Birds to See in Orkney Islands in May
118 species listed for May · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
118 bird species on our list for Orkney Islands are recorded regularly in May. Of these, the most often recorded are Eurasian Oystercatcher, Common Starling, Curlew, Fulmar and Black-headed Gull. New this month: Arctic Tern, Sedge Warbler, Red Knot and Ruff and 18 more.
New in May22
Residents
(28)Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Recorded all year
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Recorded all year
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Recorded all year
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Recorded all year
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Regularly Apr–Jan
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
Regularly May–Jun
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Summer visitors
(60)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Great Skua
Stercorarius skuaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaeaLC
Regularly May–Sep
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Regularly Feb–Nov
Arctic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
Regularly May–Sep
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Regularly Mar–Jul
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arcticaVU
Regularly Apr–Oct
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Regularly Jan–Oct
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Twite
Linaria flavirostrisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Regularly Mar–Nov
Little Tern
Sternula albifronsLC
Regularly May–Aug
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Regularly May–Oct
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Regularly Apr–Jan
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreusLC
Regularly May–Oct
Red Grouse
Lagopus scoticaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Winter visitors
(3)Present outside the breeding season
Passage migrants
(27)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Cuckoo
Cuculus canorusLC
Regularly May–Aug
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
Regularly May–Oct
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striataLC
Regularly May–Oct
Garganey
Spatula querquedulaLC
Regularly May
European Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleucaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Regularly Sep–May
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialisLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Wood Warbler
Phylloscopus sibilatrixLC
Regularly May–Aug
Ruff
Calidris pugnaxLC
Regularly May–Oct
Bluethroat
Luscinia svecicaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutusLC
Regularly May–Sep
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Osprey
Pandion haliaetusLC
Regularly May–Jun
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferrugineaNT
Regularly May–Oct
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
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