Birds to See in Armagh in May
63 bird species on our list for Armagh are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Woodpigeon, Barn Swallow, Chaffinch, Blackbird and European Robin. New this month: Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Tern and Sand Martin and 13 more.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
At their peak
From Armagh’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 63 birds in May
63 birds
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 2.85% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 2.80% in May
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.74% in May
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 2.69% in May
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 2.64% in May
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 2.53% in May
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 2.43% in May
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 2.37% in May
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 2.37% in May
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 2.32% in May
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.32% in May
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 2.22% in May
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 2.22% in May
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 2.16% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 2.16% in May
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 2.11% in May
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 2.01% in May
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 2.01% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 2.01% in May
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorCommon31–35 cmRegularly May–Aug · 1.95% in May
GadwallMareca streperaResidentCommon46–56 cmRegularly May–Mar · 1.95% in May
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 1.85% in May
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentCommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 1.85% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 1.79% in May
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 1.79% in May
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusSummer visitorCommon28–31 cmRegularly Nov–Aug · 1.74% in May
PochardAythya ferinaResidentCommon42–49 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 1.69% in May
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 1.69% in May
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly May–Aug · 1.64% in May
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataSummer visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 1.64% in May
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRegularly Nov–Aug · 1.58% in May
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.58% in May
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentCommon13–14 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 1.53% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.53% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 1.48% in May
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenusSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly May–Aug · 1.48% in May
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.48% in May
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.42% in May
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.37% in May
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.27% in May
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusSummer visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 1.27% in May
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRegularly May–Feb · 1.21% in May
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRegularly May–Feb · 1.11% in May
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.00% in May
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRegularly Nov–Aug · 0.95% in May
European Herring GullLarus argentatusSummer visitorCommon55–67 cmRegularly Nov–Jul · 0.84% in May
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisResidentCommon14–15 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.79% in May
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaWinter visitorCommon15–17 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.74% in May
BuzzardButeo buteoWinter visitorCommon51–57 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.74% in May
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusSummer visitorCommon32–35 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.74% in May
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 0.69% in May
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 0.63% in May
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusWinter visitorCommon26–29 cmRegularly Nov–Jul · 0.58% in May
Coal TitPeriparus aterWinter visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.53% in May
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.42% in May
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusPassage migrantUncommon13–14 cmRegularly May–Jul · 0.37% in May
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.37% in May
LinnetLinaria cannabinaResidentUncommon13–14 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.37% in May
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentUncommon40–45 cmRegularly May · 0.32% in May
Eurasian TealAnas creccaResidentCommon34–38 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 0.32% in May
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.32% in May
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRegularly Feb–Aug · 0.26% in May
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentUncommon16–18 cmRegularly May · 0.21% 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