Birds to See in Shetland Islands in May
142 species listed for May · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
142 bird species on our list for Shetland Islands are recorded regularly in May. Of these, the most often recorded are Common Starling, Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Herring Gull, Fulmar and House Sparrow. New this month: Arctic Tern, Sanderling, Common Tern and Garden Warbler and 37 more.
New in May41
- Arctic Tern
- Sanderling
- Common Tern
- Garden Warbler
- Lesser Whitethroat
- Whitethroat
- Whinchat
- Spotted Flycatcher
- Sedge Warbler
- Common Rosefinch
- Common Redstart
- Red-backed Shrike
- Ruff
- European Storm-petrel
- Common Reed-warbler
- Common Swift
- Wood Warbler
- Bluethroat
- Manx Shearwater
- Long-tailed Jaeger
- Coot
- Common Quail
- Yellow Wagtail
- Cuckoo
- Common Pheasant
- Pochard
- Little Stint
- Horned Lark
- Subalpine Warbler
- Osprey
- Canada Goose
- Wryneck
- Gadwall
- European Turtle-dove
- Golden Oriole
- Garganey
- Hoopoe
- Pomarine Jaeger
- Sandwich Tern
- Nightingale
- Spotted Redshank
Residents
(49)Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Recorded all year
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Recorded all year
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Recorded all year
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Twite
Linaria flavirostrisLC
Recorded all year
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Recorded all year
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Recorded all year
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Recorded all year
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Recorded all year
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Regularly Nov–Jul
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Recorded all year
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Regularly Sep–Jul
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Regularly Jan–Oct
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Regularly Oct–May
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Regularly May
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
Regularly May–Jun
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Regularly May–Oct
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
Regularly May
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Regularly Oct–May
Summer visitors
(42)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Great Skua
Stercorarius skuaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaeaLC
Regularly May–Aug
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arcticaVU
Regularly Apr–Aug
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Recorded all year
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Arctic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticusLC
Regularly Apr–Aug
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
Regularly May–Sep
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
Regularly May–Oct
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
Regularly May–Sep
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly May–Mar
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Recorded all year
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Cuckoo
Cuculus canorusLC
Regularly May–Jul
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Regularly Apr–Oct
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Regularly May–Jan
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Regularly Jan–Nov
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
Regularly May–Sep
European Storm-petrel
Hydrobates pelagicusLC
Regularly May–Sep
Red Grouse
Lagopus scoticaLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Manx Shearwater
Puffinus puffinusLC
Regularly May–Sep
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
Regularly May–Jul
Winter visitors
(15)Present outside the breeding season
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Regularly Sep–May
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Regularly Jul–May
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
Regularly Sep–Jun
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalisLC
Regularly Sep–May
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
Recorded all year
Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoidesLC
Regularly Nov–May
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Regularly Oct–May
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Passage migrants
(36)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
Regularly May–Nov
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
Regularly May–Oct
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striataLC
Regularly May–Oct
European Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleucaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Red-backed Shrike
Lanius collurioLC
Regularly May–Oct
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialisLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC
Regularly May–Oct
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetraLC
Regularly May–Oct
Bluethroat
Luscinia svecicaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flavaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Regularly Sep–May
Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naeviaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Common Rosefinch
Carpodacus erythrinusLC
Regularly May–Oct
Common Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC
Regularly May–Oct
Wood Warbler
Phylloscopus sibilatrixLC
Regularly May–Oct
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Subalpine Warbler
Curruca cantillansLC
Regularly May–Jun
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Wryneck
Jynx torquillaLC
Regularly May–Sep
Long-tailed Jaeger
Stercorarius longicaudusLC
Regularly May–Jul
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Common Quail
Coturnix coturnixLC
Regularly May–Jun
Garganey
Spatula querquedulaLC
Regularly May
Hoopoe
Upupa epopsLC
Regularly May
Golden Oriole
Oriolus oriolusLC
Regularly May–Jun
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
European Turtle-dove
Streptopelia turturVU
Regularly May–Oct
Osprey
Pandion haliaetusLC
Regularly May–Jun
Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestrisLC
Regularly May–Oct
Ruff
Calidris pugnaxLC
Regularly May–Oct
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchosLC
Regularly May
Pomarine Jaeger
Stercorarius pomarinusLC
Regularly May
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
Regularly May–Oct
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