Birds to See in Kerry in May
96 bird species on our list for Kerry are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Hooded Crow, European Robin, Blackbird, Barn Swallow and European Herring Gull. New this month: Barn Owl, Common Swift, Manx Shearwater and Little Grebe and 8 more.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
At their peak
From Kerry’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 96 birds in May
96 birds
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 4.15% in May
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 4.14% in May
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.88% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 3.53% in May
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 3.45% in May
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 3.42% in May
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 3.40% in May
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 3.24% in May
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 2.82% in May
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.29% in May
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 2.17% in May
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.07% in May
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.02% in May
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.94% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.94% in May
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.87% in May
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.87% in May
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.85% in May
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.84% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 1.82% in May
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.77% in May
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 1.76% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.63% in May
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 1.56% in May
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusResidentCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 1.56% in May
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.49% in May
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Feb–Oct · 1.48% in May
Common RavenCorvus coraxSummer visitorCommon54–67 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.35% in May
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.31% in May
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 1.21% in May
GoldcrestRegulus regulusSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 1.18% in May
FulmarFulmarus glacialisSummer visitorCommon45–50 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 1.09% in May
European ShagGulosus aristotelisSummer visitorCommon65–80 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.08% in May
Red-billed ChoughPyrrhocorax pyrrhocoraxSummer visitorCommon39–43 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 1.04% in May
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 1.03% in May
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 1.02% in May
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.98% in May
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.96% in May
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.87% in May
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.84% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaSummer visitorCommon31–34 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.84% in May
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.83% in May
WheatearOenanthe oenantheSummer visitorCommon15–16 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.80% in May
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.79% in May
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Feb–Oct · 0.78% in May
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusSummer visitorCommon50–90 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.77% in May
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly May–Aug · 0.67% in May
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaSummer visitorCommon17–20 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.66% in May
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 0.66% in May
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.65% in May
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in May
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusSummer visitorCommon27–28 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.59% in May
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in May
RazorbillAlca tordaSummer visitorCommon38–43 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.56% in May
Atlantic PuffinFratercula arcticaSummer visitorCommon28–34 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.51% in May
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 0.50% in May
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRegularly Nov–Jul · 0.49% in May
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenusSummer visitorUncommon12–13 cmRegularly Apr–Jul · 0.47% in May
CuckooCuculus canorusPassage migrantUncommon32–34 cmRegularly Apr–Jun · 0.43% in May
KestrelFalco tinnunculusSummer visitorCommon32–39 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.41% in May
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisSummer visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.41% in May
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.40% in May
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.40% in May
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.39% in May
Common LoonGavia immerWinter visitorCommon66–91 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.38% in May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusPassage migrantCommon40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.38% in May
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusSummer visitorCommon13–16 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.36% in May
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusSummer visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.36% in May
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.36% in May
Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinusSummer visitorCommon30–38 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.35% in May
GreenfinchChloris chlorisSummer visitorCommon15–16 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.31% in May
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly May–Aug · 0.30% in May
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorUncommon31–35 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.28% in May
BuzzardButeo buteoSummer visitorCommon51–57 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.23% in May
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in May
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Feb–Oct · 0.22% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusSummer visitorCommon30–38 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.20% in May
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorCommon16–22 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.17% in May
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorCommon36–41 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.14% in May
White-tailed Sea-eagleHaliaeetus albicillaSummer visitorUncommon66–94 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.14% in May
Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naeviaPassage migrantUncommon12–13 cmRegularly May · 0.12% in May
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusSummer visitorUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.12% in May
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusSummer visitorUncommon32–35 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.10% in May
DipperCinclus cinclusSummer visitorUncommon17–20 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.10% in May
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusSummer visitorUncommon28–38 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.10% in May
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaSummer visitorCommon40–44 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.08% in May
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Nov–Jul · 0.07% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisPassage migrantUncommon23–29 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.07% in May
SanderlingCalidris albaPassage migrantCommon18–20 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.07% in May
WhitethroatCurruca communisPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly May · 0.06% in May
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusPassage migrantUncommon13–14 cmRegularly May · 0.05% in May
European Storm-petrelHydrobates pelagicusSummer visitorUncommon14–18 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.05% in May
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorPassage migrantCommon52–58 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.05% in May
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaPassage migrantUncommon33–39 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.03% in May
Barn OwlTyto albaWinter visitorCommon33–39 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.03% in May
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataScarceUncommon48–60 cmRegularly Mar–Aug · records held back in May (protected)
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