Birds to See in South Lanarkshire in May
86 bird species on our list for South Lanarkshire are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Chaffinch, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Barn Swallow and Woodpigeon. New this month: Little Grebe, House Martin, Common Snipe and Common Swift and 9 more.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
At their peak
From South Lanarkshire’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 86 birds in May
86 birds
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 3.79% in May
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 3.79% in May
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 3.61% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 3.43% in May
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 3.40% in May
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 3.36% in May
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.14% in May
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 2.75% in May
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.71% in May
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.39% in May
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 2.35% in May
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusSummer visitorCommon40–45 cmRegularly Mar–Jul · 2.24% in May
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 2.24% in May
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.20% in May
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusResidentCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 2.06% in May
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 2.02% in May
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly Mar–Aug · 1.99% in May
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.95% in May
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 1.92% in May
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.84% in May
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.81% in May
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 1.81% in May
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 1.77% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 1.63% in May
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaSummer visitorCommon17–18 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 1.52% in May
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Apr–Jul · 1.48% in May
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.34% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 1.30% in May
CurlewNumenius arquataSummer visitorCommon50–60 cmRegularly Feb–Oct · 1.26% in May
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 1.23% in May
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 1.23% in May
WhitethroatCurruca communisSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Jul · 1.08% in May
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.05% in May
Canada GooseBranta canadensisSummer visitorCommon76–110 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.98% in May
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.94% in May
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.94% in May
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.94% in May
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.94% in May
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.87% in May
GreenfinchChloris chlorisSummer visitorCommon15–16 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.87% in May
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.87% in May
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenusSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly May–Jul · 0.83% in May
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly May–Aug · 0.80% in May
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusResidentCommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in May
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.76% in May
Red KiteMilvus milvusSummer visitorCommon60–66 cmRegularly Apr–Jul · 0.76% in May
KestrelFalco tinnunculusWinter visitorCommon32–39 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.72% in May
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorSummer visitorCommon23–26 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.69% in May
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.69% in May
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon26–29 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.69% in May
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusSummer visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.65% in May
DipperCinclus cinclusResidentCommon17–20 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.61% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in May
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in May
GadwallMareca streperaSummer visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.58% in May
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaSummer visitorCommon17–20 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.58% in May
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.54% in May
WheatearOenanthe oenanthePassage migrantCommon15–16 cmRegularly Apr–Jul · 0.51% in May
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.43% in May
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.43% in May
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.36% in May
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.36% in May
Garden WarblerSylvia borinPassage migrantUncommon14–15 cmRegularly May–Jun · 0.36% in May
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.33% in May
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoSummer visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.33% in May
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentCommon12–14 cmRegularly May–Jun · 0.29% in May
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.29% in May
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaResidentCommon12–15 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.29% in May
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentCommon46–51 cmRegularly Apr–Jun · 0.29% in May
LinnetLinaria cannabinaResidentCommon13–14 cmRegularly Apr–Jul · 0.29% in May
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in May
CuckooCuculus canorusScarceUncommon32–34 cmRegularly May · 0.25% in May
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusResidentCommon32–35 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.25% in May
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.25% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboWinter visitorCommon80–100 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.25% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.25% in May
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.22% in May
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentCommon28–38 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.22% in May
Eurasian TealAnas creccaResidentCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in May
Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naeviaPassage migrantUncommon12–13 cmRegularly Apr–May · 0.18% in May
Stock DoveColumba oenasResidentUncommon32–34 cmRegularly May · 0.18% in May
Tawny OwlStrix alucoResidentUncommon37–43 cmRegularly May · 0.18% in May
Water RailRallus aquaticusResidentCommon23–28 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.18% in May
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusPassage migrantCommon140–165 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · records held back in May (protected)
Tree PipitAnthus trivialisPassage migrantUncommon14–16 cmRegularly May · 0.11% in 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