Birds to See in Qatar in May
63 bird species on our list for Qatar are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Eurasian Collared Dove, House Sparrow, Rock Dove, Spotted Flycatcher and Willow Warbler. New this month: Gull-billed Tern, Marsh Warbler, Cattle Egret and Golden Oriole and 4 more.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
From Qatar’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 63 birds in May
63 birds
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 7.40% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 6.67% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 5.86% in May
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataPassage migrantCommon14–16 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 2.04% in May
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusPassage migrantCommon11–13 cmRegularly Oct–May · 1.89% in May
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentCommon38–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.37% in May
Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurioPassage migrantCommon16–18 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 1.29% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 1.14% in May
WhitethroatCurruca communisPassage migrantCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 1.10% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.06% in May
Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinusResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.02% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.98% in May
Great Grey ShrikeLanius excubitorResidentCommon22–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.81% in May
Pallid SwiftApus pallidusWinter visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.81% in May
KestrelFalco tinnunculusWinter visitorCommon31–39 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.69% in May
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.64% in May
Marsh WarblerAcrocephalus palustrisPassage migrantCommon13–14 cmRegularly May · 0.62% in May
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.62% in May
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in May
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaPassage migrantCommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.56% in May
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterPassage migrantCommon27–29 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.52% in May
Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurusPassage migrantCommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.50% in May
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusPassage migrantCommon46–51 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.50% in May
Little OwlAthene noctuaResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in May
Golden OrioleOriolus oriolusPassage migrantUncommon22–24 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.42% in May
Little Ringed PloverThinornis dubiusWinter visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.42% in May
Little TernSternula albifronsPassage migrantCommon21–25 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.42% in May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.39% in May
Little StintCalidris minutaWinter visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.35% in May
NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchosPassage migrantUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.33% in May
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaPassage migrantCommon12–14 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.33% in May
WhinchatSaxicola rubetraPassage migrantUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Mar–May · 0.33% in May
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.31% in May
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusPassage migrantCommon33–38 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.29% in May
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaWinter visitorCommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.29% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboWinter visitorCommon80–100 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.27% in May
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaWinter visitorCommon15–17 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.27% in May
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosResidentCommon18–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in May
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentCommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in May
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.23% in May
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusPassage migrantCommon13–14 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 0.23% in May
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorCommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.23% in May
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorCommon27–30 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.23% in May
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorCommon16–22 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.21% in May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusWinter visitorCommon40–46 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.21% in May
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaPassage migrantCommon10–12 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.19% in May
Corn BuntingEmberiza calandraWinter visitorCommon16–19 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.19% in May
Little EgretEgretta garzettaWinter visitorCommon55–65 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.17% in May
WheatearOenanthe oenanthePassage migrantCommon15–16 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.17% in May
Cattle EgretArdea ibisWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.15% in May
Common QuailCoturnix coturnixWinter visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.15% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in May
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.15% in May
Temminck's StintCalidris temminckiiPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.15% in May
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorCommon50–60 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.12% in May
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusWinter visitorUncommon40–45 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.12% in May
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaWinter visitorCommon33–42 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.10% in May
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.10% in May
Rufous-tailed Rock-thrushMonticola saxatilisPassage migrantUncommon16–19 cmRegularly Feb–May · 0.10% in May
Common TernSterna hirundoWinter visitorUncommon31–35 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.08% in May
HobbyFalco subbuteoPassage migrantUncommon28–35 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.08% in May
House MartinDelichon urbicumPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Feb–Sep · 0.08% in May
Western Marsh-harrierCircus aeruginosusWinter visitorCommon48–56 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.08% 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