Birds to See in Nigeria in May
29 bird species on our list for Nigeria are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Cattle Egret, Pied Crow, Kestrel, Lesser Striped Swallow and Lanner Falcon. New this month: White-bellied Bustard, Senegal Thick-knee, Barn Owl and Purple Heron and 1 more.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
At their peak
From Nigeria’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
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 1.40% in May
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.82% in May
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentCommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.67% in May
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaSummer visitorCommon15–19 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.63% in May
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusWinter visitorCommon43–50 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.62% in May
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentCommon38–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in May
Bearded BarbetPogonornis dubiusResidentCommon23–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in May
Lavender WaxbillGlaucestrilda coerulescensResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in May
Little WeaverPloceus luteolusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in May
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataPassage migrantUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.39% in May
HoopoeUpupa epopsWinter visitorUncommon25–32 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.27% in May
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentCommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in May
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.18% in May
Senegal Thick-kneeBurhinus senegalensisSummer visitorUncommon38–43 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.18% in May
WhinchatSaxicola rubetraWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.14% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in May
Barn OwlTyto albaPassage migrantUncommon33–39 cmRegularly May–Nov · 0.11% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaWinter visitorUncommon31–34 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.11% in May
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesWinter visitorUncommon40–49 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.10% in May
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusPassage migrantUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.09% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaPassage migrantUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.08% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaWinter visitorUncommon90–98 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.08% in May
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisPassage migrantUncommon53–63 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.07% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.07% in May
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxPassage migrantUncommon58–65 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.06% in May
House MartinDelichon urbicumPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.05% in May
Blue-naped MousebirdUrocolius macrourusPassage migrantUncommon33–36 cmRegularly Apr–May · 0.04% in May
Purple HeronArdea purpureaPassage migrantUncommon78–90 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.04% in May
White-bellied BustardEupodotis senegalensisPassage migrantUncommon48–61 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.03% in May
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Lavender Waxbill 9–10 cm
- Little Weaver 11–12 cm
- Whinchat 12–14 cm
- House Martin 13–15 cm
- Spotted Flycatcher 14–16 cm
- Lesser Striped Swallow 15–19 cm
- Barn Swallow 17–19 cm
- Bearded Barbet 23–25 cm
- Fork-tailed Drongo 23–26 cm
- African Jacana 23–31 cm
- Hoopoe 25–32 cm
- Rock Dove 31–34 cm
- Moorhen 30–38 cm
- Blue-naped Mousebird 33–36 cm
- Kestrel 32–39 cm
- Little Bittern 33–38 cm
- Barn Owl 33–39 cm
- Rose-ringed Parakeet 38–42 cm
- Senegal Thick-knee 38–43 cm
- Squacco Heron 40–49 cm
- Lanner Falcon 43–50 cm
- Pied Crow 46–52 cm
- Cattle Egret 46–56 cm
- White-bellied Bustard 48–61 cm
- Helmeted Guineafowl 53–63 cm
- Black-crowned Night-heron 58–65 cm
- Purple Heron 78–90 cm
- Great White Egret 80–104 cm
- Grey Heron 90–98 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