Birds to See in Iran in May
174 species listed for May · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
174 bird species on our list for Iran are recorded regularly in May. Of these, the most often recorded are House Sparrow, Magpie, Hooded Crow, Rock Dove and Common Swift. New this month: European Honey-buzzard, Bullfinch, Arctic Jaeger and Black Tern and 1 more.
Leaving after last month21
Residents
(61)Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Recorded all year
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Recorded all year
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Recorded all year
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
Recorded all year
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
Recorded all year
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Cattle Egret
Ardea ibisLC
Recorded all year
Red-billed Chough
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocoraxLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Recorded all year
Chukar
Alectoris chukarLC
Recorded all year
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
Recorded all year
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
Recorded all year
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
Recorded all year
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Recorded all year
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Recorded all year
Little Owl
Athene noctuaLC
Recorded all year
Kentish Plover
Charadrius alexandrinusLC
Recorded all year
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetosLC
Recorded all year
Greater Flamingo
Phoenicopterus roseusLC
Recorded all year
Blue Rock-thrush
Monticola solitariusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
Recorded all year
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Recorded all year
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Psittacula krameriLC
Recorded all year
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Recorded all year
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Recorded all year
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Recorded all year
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
Recorded all year
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon niloticaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
Recorded all year
Black-necked Grebe
Podiceps nigricollisLC
Recorded all year
Red-crested Pochard
Netta rufinaLC
Recorded all year
Avocet
Recurvirostra avosettaLC
Recorded all year
Moustached Warbler
Acrocephalus melanopogonLC
Recorded all year
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Recorded all year
Desert Finch
Rhodospiza obsoletaLC
Recorded all year
Little Tern
Sternula albifronsLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Recorded all year
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Recorded all year
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
Recorded all year
Long-eared Owl
Asio otusLC
Recorded all year
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
Recorded all year
Great Grey Shrike
Lanius excubitorLC
Recorded all year
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Recorded all year
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
Recorded all year
Summer visitors
(52)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
Regularly Feb–Sep
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Recorded all year
European Bee-eater
Merops apiasterLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Hoopoe
Upupa epopsLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striataLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Cuckoo
Cuculus canorusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchosLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Red-backed Shrike
Lanius collurioLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Golden Oriole
Oriolus oriolusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareolaLC
Recorded all year
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC
Recorded all year
Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flavaLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Common Rosefinch
Carpodacus erythrinusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterusLC
Recorded all year
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Squacco Heron
Ardeola ralloidesLC
Recorded all year
Little Ringed Plover
Thinornis dubiusLC
Recorded all year
Little Bittern
Ixobrychus minutusLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Black-crowned Night-heron
Nycticorax nycticoraxLC
Recorded all year
Purple Heron
Ardea purpureaLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Common Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
Recorded all year
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellusLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Ruff
Calidris pugnaxLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Crag Martin
Ptyonoprogne rupestrisLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
Recorded all year
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetraLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
Recorded all year
Hobby
Falco subbuteoLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Alpine Swift
Tachymarptis melbaLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Eurasian Scops-owl
Otus scopsLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
Rufous-tailed Rock-thrush
Monticola saxatilisLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
Garganey
Spatula querquedulaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Recorded all year
Alpine Chough
Pyrrhocorax graculusLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestrisLC
Recorded all year
Egyptian Vulture
Neophron percnopterusEN
Regularly Dec–Oct
Nightjar
Caprimulgus europaeusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Recorded all year
European Turtle-dove
Streptopelia turturVU
Regularly Mar–Oct
Griffon Vulture
Gyps fulvusLC
Recorded all year
Common Quail
Coturnix coturnixLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
Dipper
Cinclus cinclusLC
Recorded all year
Montagu's Harrier
Circus pygargusLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
Recorded all year
Woodlark
Lullula arboreaLC
Regularly Apr–Feb
Woodchat Shrike
Lanius senatorNT
Regularly Feb–Oct
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Winter visitors
(42)Present outside the breeding season
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Recorded all year
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
Recorded all year
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
Recorded all year
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Regularly Jul–May
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferrugineaNT
Regularly Jul–May
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Recorded all year
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Regularly Jul–May
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Short-toed Lark
Calandrella brachydactylaLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Ruddy Shelduck
Tadorna ferrugineaLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Recorded all year
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
Recorded all year
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Recorded all year
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Recorded all year
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
Regularly Jul–May
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Regularly Oct–Aug
Temminck's Stint
Calidris temminckiiLC
Regularly Aug–May
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Regularly Jul–May
Pallid Swift
Apus pallidusLC
Regularly Sep–May
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Regularly Jul–May
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Regularly Aug–May
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Regularly Jul–May
Eurasian Bittern
Botaurus stellarisLC
Regularly Oct–May
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
Regularly Aug–May
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC
Regularly Oct–Aug
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
Recorded all year
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Recorded all year
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
Regularly Jul–May
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Hooded Wheatear
Oenanthe monachaLC
Regularly Oct–May
Passage migrants
(19)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Red-necked Phalarope
Phalaropus lobatusLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
Regularly Mar–Aug
Marsh Warbler
Acrocephalus palustrisLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Booted Eagle
Hieraaetus pennatusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
European Honey-buzzard
Pernis apivorusLC
Regularly May–Oct
Savi's Warbler
Locustella luscinioidesLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Dryobates minorLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Pacific Golden-Plover
Pluvialis fulvaLC
Regularly Oct–May
Eurasian Stone-curlew
Burhinus oedicnemusLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Regularly May–Sep
Spotted Crake
Porzana porzanaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Wryneck
Jynx torquillaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Arctic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticusLC
Regularly May
Black Tern
Chlidonias nigerLC
Regularly May
Corncrake
Crex crexLC
Regularly 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