Birds to See in Aberdeen in May
106 bird species on our list for Aberdeen are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are European Herring Gull, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Woodpigeon. New this month: Common Tern, Common Swift, Arctic Tern and Whitethroat and 12 more.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
At their peak
From Aberdeen’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 106 birds in May
106 birds
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 5.23% in May
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.54% in May
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 3.44% in May
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 3.18% in May
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 2.94% in May
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 2.71% in May
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 2.55% in May
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 2.52% in May
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.42% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 2.37% in May
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.34% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 2.33% in May
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.24% in May
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 2.22% in May
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.17% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 2.13% in May
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 2.11% in May
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 1.95% in May
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.88% in May
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.78% in May
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.58% in May
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.52% in May
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 1.49% in May
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 1.45% in May
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 1.44% in May
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 1.42% in May
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 1.39% in May
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly May–Aug · 1.38% in May
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 1.38% in May
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 1.30% in May
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 1.29% in May
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 1.20% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 1.19% in May
WhitethroatCurruca communisSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Sep · 1.13% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.12% in May
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.10% in May
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenusSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly May–Aug · 1.10% in May
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 1.08% in May
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 1.07% in May
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorCommon36–41 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 1.00% in May
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.99% in May
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.95% in May
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.94% in May
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.93% in May
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorCommon31–35 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.91% in May
Common MerganserMergus merganserResidentCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.89% in May
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.85% in May
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.80% in May
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in May
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.74% in May
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly Nov–Aug · 0.57% in May
RazorbillAlca tordaResidentCommon38–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in May
FulmarFulmarus glacialisSummer visitorCommon45–50 cmRegularly Feb–Oct · 0.54% in May
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.50% in May
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.46% in May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.44% in May
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.40% in May
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in May
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in May
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorWinter visitorCommon23–26 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.36% in May
GoldcrestRegulus regulusWinter visitorCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in May
WheatearOenanthe oenanthePassage migrantCommon15–16 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.33% in May
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in May
DunlinCalidris alpinaSummer visitorCommon16–22 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.31% in May
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Jan–Oct · 0.31% in May
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentCommon28–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in May
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaWinter visitorCommon15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.30% in May
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentUncommon50–90 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.30% in May
Stock DoveColumba oenasResidentCommon32–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in May
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaResidentCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in May
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataWinter visitorCommon53–69 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusPassage migrantUncommon40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.24% in May
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraResidentCommon43–54 cmRecorded all year · records held back in May (protected)
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.21% in May
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisWinter visitorCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in May
CootFulica atraResidentUncommon36–42 cmRegularly Jan–Aug · 0.20% in May
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentUncommon40–47 cmRegularly Dec–Oct · 0.18% in May
DipperCinclus cinclusWinter visitorCommon17–20 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.17% in May
Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naeviaPassage migrantUncommon12–13 cmRegularly May · 0.15% in May
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaSummer visitorCommon33–39 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.14% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisWinter visitorCommon23–29 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.14% in May
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentCommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in May
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleSummer visitorUncommon30–32 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.12% in May
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaSummer visitorUncommon12–13 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.12% in May
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca currucaPassage migrantUncommon11–13 cmRegularly May · 0.12% in May
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.12% in May
Atlantic PuffinFratercula arcticaSummer visitorCommon28–34 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.11% in May
Water RailRallus aquaticusWinter visitorUncommon23–28 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.11% in May
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusSummer visitorUncommon41–46 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.10% in May
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusWinter visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.10% in May
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in May
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusSummer visitorUncommon28–31 cmRegularly Jan–Aug · 0.09% in May
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentUncommon58–67 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 0.08% in May
Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinusSummer visitorCommon30–38 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.08% in May
Garden WarblerSylvia borinPassage migrantUncommon14–15 cmRegularly May · 0.07% in May
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentUncommon75–90 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.07% in May
Great SkuaStercorarius skuaPassage migrantCommon50–58 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.06% in May
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Jan–Aug · 0.06% in May
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorCommon52–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorUncommon140–165 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · records held back in May (protected)
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · records held back in May (protected)
Red KnotCalidris canutusPassage migrantCommon23–26 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.04% in May
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaPassage migrantUncommon26–29 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 0.04% in May
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusPassage migrantUncommon34–43 cmRegularly Nov–Jul · records held back in May (protected)
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaResidentUncommon37–41 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.03% 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