Birds to See in Gambia in May
26 bird species on our list for Gambia are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Pied Crow, Rock Dove, Little Weaver, Lavender Waxbill and Cattle Egret. New this month: Little Grebe.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayFrom Gambia’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 26 birds in May
26 birds
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 2.28% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaSummer visitorCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.72% in May
Little WeaverPloceus luteolusSummer visitorCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.62% in May
Lavender WaxbillGlaucestrilda coerulescensSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 1.55% in May
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 1.49% in May
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentCommon38–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.04% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.69% in May
Senegal Thick-kneeBurhinus senegalensisResidentCommon38–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.60% in May
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.60% in May
African JacanaActophilornis africanusWinter visitorCommon23–31 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.42% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaWinter visitorCommon90–98 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.42% in May
Bearded BarbetPogonornis dubiusWinter visitorCommon23–25 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.39% in May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in May
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in May
Little EgretEgretta garzettaWinter visitorCommon55–65 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.31% in May
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorCommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.28% in May
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.25% in May
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxWinter visitorUncommon58–65 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.20% in May
OspreyPandion haliaetusWinter visitorCommon54–58 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.20% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboWinter visitorCommon80–100 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.18% in May
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.15% in May
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorUncommon27–29 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.13% in May
Purple HeronArdea purpureaWinter visitorUncommon78–90 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.12% in May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.12% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.06% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisWinter visitorUncommon23–29 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.06% in May
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Lavender Waxbill 9–10 cm
- Little Weaver 11–12 cm
- House Sparrow 14–17 cm
- Ringed Plover 17–19 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Bearded Barbet 23–25 cm
- Fork-tailed Drongo 23–26 cm
- Little Grebe 23–29 cm
- African Jacana 23–31 cm
- Redshank 27–29 cm
- Rock Dove 31–34 cm
- Greenshank 30–35 cm
- Rose-ringed Parakeet 38–42 cm
- Senegal Thick-knee 38–43 cm
- Whimbrel 40–46 cm
- Squacco Heron 40–49 cm
- Lanner Falcon 43–50 cm
- Pied Crow 46–52 cm
- Cattle Egret 46–56 cm
- Osprey 54–58 cm
- Little Egret 55–65 cm
- Black-crowned Night-heron 58–65 cm
- Purple Heron 78–90 cm
- Great Cormorant 80–100 cm
- Great White Egret 80–104 cm
- Grey Heron 90–98 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