Birds to See in Western Australia in May
59 bird species on our list for Western Australia are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Willie Wagtail, Australian Raven, Australian Magpie, Red Wattlebird and Galah. New this month: Lesser Noddy and Sooty Shearwater.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayAt their peak
From Western 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 59 birds in May
59 birds
Willie WagtailRhipidura leucophrysResidentCommon19–22 cmRecorded all year · 2.90% in May
Australian RavenCorvus coronoidesResidentCommon46–53 cmRecorded all year · 2.29% in May
Australian MagpieGymnorhina tibicenResidentCommon37–43 cmRecorded all year · 2.03% in May
Red WattlebirdAnthochaera carunculataResidentCommon33–37 cmRecorded all year · 1.90% in May
GalahEolophus roseicapillaResidentCommon35–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.38% in May
New Holland HoneyeaterPhylidonyris novaehollandiaeResidentCommon16–20 cmRecorded all year · 1.32% in May
Whistling KiteHaliastur sphenurusResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 1.14% in May
Rainbow LorikeetTrichoglossus moluccanusResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 1.08% in May
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.88% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in May
Laughing KookaburraDacelo novaeguineaeResidentCommon41–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.65% in May
Black SwanCygnus atratusResidentCommon110–142 cmRecorded all year · 0.64% in May
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentCommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in May
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in May
White-cheeked HoneyeaterPhylidonyris nigerResidentUncommon16–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.36% in May
Blue-winged KookaburraDacelo leachiiResidentUncommon38–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in May
BudgerigarMelopsittacus undulatusWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in May
Western WattlebirdAnthochaera lunulataResidentUncommon33–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in May
Australian HobbyFalco longipennisResidentUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in May
Long-tailed FinchPoephila acuticaudaWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in May
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentUncommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in May
GreenshankTringa nebulariaResidentCommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in May
BrolgaAntigone rubicundaResidentUncommon100–140 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in May
Purple-crowned LorikeetGlossopsitta porphyrocephalaResidentUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in May
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaResidentUncommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in May
CockatielNymphicus hollandicusWinter visitorUncommon30–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in May
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaResidentUncommon33–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in May
Australian BustardArdeotis australisResidentUncommon100–140 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in May
Red KnotCalidris canutusResidentUncommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in May
EmuDromaius novaehollandiaeResidentUncommon150–190 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in May
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentUncommon40–44 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Gouldian FinchChloebia gouldiaeWinter visitorUncommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
RedthroatPyrrholaemus brunneusResidentUncommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaResidentUncommon18–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentUncommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaSummer visitorUncommon27–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusSummer visitorUncommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiSummer visitorUncommon33–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
Mulga ParrotPsephotellus variusResidentUncommon27–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorUncommon21–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.03% in May
Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaSummer visitorUncommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusPassage migrantRare41–46 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.02% in May
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
RedshankTringa totanusPassage migrantRare27–29 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.02% in May
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataSummer visitorUncommon17–22 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.02% in May
Lesser NoddyAnous tenuirostrisPassage migrantUncommon30–34 cmRegularly Feb–May · 0.01% in May
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorUncommon31–35 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.01% in May
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaWinter visitorRare40–51 cmRegularly Mar–Aug · 0.01% in May
Red-browed FinchNeochmia temporalisResidentRare11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentRare86–230 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentRare140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisSummer visitorRare53–63 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 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