Birds to See in Derry in May
62 species listed for May · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
62 bird species on our list for Derry are recorded regularly in May. Of these, the most often recorded are Common Starling, Jackdaw, Barn Swallow, Blackbird and Eurasian Wren. New this month: Common Swift, Sandwich Tern, Reed Bunting and Kittiwake and 4 more.
Residents
(20)Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Regularly Dec–Oct
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Recorded all year
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Regularly Apr–Jan
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Regularly Apr–Aug
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Regularly Apr–Jan
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Regularly Feb–Sep
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Regularly May–Sep
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Regularly Apr–Jul
Summer visitors
(37)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Regularly Jan–Sep
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Apr–Aug
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Regularly Jan–Sep
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
Regularly Apr–Aug
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
Regularly May–Aug
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Regularly May–Nov
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Regularly Apr–Jan
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Regularly Feb–Jul
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Regularly Mar–Jan
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Regularly Mar–Sep
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
Regularly May–Jul
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Passage migrants
(4)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Scarce visitors
(1)Recorded in some years but not every year
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