Birds to See in Barbados in May
28 bird species on our list for Barbados are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Eurasian Collared Dove, Cattle Egret, Semipalmated Plover, Greater Yellowlegs and Semipalmated Sandpiper. New this month: Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Glossy Ibis and Common Tern.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
From Barbados’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 28 birds in May
28 birds
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 4.41% in May
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 3.68% in May
Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatusSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 2.69% in May
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaResidentCommon29–40 cmRecorded all year · 2.04% in May
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaSummer visitorCommon15–18 cmRecorded all year · 1.91% in May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 1.89% in May
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.48% in May
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentCommon38–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.40% in May
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaResidentCommon27–30 cmRecorded all year · 1.31% in May
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaWinter visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.01% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.94% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.85% in May
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podicepsResidentCommon31–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.78% in May
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentCommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.64% in May
SanderlingCalidris albaResidentCommon18–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.64% in May
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesResidentCommon23–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in May
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentCommon48–66 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.36% in May
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusWinter visitorCommon18–23 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.33% in May
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusSummer visitorCommon23–32 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.28% in May
WilletTringa semipalmataPassage migrantCommon33–41 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.26% in May
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentUncommon66–84 cmRegularly Dec–Aug · 0.24% in May
OspreyPandion haliaetusWinter visitorCommon54–58 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.20% in May
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriWinter visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.17% in May
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorSummer visitorCommon45–53 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.16% in May
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasWinter visitorCommon91–137 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.16% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.09% in May
Common TernSterna hirundoPassage migrantUncommon31–35 cmRegularly May–Nov · 0.08% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaWinter visitorUncommon90–98 cmRegularly Dec–Jun · 0.07% in May
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Least Sandpiper 13–15 cm
- Western Sandpiper 14–17 cm
- Semipalmated Sandpiper 15–18 cm
- Semipalmated Plover 17–19 cm
- Barn Swallow 17–19 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Stilt Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Lesser Yellowlegs 23–27 cm
- Short-billed Dowitcher 23–32 cm
- Grey Plover 27–30 cm
- Eurasian Collared Dove 30–32 cm
- Rock Dove 31–34 cm
- Common Tern 31–35 cm
- Greater Yellowlegs 29–40 cm
- Pied-billed Grebe 31–38 cm
- Willet 33–41 cm
- Rose-ringed Parakeet 38–42 cm
- Fulvous Whistling-Duck 45–53 cm
- Cattle Egret 46–56 cm
- Osprey 54–58 cm
- Glossy Ibis 48–66 cm
- Little Egret 55–65 cm
- Black-crowned Night-heron 58–65 cm
- Muscovy Duck 66–84 cm
- Great White Egret 80–104 cm
- Grey Heron 90–98 cm
- Great Blue Heron 91–137 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
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