Birds to See in Monaghan in May
27 bird species on our list for Monaghan are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Cuckoo, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Woodpigeon and Barn Swallow. New this month: Barn Swallow, Blackbird, Hooded Crow and Common Swift and 23 more.
Fewer birdwatchers' records come from Monaghan than from better-watched areas, so this list is less complete. For a fuller picture, see the list for Ulster.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
At their peak
From Monaghan’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 27 birds in May
27 birds
CuckooCuculus canorusPassage migrantCommon32–34 cmRegularly May · 6.50% in May
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRegularly Jan–Jun · 4.07% in May
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRegularly Jan–Jun · 4.07% in May
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 4.07% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaPassage migrantCommon17–19 cmRegularly May–Sep · 3.66% in May
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRegularly Sep–May · 3.25% in May
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRegularly Jan–Sep · 2.85% in May
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRegularly Jan–Sep · 2.85% in May
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusPassage migrantCommon11–13 cmRegularly May–Jun · 2.85% in May
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaScarceCommon13–15 cmRegularly May · 2.44% in May
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRegularly Mar–Jun · 2.44% in May
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaPassage migrantCommon10–12 cmRegularly May · 2.44% in May
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentCommon12–14 cmRegularly Mar–May · 2.44% in May
Common SwiftApus apusPassage migrantCommon16–17 cmRegularly May–Jul · 2.44% in May
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRegularly May–Sep · 2.44% in May
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 2.44% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRegularly Sep–May · 2.44% in May
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 2.44% in May
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRegularly May · 2.03% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRegularly May · 2.03% in May
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 2.03% in May
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon27–28 cmRegularly Jan–May · 2.03% in May
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRegularly May–Jun · 1.63% in May
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRegularly May–Jun · 1.63% in May
Coal TitPeriparus aterPassage migrantCommon10–12 cmRegularly May–Jun · 1.22% in May
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRegularly May · 1.22% in May
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRegularly Mar–May · 1.22% in May
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Eurasian Wren 9–10 cm
- Chiffchaff 10–12 cm
- Coal Tit 10–12 cm
- Willow Warbler 11–13 cm
- Common Redpoll 12–14 cm
- European Robin 13–14 cm
- Blackcap 13–15 cm
- Dunnock 14–15 cm
- Chaffinch 14–16 cm
- Bullfinch 15–17 cm
- House Sparrow 14–17 cm
- Common Swift 16–17 cm
- Barn Swallow 17–19 cm
- Song Thrush 20–23 cm
- Common Starling 21–23 cm
- Blackbird 24–25 cm
- Mistle Thrush 27–28 cm
- Northern Lapwing 28–31 cm
- Eurasian Collared Dove 30–32 cm
- Cuckoo 32–34 cm
- Moorhen 30–38 cm
- Jackdaw 34–39 cm
- Woodpigeon 40–42 cm
- Magpie 44–46 cm
- Rook 45–47 cm
- Hooded Crow 44–51 cm
- Mallard 50–65 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