Birds to See in Panama in May
68 bird species on our list for Panama are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Turkey Vulture, Palm Tanager, Crimson-backed Tanager, Rock Dove and Great White Egret. New this month: White-rumped Sandpiper, Upland Sandpiper, Red-winged Blackbird and Red-necked Phalarope.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
At their peak
From Panama’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 68 birds in May
68 birds
Turkey VultureCathartes auraResidentCommon62–81 cmRecorded all year · 1.14% in May
Palm TanagerThraupis palmarumResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 1.13% in May
Crimson-backed TanagerRamphocelus dimidiatusResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 1.13% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.60% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.57% in May
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.49% in May
Roadside HawkRupornis magnirostrisResidentCommon33–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in May
Lineated WoodpeckerDryocopus lineatusResidentUncommon32–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.18% in May
White-winged DoveZenaida asiaticaResidentUncommon27–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in May
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in May
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentUncommon66–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusWinter visitorUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in May
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasWinter visitorUncommon91–137 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Ferruginous Pygmy-owlGlaucidium brasilianumResidentUncommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Common PotooNyctibius griseusResidentUncommon33–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
OspreyPandion haliaetusWinter visitorUncommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
WilletTringa semipalmataWinter visitorUncommon33–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
Cocoi HeronArdea cocoiResidentUncommon95–127 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
Acorn WoodpeckerMelanerpes formicivorusResidentUncommon20–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
Mottled OwlStrix virgataResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraResidentUncommon23–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusResidentUncommon23–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisResidentUncommon36–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatusWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentUncommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
Black TernChlidonias nigerSummer visitorUncommon22–26 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.04% in May
Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcanResidentUncommon32–36 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.04% in May
Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensisWinter visitorCommon12–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.03% in May
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesWinter visitorUncommon23–27 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.03% in May
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaWinter visitorUncommon15–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusResidentUncommon18–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisPassage migrantRare15–18 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.03% in May
Blue-footed BoobySula nebouxiiResidentUncommon76–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaWinter visitorUncommon29–40 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisResidentRare45–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusWinter visitorUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.02% in May
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.02% in May
Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax trailliiWinter visitorRare13–17 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.02% in May
Great CurassowCrax rubraResidentRare84–92 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorRare23–26 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.01% in May
Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorumPassage migrantRare13–17 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.01% in May
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaPassage migrantUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.01% in May
Harpy EagleHarpia harpyjaResidentRare89–105 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaResidentRare33–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaWinter visitorUncommon40–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podicepsResidentRare31–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaWinter visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.01% in May
Cattle TyrantMachetornis rixosaResidentRare19–21 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusWinter visitorRare18–23 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.01% in May
Common TernSterna hirundoResidentRare31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceusPassage migrantRare17–23 cmRegularly May–Aug · 0.01% in May
DickcisselSpiza americanaWinter visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.01% in May
Mourning WarblerGeothlypis philadelphiaWinter visitorUncommon10–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.01% in May
Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventrisWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.01% in May
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantRare18–19 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.01% in May
Scarlet MacawAra macaoResidentRare81–96 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Purple MartinProgne subisWinter visitorRare18–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
American Golden-PloverPluvialis dominicaPassage migrantRare24–28 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.01% in May
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentRare30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in May
Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichasWinter visitorRare11–13 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.00% in May
Upland SandpiperBartramia longicaudaPassage migrantRare28–32 cmRegularly May–Oct · 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