Birds to See in Aberdeen in May
102 species listed for May · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
102 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.
New in May16
Residents
(54)Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Recorded all year
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Recorded all year
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Recorded all year
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Recorded all year
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Recorded all year
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Recorded all year
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Recorded all year
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Recorded all year
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Regularly Oct–Aug
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Recorded all year
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Recorded all year
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
Recorded all year
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Regularly Oct–Jun
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Regularly Jan–Aug
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Regularly Dec–Oct
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Recorded all year
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Regularly Apr–Aug
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Regularly Oct–May
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Regularly Jan–Aug
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Regularly May–Sep
Summer visitors
(28)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Recorded all year
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Recorded all year
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
Regularly May–Aug
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
Regularly May–Sep
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
Regularly May–Aug
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Regularly Apr–Jan
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Regularly Jan–Nov
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
Regularly May–Sep
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Regularly Nov–Aug
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Regularly Jan–Oct
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaeaLC
Regularly May–Sep
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Regularly May–Jan
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arcticaVU
Regularly Apr–Oct
Arctic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticusLC
Regularly May–Oct
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Regularly Jan–Aug
Manx Shearwater
Puffinus puffinusLC
Regularly May–Oct
Winter visitors
(12)Present outside the breeding season
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Regularly Sep–Jul
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Recorded all year
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Regularly Oct–Jul
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Recorded all year
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Recorded all year
Dipper
Cinclus cinclusLC
Regularly Oct–Aug
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly May–Mar
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Regularly Oct–Jun
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Regularly May–Mar
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Recorded all year
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Recorded all year
Passage migrants
(8)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naeviaLC
Regularly May
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
Regularly May
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
Regularly May
Great Skua
Stercorarius skuaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Regularly May–Sep
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
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