Birds to See in West Lothian in May
72 bird species on our list for West Lothian are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, European Robin and Chaffinch. New this month: House Martin, Common Swift, Great Black-backed Gull and Kestrel and 8 more.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
At their peak
From West Lothian’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 72 birds in May
72 birds
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 4.12% in May
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 4.04% in May
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 3.29% in May
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.22% in May
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 3.14% in May
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 2.99% in May
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 2.92% in May
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.84% in May
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.77% in May
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.77% in May
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 2.62% in May
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 2.47% in May
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 2.47% in May
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 2.40% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 2.32% in May
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.17% in May
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 2.10% in May
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 2.02% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.95% in May
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.87% in May
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.65% in May
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.65% in May
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 1.65% in May
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusSummer visitorCommon40–45 cmRegularly Feb–Jul · 1.50% in May
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Jul · 1.42% in May
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.35% in May
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly May–Aug · 1.27% in May
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.27% in May
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 1.12% in May
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaSummer visitorCommon17–18 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.12% in May
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Jul · 1.12% in May
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.12% in May
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusSummer visitorCommon46–51 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.05% in May
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 1.05% in May
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Nov–Jul · 0.97% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaSummer visitorCommon90–98 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.97% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.90% in May
Canada GooseBranta canadensisSummer visitorCommon76–110 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.82% in May
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 0.82% in May
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRegularly Jan–Jul · 0.82% in May
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRegularly Dec–Sep · 0.82% in May
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentCommon16–18 cmRegularly Mar–Jun · 0.75% in May
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in May
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.75% in May
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusWinter visitorCommon13–16 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.75% in May
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.67% in May
CuckooCuculus canorusScarceCommon32–34 cmRegularly May–Jun · 0.67% in May
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentCommon13–14 cmRegularly Dec–Jun · 0.67% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.67% in May
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRegularly Dec–Oct · 0.67% in May
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.67% in May
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusSummer visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.67% in May
WhitethroatCurruca communisSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Jul · 0.67% in May
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosPassage migrantCommon18–20 cmRegularly May–Jun · 0.60% in May
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorResidentCommon23–26 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 0.60% in May
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon27–28 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.60% in May
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.60% in May
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRegularly Dec–Jun · 0.52% in May
LinnetLinaria cannabinaResidentCommon13–14 cmRegularly Apr–Jun · 0.52% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaSummer visitorCommon31–34 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.52% in May
KestrelFalco tinnunculusSummer visitorCommon32–39 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.45% in May
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenusSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly May–Jul · 0.45% in May
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaSummer visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.37% in May
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaSummer visitorCommon17–20 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.37% in May
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in May
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaResidentUncommon12–15 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.30% in May
European Green WoodpeckerPicus viridisResidentUncommon30–36 cmRegularly Apr–May · 0.30% in May
Garden WarblerSylvia borinPassage migrantUncommon14–15 cmRegularly May–Jun · 0.30% in May
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.30% in May
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusSummer visitorCommon28–38 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.30% in May
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% 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