Along with a large amount of public lands—including Staunton River State Park and Staunton River Battlefield State Park—there are ample back roads with light traffic that can be safely birded, owing to the large geographic area and low population density.
At least 249 species of birds have been reported in the county. Much of that diversity is due to the confluence of the Dan and Staunton Rivers, which meet at the upper end of Kerr Lake at Staunton River SP. This location is certainly among the best spots for shorebirds and wading birds in Virginia away from the coast. Twenty-nine species of shorebirds have been reported from Staunton River SP, including regional rarities such as American Golden-Plover, Piping Plover, Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Baird’s Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Wilson’s Phalarope, and Willet. There is also a small population of Eurasian Collared-Doves in South Boston, where a single bird was first found in the summer of 2008. Since then they have been regular in the downtown area, and with a little effort can usually be found perched on utility wires.
Extensive logging has created a large amount of early-successional habitat in the region. As such, species including Indigo Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, Prairie Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Field Sparrow can easily be found throughout the county in the appropriate season. However, spring and fall songbird migration can be rather difficult times for birders in the region; the county’s central Piedmont location makes warblers and thrushes difficult to come by.
—Paul Glass
Hotspots
Stakeout Hotspots
The following hotspots should only be used to input historical records pertaining to a specific staked out rarity, as indicated in the hotspots names.