Birds to See in Trinidad & Tobago in May
30 bird species on our list for Trinidad & Tobago are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Palm Tanager, Turkey Vulture, Cattle Egret, Rock Dove and Great White Egret. New this month: Short-billed Dowitcher, Common Tern, Red Knot and Eurasian Collared Dove.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
From Trinidad & Tobago’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 30 birds in May
30 birds
Palm TanagerThraupis palmarumResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 2.90% in May
Turkey VultureCathartes auraResidentCommon62–81 cmRecorded all year · 1.19% in May
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.91% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.77% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.57% in May
Lineated WoodpeckerDryocopus lineatusResidentCommon32–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in May
Ferruginous Pygmy-owlGlaucidium brasilianumResidentUncommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in May
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentCommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in May
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentCommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in May
Common PotooNyctibius griseusResidentUncommon33–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in May
Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatusSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in May
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaWinter visitorCommon29–40 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusWinter visitorUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in May
WilletTringa semipalmataWinter visitorUncommon33–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in May
Cocoi HeronArdea cocoiWinter visitorUncommon95–127 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.08% in May
Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensisWinter visitorCommon12–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.08% in May
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaWinter visitorCommon15–18 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.08% in May
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasWinter visitorUncommon91–137 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.07% in May
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiSummer visitorUncommon33–41 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.07% in May
Mottled OwlStrix virgataPassage migrantUncommon30–38 cmRegularly Jan–Jul · 0.06% in May
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusPassage migrantCommon23–32 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.06% in May
Common TernSterna hirundoPassage migrantUncommon31–35 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.05% in May
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.05% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.05% in May
Red KnotCalidris canutusPassage migrantUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.05% in May
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.04% in May
Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterusWinter visitorUncommon34–44 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.03% in May
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.03% in May
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoPassage migrantRare30–32 cmRegularly May · 0.02% in May
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Northern Waterthrush 12–15 cm
- Least Sandpiper 13–15 cm
- Western Sandpiper 14–17 cm
- Semipalmated Sandpiper 15–18 cm
- Palm Tanager 16–18 cm
- Ferruginous Pygmy-owl 15–19 cm
- Semipalmated Plover 17–19 cm
- Barn Swallow 17–19 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Red Knot 23–26 cm
- Short-billed Dowitcher 23–32 cm
- Grey Plover 27–30 cm
- Eurasian Collared Dove 30–32 cm
- Rock Dove 31–34 cm
- Common Tern 31–35 cm
- Mottled Owl 30–38 cm
- Greater Yellowlegs 29–40 cm
- Lineated Woodpecker 32–38 cm
- Common Potoo 33–38 cm
- Willet 33–41 cm
- Roseate Tern 33–41 cm
- Broad-winged Hawk 34–44 cm
- Whimbrel 40–46 cm
- Cattle Egret 46–56 cm
- Osprey 54–58 cm
- Black-crowned Night-heron 58–65 cm
- Turkey Vulture 62–81 cm
- Great White Egret 80–104 cm
- Cocoi Heron 95–127 cm
- Great Blue Heron 91–137 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