Birds to See in Malaysia in May
45 bird species on our list for Malaysia are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Blue-eared Barbet, Purple Heron, Rock Dove and Little Egret. New this month: Roseate Tern, Arctic Jaeger, House Sparrow and Long-tailed Jaeger.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
From Malaysia’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 45 birds in May
45 birds
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 1.26% in May
Blue-eared BarbetPsilopogon cyanotisResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in May
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentCommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.54% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 0.54% in May
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in May
Rufous-tailed TailorbirdOrthotomus sericeusResidentCommon10–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.43% in May
Scaly-breasted MuniaLonchura punctulataResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in May
Chestnut MuniaLonchura atricapillaResidentUncommon10–11 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in May
Red JunglefowlGallus gallusResidentUncommon42–75 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in May
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in May
Oriental Honey-buzzardPernis ptilorhynchusResidentUncommon52–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in May
Crested MynaAcridotheres cristatellusResidentUncommon24–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in May
White-tailed RobinMyiomela leucuraResidentUncommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in May
Little TernSternula albifronsResidentUncommon21–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Black EagleIctinaetus malaiensisResidentUncommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusWinter visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.07% in May
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorUncommon27–29 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.07% in May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusWinter visitorUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusWinter visitorUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.05% in May
Common TernSterna hirundoWinter visitorUncommon31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.04% in May
Orange-headed ThrushGeokichla citrinaResidentUncommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.03% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiPassage migrantRare33–41 cmRegularly May · 0.03% in May
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorUncommon50–60 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.02% in May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.02% in May
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaWinter visitorUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.02% in May
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaWinter visitorUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.02% in May
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaWinter visitorUncommon33–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
OspreyPandion haliaetusWinter visitorUncommon54–58 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.02% in May
Blue Rock-thrushMonticola solitariusResidentRare21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusScarceRare41–46 cmRegularly May · 0.01% in May
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorRare23–26 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.01% in May
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.01% in May
Long-tailed JaegerStercorarius longicaudusPassage migrantRare48–58 cmRegularly May · 0.01% in May
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaWinter visitorRare12–14 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.01% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Dec–May · 0.00% in May
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataPassage migrantRare17–22 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 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