Birds to See in Down in May
98 species listed for May · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
98 bird species on our list for Down are recorded regularly in May. Of these, the most often recorded are Common Starling, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Woodpigeon and European Robin. New this month: Common Swift, House Martin, Manx Shearwater and Northern Gannet and 31 more.
New in May35
- Common Swift
- House Martin
- Manx Shearwater
- Northern Gannet
- Dunlin
- Sedge Warbler
- Long-tailed Tit
- European Shag
- Arctic Tern
- Whimbrel
- Ringed Plover
- Kittiwake
- Greylag Goose
- Moorhen
- Mistle Thrush
- Stock Dove
- Atlantic Puffin
- Fulmar
- Wheatear
- Red-breasted Merganser
- Coot
- Red-throated Loon
- Razorbill
- Sand Martin
- Gadwall
- Whitethroat
- Common Loon
- Common Redpoll
- Yellowhammer
- Northern Shoveler
- Eurasian Siskin
- Cuckoo
- Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Mediterranean Gull
- Spotted Flycatcher
Leaving after last month2
Residents
(59)Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Recorded all year
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Recorded all year
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Recorded all year
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Recorded all year
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Recorded all year
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Regularly Sep–Jul
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Regularly Nov–Sep
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Recorded all year
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Regularly May–Aug
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Regularly May–Mar
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Recorded all year
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Regularly Oct–May
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Regularly Dec–Sep
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Regularly Apr–Jan
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Regularly May–Jan
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Regularly May–Feb
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Regularly Oct–Aug
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Regularly May–Dec
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Regularly Dec–Oct
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Regularly May–Sep
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Regularly May
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Regularly Oct–Jun
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Regularly Dec–May
Summer visitors
(20)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
Regularly May–Aug
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Regularly Dec–Aug
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Regularly May–Oct
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
Regularly May–Sep
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Manx Shearwater
Puffinus puffinusLC
Regularly May–Sep
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
Regularly May–Jul
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Winter visitors
(3)Present outside the breeding season
Passage migrants
(14)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaeaLC
Regularly May–Jul
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
Regularly May
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
Regularly May–Aug
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Regularly May–Dec
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
Regularly May–Oct
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arcticaVU
Regularly May–Jul
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
Regularly May–Jun
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Regularly Aug–May
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Regularly Oct–May
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Regularly Nov–May
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Regularly Dec–May
Mediterranean Gull
Ichthyaetus melanocephalusLC
Regularly May
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striataLC
Regularly May
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Regularly May–Jul
Scarce visitors
(2)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