Birds to See in Rwanda in May
28 bird species on our list for Rwanda are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Pied Crow, Grey Heron, Lesser Striped Swallow, Cattle Egret and Fork-tailed Drongo. New this month: Glossy Ibis, Crowned Eagle and Hoopoe.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
From Rwanda’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 28 birds in May
28 birds
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 2.04% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.59% in May
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaResidentCommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in May
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.46% in May
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in May
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in May
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentCommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in May
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentUncommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in May
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentCommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in May
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentUncommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.14% in May
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusResidentUncommon44–52 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 0.12% in May
Blue-naped MousebirdUrocolius macrourusResidentUncommon33–36 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in May
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusPassage migrantUncommon43–50 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.09% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentUncommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentUncommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
Crowned EagleStephanoaetus coronatusWinter visitorUncommon80–99 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.04% in May
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusWinter visitorUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.03% in May
HoopoeUpupa epopsSummer visitorRare25–32 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.02% in May
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusResidentUncommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentUncommon48–66 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.01% in May
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Common Reed-warbler 13–14 cm
- House Sparrow 14–17 cm
- Lesser Striped Swallow 15–19 cm
- Barn Swallow 17–19 cm
- Fork-tailed Drongo 23–26 cm
- Little Grebe 23–29 cm
- African Jacana 23–31 cm
- Hoopoe 25–32 cm
- Moorhen 30–38 cm
- Blue-naped Mousebird 33–36 cm
- Kestrel 32–39 cm
- Little Bittern 33–38 cm
- Squacco Heron 40–49 cm
- Lanner Falcon 43–50 cm
- African Marsh Harrier 44–52 cm
- Pied Crow 46–52 cm
- Cattle Egret 46–56 cm
- Glossy Ibis 48–66 cm
- Helmeted Guineafowl 53–63 cm
- Little Egret 55–65 cm
- Black-crowned Night-heron 58–65 cm
- Egyptian Goose 63–73 cm
- Purple Heron 78–90 cm
- Crowned Eagle 80–99 cm
- Great Cormorant 80–100 cm
- Great White Egret 80–104 cm
- Grey Heron 90–98 cm
- Spur-winged Goose 75–115 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