Birds to See in Jamaica in May
29 bird species on our list for Jamaica are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Turkey Vulture, Northern Mockingbird, White-winged Dove, Cattle Egret and Red-tailed Hawk.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayFrom Jamaica’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 29 birds in May
29 birds
Turkey VultureCathartes auraResidentCommon62–81 cmRecorded all year · 3.22% in May
Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottosResidentCommon21–26 cmRecorded all year · 3.04% in May
White-winged DoveZenaida asiaticaResidentCommon27–30 cmRecorded all year · 2.70% in May
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 1.49% in May
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisResidentCommon45–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.68% in May
Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraResidentCommon23–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.59% in May
American RedstartSetophaga ruticillaWinter visitorCommon11–14 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.52% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.46% in May
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentUncommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in May
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentCommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.43% in May
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriWinter visitorUncommon38–42 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.22% in May
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaPassage migrantCommon17–19 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.14% in May
Black-throated Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescensWinter visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.14% in May
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaWinter visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.13% in May
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podicepsWinter visitorCommon31–38 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.10% in May
Scaly-breasted MuniaLonchura punctulataWinter visitorUncommon11–12 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.10% in May
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoWinter visitorUncommon30–32 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.09% in May
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasWinter visitorCommon91–137 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.09% in May
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisWinter visitorUncommon36–41 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.09% in May
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaWinter visitorUncommon29–40 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.08% in May
OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapillaWinter visitorCommon12–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.08% in May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensisWinter visitorCommon12–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.05% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.04% in May
OspreyPandion haliaetusWinter visitorUncommon54–58 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.04% in May
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaWinter visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.04% in May
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.03% in May
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Scaly-breasted Munia 11–12 cm
- Black-throated Blue Warbler 11–13 cm
- American Redstart 11–14 cm
- Ovenbird 12–15 cm
- Northern Waterthrush 12–15 cm
- Least Sandpiper 13–15 cm
- House Sparrow 14–17 cm
- Barn Swallow 17–19 cm
- Solitary Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Common Starling 21–23 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Northern Mockingbird 21–26 cm
- White-winged Dove 27–30 cm
- Mourning Dove 23–34 cm
- Grey Plover 27–30 cm
- Eurasian Collared Dove 30–32 cm
- Rock Dove 31–34 cm
- Pied-billed Grebe 31–38 cm
- Greater Yellowlegs 29–40 cm
- Sandwich Tern 36–41 cm
- Rose-ringed Parakeet 38–42 cm
- Cattle Egret 46–56 cm
- Red-tailed Hawk 45–65 cm
- Osprey 54–58 cm
- Glossy Ibis 48–66 cm
- Black-crowned Night-heron 58–65 cm
- Turkey Vulture 62–81 cm
- Great White Egret 80–104 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