Birds to See in Tanzania in May
62 bird species on our list for Tanzania are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Fork-tailed Drongo, Cattle Egret, Egyptian Goose, Pied Crow and Helmeted Guineafowl. New this month: Osprey and Ruddy Turnstone.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayAt their peak
From Tanzania’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 62 birds in May
62 birds
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.83% in May
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.65% in May
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 0.64% in May
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in May
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.60% in May
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaResidentCommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.57% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in May
Blue-naped MousebirdUrocolius macrourusResidentUncommon33–36 cmRecorded all year · 0.49% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in May
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.39% in May
Common OstrichStruthio camelusResidentCommon210–275 cmRecorded all year · 0.39% in May
Red-and-yellow BarbetTrachyphonus erythrocephalusResidentUncommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.36% in May
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentUncommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in May
Purple GrenadierGranatina ianthinogasterResidentUncommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in May
Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucusResidentCommon35–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in May
SecretarybirdSagittarius serpentariusResidentUncommon112–150 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in May
African Pygmy-falconPolihierax semitorquatusResidentUncommon19–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in May
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentUncommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in May
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusResidentUncommon120–145 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.17% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in May
White-bellied BustardEupodotis senegalensisResidentUncommon48–61 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in May
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentUncommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in May
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentUncommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in May
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentUncommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in May
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in May
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentUncommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in May
GreenshankTringa nebulariaResidentUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in May
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaResidentUncommon42–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaSummer visitorUncommon33–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
Barn OwlTyto albaResidentUncommon33–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Crowned EagleStephanoaetus coronatusResidentUncommon80–99 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentUncommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
Little StintCalidris minutaSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.04% in May
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaResidentUncommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorResidentUncommon45–53 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.03% in May
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.03% in May
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.03% in May
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.03% in May
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.03% in May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
Common QuailCoturnix coturnixResidentUncommon16–18 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.02% in May
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusResidentUncommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorUncommon16–17 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.02% in May
Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurioSummer visitorUncommon16–18 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.02% in May
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusResidentUncommon44–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusSummer visitorRare33–38 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.02% in May
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentRare34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusResidentUncommon20–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in May
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaSummer visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.02% in May
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.02% in May
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaSummer visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.02% in May
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.01% in May
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentUncommon54–58 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.01% in May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorRare21–24 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.01% in May
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorUncommon31–35 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.01% 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