Birds to See in Cardiff in May
78 bird species on our list for Cardiff are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Blackbird, Woodpigeon, House Sparrow, Magpie and Carrion Crow. New this month: Tawny Owl, Spotted Flycatcher and Lesser Whitethroat.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
At their peak
From Cardiff’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 78 birds in May
78 birds
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 4.94% in May
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 4.47% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 4.13% in May
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 4.13% in May
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 3.96% in May
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.88% in May
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 3.52% in May
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 3.46% in May
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 3.31% in May
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusResidentCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 3.22% in May
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.13% in May
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 2.88% in May
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 2.81% in May
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 2.73% in May
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.46% in May
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.44% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 2.08% in May
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaResidentCommon13–15 cmRegularly Dec–Oct · 1.81% in May
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.81% in May
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.66% in May
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.59% in May
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.59% in May
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 1.57% in May
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusResidentCommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 1.41% in May
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.41% in May
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.40% in May
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaResidentCommon12–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.38% in May
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.32% in May
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.29% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 1.28% in May
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 1.22% in May
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentCommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 1.22% in May
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 1.05% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.04% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.92% in May
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 0.91% in May
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusResidentCommon32–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.91% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.88% in May
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.86% in May
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in May
WhitethroatCurruca communisSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Jul · 0.80% in May
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.73% in May
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.73% in May
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 0.70% in May
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.67% in May
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaResidentCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.62% in May
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon27–28 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.58% in May
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in May
Cetti's WarblerCettia cettiWinter visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.53% in May
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 0.52% in May
European Green WoodpeckerPicus viridisSummer visitorCommon30–36 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in May
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in May
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentUncommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in May
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.30% in May
Stock DoveColumba oenasResidentUncommon32–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in May
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca currucaPassage migrantUncommon11–13 cmRegularly May · 0.25% in May
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusResidentUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.25% in May
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in May
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in May
LinnetLinaria cannabinaPassage migrantUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Nov–Aug · 0.22% in May
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentCommon28–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in May
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusSummer visitorUncommon53–89 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.21% in May
Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurusPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Jul · 0.21% in May
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentUncommon58–67 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.21% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisWinter visitorCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in May
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentUncommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in May
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentCommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in May
DipperCinclus cinclusResidentUncommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in May
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisPassage migrantUncommon16–18 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.12% in May
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusWinter visitorUncommon64–79 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.12% in May
Tree PipitAnthus trivialisPassage migrantUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Apr–Jun · 0.12% in May
Tawny OwlStrix alucoWinter visitorUncommon37–43 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.10% in May
RookCorvus frugilegusWinter visitorUncommon45–47 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.09% in May
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaResidentUncommon12–13 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.09% in May
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisWinter visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.07% in May
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusWinter visitorUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · records held back in May (protected)
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataPassage migrantUncommon14–16 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.06% in May
Little EgretEgretta garzettaWinter visitorCommon55–65 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.04% 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