Birds to See in West Lothian in May
72 species listed for May · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
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.
Residents
(45)Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Recorded all year
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Recorded all year
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Recorded all year
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Recorded all year
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Recorded all year
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Regularly Sep–Jul
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Recorded all year
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Recorded all year
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Regularly Nov–Sep
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Regularly Sep–Jul
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Regularly Jan–Jul
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Regularly Dec–Sep
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Regularly Mar–Jun
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Recorded all year
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
Regularly Dec–Jun
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Regularly Dec–Oct
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Regularly Nov–Sep
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Regularly Sep–May
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Regularly Dec–Jun
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Regularly Apr–Jun
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
Regularly Apr–May
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Regularly Aug–May
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Recorded all year
Summer visitors
(23)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Apr–Aug
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Regularly Feb–Jul
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Regularly Apr–Jul
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
Regularly May–Aug
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
Regularly Apr–Jul
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Regularly Nov–Jul
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
Regularly May–Sep
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
Regularly May–Jul
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
Regularly May–Jul
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Regularly May–Dec
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Regularly Oct–Jul
Winter visitors
(1)Present outside the breeding season
Passage migrants
(2)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Scarce visitors
(1)Recorded in some years but not every year
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