Birds to See in South Africa in May
74 bird species on our list for South Africa are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Egyptian Goose, Cape Sparrow, Fork-tailed Drongo, Pied Crow and Southern Masked Weaver. New this month: Roseate Tern and Manx Shearwater.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayFrom South Africa’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 74 birds in May
74 birds
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 1.68% in May
Cape SparrowPasser melanurusResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.22% in May
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.21% in May
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 1.17% in May
Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.88% in May
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.87% in May
Cape StarlingLamprotornis nitensResidentCommon25–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.85% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.69% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.62% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in May
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.54% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.49% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in May
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.46% in May
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.39% in May
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentUncommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in May
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentUncommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in May
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentUncommon38–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in May
Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucusResidentUncommon35–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in May
Common OstrichStruthio camelusResidentUncommon210–275 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in May
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentUncommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in May
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in May
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusResidentUncommon120–145 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in May
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaResidentUncommon42–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in May
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentUncommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in May
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusResidentUncommon44–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in May
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
SecretarybirdSagittarius serpentariusResidentUncommon112–150 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentUncommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
African PenguinSpheniscus demersusResidentUncommon60–70 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentUncommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorResidentUncommon45–53 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
Crowned EagleStephanoaetus coronatusResidentRare80–99 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
Common TernSterna hirundoResidentUncommon31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
Black-necked GrebePodiceps nigricollisResidentUncommon28–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaResidentUncommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaSummer visitorCommon15–19 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.03% in May
White-chinned PetrelProcellaria aequinoctialisResidentUncommon50–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
Barn OwlTyto albaResidentRare33–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorUncommon36–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentRare50–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusSummer visitorUncommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Pale-winged StarlingOnychognathus nabouroupResidentRare25–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Common QuailCoturnix coturnixResidentUncommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaSummer visitorUncommon27–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusResidentRare33–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Great ShearwaterArdenna gravisResidentRare43–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentUncommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentRare14–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorUncommon18–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorRare21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
White-bellied BustardEupodotis senegalensisResidentRare48–61 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
African Pygmy-falconPolihierax semitorquatusResidentRare19–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaSummer visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.01% in May
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorRare37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusResidentUncommon42–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in May
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.01% in May
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.01% in May
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentRare50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in May
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorRare20–27 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.00% in May
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.00% in May
European Storm-petrelHydrobates pelagicusSummer visitorRare14–18 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.00% in May
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiWinter visitorRare33–41 cmRegularly Jan–Sep · 0.00% in May
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorRare21–25 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.00% in May
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentRare86–230 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in May
Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinusPassage migrantRare30–38 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.00% in May
Damara TernSternula balaenarumSummer visitorRare22–24 cmRegularly Sep–May · 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