Birds to See in Turks & Caicos Islands in May
26 bird species on our list for Turks & Caicos Islands are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Mourning Dove, Northern Mockingbird, Gull-billed Tern, White-winged Dove and Ruddy Turnstone. New this month: Roseate Tern, House Sparrow and Glossy Ibis.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
At their peak
From Turks & Caicos Islands’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 26 birds in May
26 birds
Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraResidentCommon23–34 cmRecorded all year · 3.26% in May
Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottosResidentCommon21–26 cmRecorded all year · 3.24% in May
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaSummer visitorCommon33–42 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 3.22% in May
White-winged DoveZenaida asiaticaSummer visitorCommon27–30 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 2.48% in May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 2.27% in May
WilletTringa semipalmataResidentCommon33–41 cmRecorded all year · 1.59% in May
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 1.42% in May
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentCommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 1.27% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 1.25% in May
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 1.14% in May
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaWinter visitorCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.06% in May
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorCommon27–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.87% in May
Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatusWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.70% in May
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaWinter visitorCommon15–18 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.61% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusPassage migrantCommon14–17 cmRegularly Nov–Jun · 0.55% in May
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasWinter visitorCommon91–137 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in May
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaWinter visitorCommon29–40 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.49% in May
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusWinter visitorCommon23–32 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.49% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaPassage migrantCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.47% in May
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiPassage migrantCommon33–41 cmRegularly May–Jun · 0.38% in May
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesWinter visitorCommon23–27 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.36% in May
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorCommon36–41 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.36% in May
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.30% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaWinter visitorUncommon31–34 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.28% in May
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusWinter visitorCommon18–23 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.23% in May
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusPassage migrantUncommon48–66 cmRegularly May · 0.13% in May
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Least Sandpiper 13–15 cm
- House Sparrow 14–17 cm
- Semipalmated Sandpiper 15–18 cm
- Semipalmated Plover 17–19 cm
- Barn Swallow 17–19 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Stilt Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Northern Mockingbird 21–26 cm
- Lesser Yellowlegs 23–27 cm
- Short-billed Dowitcher 23–32 cm
- Mourning Dove 23–34 cm
- White-winged Dove 27–30 cm
- Grey Plover 27–30 cm
- Eurasian Collared Dove 30–32 cm
- Rock Dove 31–34 cm
- Greater Yellowlegs 29–40 cm
- Willet 33–41 cm
- Roseate Tern 33–41 cm
- Gull-billed Tern 33–42 cm
- Sandwich Tern 36–41 cm
- Cattle Egret 46–56 cm
- Osprey 54–58 cm
- Glossy Ibis 48–66 cm
- Great White Egret 80–104 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