Birds to See in Australia in May
87 bird species on our list for Australia are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Australian Magpie, Rainbow Lorikeet, Willie Wagtail, Red Wattlebird and Galah. New this month: Lesser Noddy, Hudsonian Godwit and Arctic Tern.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
At their peak
From Australia’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 87 birds in May
87 birds
Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicenResidentCommon37–43 cmRecorded all year · 3.04% in May
Rainbow LorikeetTrichoglossus moluccanusResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 2.18% in May
Willie WagtailRhipidura leucophrysResidentCommon19–22 cmRecorded all year · 1.88% in May
Red WattlebirdAnthochaera carunculataResidentCommon33–37 cmRecorded all year · 1.49% in May
GalahEolophus roseicapillaResidentCommon35–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.37% in May
Laughing KookaburraDacelo novaeguineaeResidentCommon41–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.12% in May
Australian RavenCorvus coronoidesResidentCommon46–53 cmRecorded all year · 1.08% in May
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.85% in May
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in May
New Holland HoneyeaterPhylidonyris novaehollandiaeResidentCommon16–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.71% in May
Black SwanCygnus atratusResidentCommon110–142 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in May
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.62% in May
Whistling KiteHaliastur sphenurusResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.57% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in May
Red-browed FinchNeochmia temporalisResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in May
Eastern Yellow RobinEopsaltria australisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in May
Little WattlebirdAnthochaera chrysopteraResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in May
Australian King-parrotAlisterus scapularisResidentUncommon40–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.43% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in May
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentUncommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in May
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentUncommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in May
Rose RobinPetroica roseaWinter visitorUncommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in May
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentUncommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in May
White-cheeked HoneyeaterPhylidonyris nigerResidentUncommon16–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in May
Australian HobbyFalco longipennisResidentUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in May
ApostlebirdStruthidea cinereaResidentUncommon29–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in May
Blue-winged KookaburraDacelo leachiiResidentUncommon38–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in May
BudgerigarMelopsittacus undulatusResidentUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in May
CockatielNymphicus hollandicusResidentUncommon30–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in May
EmuDromaius novaehollandiaeResidentUncommon150–190 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentUncommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
BrolgaAntigone rubicundaResidentUncommon100–140 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentUncommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaResidentUncommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentUncommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Purple-crowned LorikeetGlossopsitta porphyrocephalaResidentUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Yellow WattlebirdAnthochaera paradoxaResidentUncommon37–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Mulga ParrotPsephotellus variusResidentUncommon27–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentUncommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
Australian BustardArdeotis australisResidentRare100–140 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
Long-tailed FinchPoephila acuticaudaResidentRare15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
Scaly-breasted MuniaLonchura punctulataResidentRare11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
Metallic StarlingAplonis metallicaResidentUncommon22–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentUncommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Western WattlebirdAnthochaera lunulataResidentRare33–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaResidentRare40–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorUncommon18–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorUncommon21–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Red KnotCalidris canutusResidentRare23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
RedthroatPyrrholaemus brunneusResidentRare12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentRare40–44 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Gouldian FinchChloebia gouldiaeWinter visitorRare13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaResidentRare33–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Wandering AlbatrossDiomedea exulansResidentRare107–135 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentRare86–230 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentRare13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
White-chinned PetrelProcellaria aequinoctialisSummer visitorRare50–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Little PenguinEudyptula minorResidentRare30–40 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentRare53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorUncommon31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Southern CassowaryCasuarius casuariusResidentRare127–170 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorRare20–27 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.01% in May
Southern Royal AlbatrossDiomedea epomophoraResidentRare115–123 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in May
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaSummer visitorRare27–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in May
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusSummer visitorRare41–46 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.00% in May
Sarus CraneGrus antigoneResidentRare152–156 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.00% in May
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentRare75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in May
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiResidentRare33–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in May
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantRare36–42 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.00% in May
Red JunglefowlGallus gallusResidentRare42–75 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in May
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentRare38–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in May
RedshankTringa totanusPassage migrantRare27–29 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.00% in May
Regent HoneyeaterAnthochaera phrygiaPassage migrantRare20–24 cmRegularly Jan–Jul · 0.00% in May
Lesser NoddyAnous tenuirostrisPassage migrantRare30–34 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.00% in May
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentRare100–125 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in May
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaWinter visitorRare33–39 cmRegularly May–Aug · 0.00% in May
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentRare20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in May
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusSummer visitorRare50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in May
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made