Birds to See in Belfast in May
70 bird species on our list for Belfast are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Woodpigeon, Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Magpie and Hooded Crow. New this month: Common Swift, Long-tailed Tit, Arctic Tern and Sandwich Tern and 7 more.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
At their peak
From Belfast’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 70 birds in May
70 birds
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 4.11% in May
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 3.99% in May
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.99% in May
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 3.85% in May
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 3.63% in May
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 3.35% in May
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.26% in May
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 3.21% in May
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 3.12% in May
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 3.09% in May
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.95% in May
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.92% in May
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.59% in May
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 2.39% in May
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorCommon31–35 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 2.36% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 2.36% in May
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 2.22% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 2.08% in May
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaResidentCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 1.86% in May
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly May–Aug · 1.86% in May
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.55% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.55% in May
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 1.52% in May
DunnockPrunella modularisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.49% in May
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosSummer visitorCommon20–23 cmRegularly Nov–Jul · 1.46% in May
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.43% in May
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 1.43% in May
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 1.38% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.32% in May
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.24% in May
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.24% in May
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 1.21% in May
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 1.01% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.98% in May
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly May–Jul · 0.96% in May
Coal TitPeriparus aterSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.96% in May
GoldcrestRegulus regulusSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.96% in May
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.93% in May
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalusSummer visitorCommon37–40 cmRegularly Mar–Aug · 0.90% in May
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Jul · 0.90% in May
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.87% in May
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.87% in May
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.79% in May
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.73% in May
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentCommon40–44 cmRecorded all year · 0.65% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboSummer visitorCommon80–100 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.62% in May
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusSummer visitorCommon27–28 cmRegularly Dec–Jul · 0.62% in May
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaSummer visitorCommon33–39 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.53% in May
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in May
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaSummer visitorCommon17–20 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.51% in May
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in May
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly May–Aug · 0.42% in May
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorPassage migrantUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Mar–Jun · 0.39% in May
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusSummer visitorCommon32–35 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.37% in May
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusSummer visitorCommon64–79 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.37% in May
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Dec–Sep · 0.34% in May
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorCommon36–41 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.34% in May
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaSummer visitorCommon15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.31% in May
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.31% in May
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.28% in May
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in May
RookCorvus frugilegusWinter visitorCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in May
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentCommon16–17 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.22% in May
Northern GannetMorus bassanusPassage migrantUncommon87–100 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.22% in May
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorCommon50–60 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.20% in May
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorCommon55–66 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.14% in May
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Jan–Jun · 0.11% in May
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentCommon46–51 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.08% in May
Little GullHydrocoloeus minutusPassage migrantUncommon25–30 cmRegularly May · 0.08% 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