Birds to See in Glasgow in May
73 bird species on our list for Glasgow are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Magpie, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Carrion Crow. New this month: Common Swift, Northern Lapwing, Whitethroat and Great Black-backed Gull and 3 more.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
At their peak
From Glasgow’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 73 birds in May
73 birds
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 5.61% in May
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 5.55% in May
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 5.45% in May
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 5.05% in May
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 4.55% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 4.44% in May
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 3.96% in May
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 3.88% in May
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 3.77% in May
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 3.70% in May
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.64% in May
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 3.30% in May
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 3.08% in May
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.44% in May
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.39% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.91% in May
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 1.83% in May
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.80% in May
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 1.78% in May
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.67% in May
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.60% in May
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 1.51% in May
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.48% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.46% in May
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 1.44% in May
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.43% in May
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.28% in May
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 1.28% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 1.20% in May
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.07% in May
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.04% in May
Common MerganserMergus merganserResidentCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 1.04% in May
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.91% in May
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 0.90% in May
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon27–28 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.83% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.69% in May
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in May
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly May–Aug · 0.58% in May
Stock DoveColumba oenasSummer visitorCommon32–34 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.53% in May
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaResidentCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.50% in May
DipperCinclus cinclusResidentCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in May
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in May
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in May
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in May
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaResidentCommon12–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboWinter visitorCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in May
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorResidentUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.40% in May
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusSummer visitorCommon46–51 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.38% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in May
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in May
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.35% in May
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentUncommon38–42 cmRegularly Nov–Aug · 0.32% in May
WhitethroatCurruca communisSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Aug · 0.32% in May
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenusSummer visitorUncommon12–13 cmRegularly May–Jul · 0.27% in May
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in May
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.26% in May
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.22% in May
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentUncommon16–18 cmRegularly Apr–Jun · 0.22% in May
PochardAythya ferinaResidentUncommon42–49 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · records held back in May (protected)
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentUncommon54–67 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.19% in May
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentUncommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in May
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusSummer visitorUncommon64–79 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.14% in May
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusResidentCommon32–35 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.13% in May
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusSummer visitorCommon40–45 cmRegularly Mar–Jul · 0.13% in May
Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naeviaPassage migrantUncommon12–13 cmRegularly May–Jul · 0.13% in May
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentCommon28–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in May
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in May
RookCorvus frugilegusSummer visitorCommon45–47 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.11% in May
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentCommon16–17 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.10% in May
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.10% in May
Water RailRallus aquaticusResidentUncommon23–28 cmRegularly Feb–May · 0.10% in May
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentUncommon44–51 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.08% in May
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 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