Birds to See in Falkirk in May
79 bird species on our list for Falkirk are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Mallard and Lesser Black-backed Gull. New this month: House Martin, Common Swift, Long-tailed Tit and Common Tern and 8 more.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
At their peak
From Falkirk’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 79 birds in May
79 birds
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.31% in May
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 3.31% in May
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 3.17% in May
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 3.13% in May
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 2.91% in May
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 2.91% in May
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 2.73% in May
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.69% in May
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 2.64% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 2.51% in May
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 2.47% in May
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 2.47% in May
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.42% in May
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 2.38% in May
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.34% in May
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenusSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 2.07% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 2.03% in May
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.94% in May
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 1.94% in May
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.90% in May
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.90% in May
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.90% in May
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 1.76% in May
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusResidentCommon14–16 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.76% in May
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 1.67% in May
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.67% in May
WhitethroatCurruca communisSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 1.63% in May
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.41% in May
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.41% in May
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 1.37% in May
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.37% in May
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 1.32% in May
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 1.32% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.32% in May
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.23% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.10% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.10% in May
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosSummer visitorCommon20–23 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 1.10% in May
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorCommon31–35 cmRegularly May–Sep · 1.06% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.06% in May
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentCommon40–44 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.88% in May
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.88% in May
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.88% in May
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly May–Aug · 0.84% in May
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in May
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaPassage migrantCommon12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.79% in May
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in May
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.62% in May
GadwallMareca streperaResidentCommon46–56 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.62% in May
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.57% in May
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.53% in May
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.44% in May
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaWinter visitorCommon15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.40% in May
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusPassage migrantUncommon13–14 cmRegularly May–Jun · 0.40% in May
Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naeviaPassage migrantUncommon12–13 cmRegularly Apr–May · 0.40% in May
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.40% in May
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorCommon52–58 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.40% in May
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.35% in May
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentCommon32–39 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.35% in May
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentUncommon54–67 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.31% in May
GoldcrestRegulus regulusSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.31% in May
Stock DoveColumba oenasSummer visitorCommon32–34 cmRegularly Jan–Oct · 0.31% in May
Coal TitPeriparus aterSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.26% in May
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.26% in May
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorResidentUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.26% in May
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataResidentUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.26% in May
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentCommon28–38 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.26% in May
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in May
Water RailRallus aquaticusResidentUncommon23–28 cmRegularly May · 0.22% in May
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.18% in May
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentUncommon44–51 cmRegularly May · 0.18% in May
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentCommon12–14 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.18% in May
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentUncommon50–71 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.13% in May
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentUncommon27–28 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.13% in May
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in May
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusPassage migrantCommon140–165 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · records held back in May (protected)
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · records held back in May (protected)
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · records held back in May (protected)
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