Birds to See in Aberdeenshire in May
144 species listed for May · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
144 bird species on our list for Aberdeenshire are recorded regularly in May. Of these, the most often recorded are Woodpigeon, Barn Swallow, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow and European Herring Gull. New this month: Common Swift, Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler and Little Egret and 21 more.
New in May25
- Common Swift
- Whitethroat
- Sedge Warbler
- Little Egret
- Great Skua
- Spotted Flycatcher
- Canada Goose
- Ruff
- Little Tern
- Manx Shearwater
- Great White Egret
- Eurasian Woodcock
- Garganey
- Barn Owl
- Little Ringed Plover
- Common Redstart
- Pectoral Sandpiper
- Eurasian Spoonbill
- Grasshopper Warbler
- Garden Warbler
- Whinchat
- Spotted Redshank
- Little Stint
- Glaucous Gull
- Common Quail
Residents
(73)Recorded all year
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Recorded all year
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Recorded all year
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Recorded all year
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Recorded all year
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Recorded all year
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Recorded all year
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Recorded all year
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Recorded all year
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Recorded all year
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Regularly Dec–Sep
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Recorded all year
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Recorded all year
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Recorded all year
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Recorded all year
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Recorded all year
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Recorded all year
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Recorded all year
Red Grouse
Lagopus scoticaLC
Recorded all year
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Recorded all year
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
Recorded all year
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Recorded all year
Dipper
Cinclus cinclusLC
Recorded all year
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Recorded all year
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Recorded all year
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
Recorded all year
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Regularly Oct–Aug
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Regularly Apr–Feb
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
Regularly May–Jan
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
Regularly Apr–Jan
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Regularly Oct–May
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Regularly Oct–May
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
Regularly Sep–May
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
Regularly Dec–May
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
Regularly May–Sep
Summer visitors
(43)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Recorded all year
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
Regularly May–Aug
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
Regularly May–Sep
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arcticaVU
Regularly Apr–Nov
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
Regularly May–Aug
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaeaLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Osprey
Pandion haliaetusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialisLC
Regularly Apr–Aug
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
Regularly Apr–Jan
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Regularly Feb–Sep
Little Tern
Sternula albifronsLC
Regularly May–Aug
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Regularly Apr–Jan
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
Regularly Apr–Jul
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striataLC
Regularly May–Sep
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
Regularly May–Jul
Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naeviaLC
Regularly May–Jul
Great Skua
Stercorarius skuaLC
Regularly May–Sep
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Regularly Apr–Jan
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostraLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Regularly Jan–Nov
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
Regularly May–Dec
Manx Shearwater
Puffinus puffinusLC
Regularly May–Sep
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalisLC
Regularly Jan–Oct
Winter visitors
(15)Present outside the breeding season
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Recorded all year
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Recorded all year
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Recorded all year
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
Recorded all year
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
Regularly Sep–May
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Recorded all year
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Recorded all year
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Recorded all year
Grey Partridge
Perdix perdixLC
Regularly Nov–Jun
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
Regularly Oct–May
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Regularly May–Mar
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
Regularly Nov–May
Passage migrants
(13)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Cuckoo
Cuculus canorusLC
Regularly Apr–Jun
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Garganey
Spatula querquedulaLC
Regularly May
Little Ringed Plover
Thinornis dubiusLC
Regularly May
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC
Regularly May–Jun
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
Regularly May–Jun
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Regularly Oct–May
Ruff
Calidris pugnaxLC
Regularly May–Oct
Pectoral Sandpiper
Calidris melanotosLC
Regularly May
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetraLC
Regularly May–Jul
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
Regularly May–Sep
Common Quail
Coturnix coturnixLC
Regularly May
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreusLC
Regularly 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