Birds to See in Kenya in May
81 bird species on our list for Kenya are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Fork-tailed Drongo, Egyptian Goose, Pied Crow, Helmeted Guineafowl and Lesser Striped Swallow. New this month: Egyptian Vulture, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Grey Parrot.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
From Kenya’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 81 birds in May
81 birds
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.90% in May
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 0.81% in May
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.78% in May
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in May
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaResidentCommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.54% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in May
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in May
Blue-naped MousebirdUrocolius macrourusResidentUncommon33–36 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in May
Purple GrenadierGranatina ianthinogasterResidentUncommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.41% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in May
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentUncommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in May
Common OstrichStruthio camelusResidentCommon210–275 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in May
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentUncommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in May
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentUncommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in May
Red-and-yellow BarbetTrachyphonus erythrocephalusResidentUncommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in May
SecretarybirdSagittarius serpentariusResidentUncommon112–150 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in May
White-bellied BustardEupodotis senegalensisResidentUncommon48–61 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in May
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusResidentUncommon120–145 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in May
African Pygmy-falconPolihierax semitorquatusResidentUncommon19–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in May
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in May
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentUncommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in May
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentUncommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Crowned EagleStephanoaetus coronatusResidentUncommon80–99 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
GreenshankTringa nebulariaResidentUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Somali OstrichStruthio molybdophanesResidentUncommon210–275 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
Little WeaverPloceus luteolusResidentUncommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaResidentUncommon33–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Little StintCalidris minutaSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.06% in May
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaResidentUncommon42–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentUncommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaSummer visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.06% in May
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.05% in May
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusResidentUncommon20–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.05% in May
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentUncommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.04% in May
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.04% in May
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaResidentUncommon18–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentUncommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterSummer visitorUncommon27–29 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.03% in May
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaResidentUncommon27–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenusSummer visitorUncommon12–13 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.03% in May
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorResidentUncommon45–53 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.02% in May
Common QuailCoturnix coturnixResidentRare16–18 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.02% in May
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.02% in May
Barn OwlTyto albaResidentRare33–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusResidentRare52–64 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaResidentRare20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Senegal Thick-kneeBurhinus senegalensisResidentRare38–43 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.02% in May
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaSummer visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.02% in May
CuckooCuculus canorusSummer visitorUncommon32–34 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.02% in May
HobbyFalco subbuteoSummer visitorUncommon28–35 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.01% in May
KestrelFalco tinnunculusSummer visitorUncommon32–39 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.01% in May
Common TernSterna hirundoResidentRare31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusResidentRare33–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorUncommon16–17 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.01% in May
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.01% in May
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusResidentRare44–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Egyptian VultureNeophron percnopterusSummer visitorRare55–65 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.01% in May
European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorusSummer visitorRare52–60 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.01% in May
Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucusResidentRare35–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentRare21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusSummer visitorRare38–44 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.01% in May
Little TernSternula albifronsPassage migrantRare21–25 cmRegularly Dec–May · 0.01% in May
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusSummer visitorRare13–14 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.01% in May
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentRare34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
CurlewNumenius arquataSummer visitorRare50–60 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.01% in May
Golden OrioleOriolus oriolusSummer visitorUncommon22–24 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.01% in May
Western Marsh-harrierCircus aeruginosusSummer visitorUncommon48–56 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.01% in May
Grey ParrotPsittacus erithacusPassage migrantRare33–40 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.01% in May
Garden WarblerSylvia borinSummer visitorUncommon14–15 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.00% in May
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusScarceRare40–45 cmRegularly May · 0.00% in 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