Birds to See in Wales in May
169 species listed for May · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
169 bird species on our list for Wales are recorded regularly in May. Of these, the most often recorded are Blackbird, Carrion Crow, European Robin, Woodpigeon and Barn Swallow. New this month: Spotted Flycatcher, Little Stint, Roseate Tern and Nightjar and 7 more.
New in May11
Leaving after last month24
- Eurasian Wigeon
- Common Snipe
- Goldeneye
- Red-throated Loon
- Brent Goose
- Green Sandpiper
- Arctic Jaeger
- Greater Scaup
- Brambling
- Surf Scoter
- Whooper Swan
- Long-tailed Duck
- Spotted Redshank
- Jack Snipe
- Dotterel
- Greater White-fronted Goose
- Cattle Egret
- Little Gull
- Water Pipit
- Wood Sandpiper
- Alpine Swift
- Twite
- Bonaparte's Gull
- Egyptian Goose
Residents
(99)Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Recorded all year
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Recorded all year
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Recorded all year
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Recorded all year
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Recorded all year
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Recorded all year
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Recorded all year
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Recorded all year
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
Recorded all year
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Recorded all year
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Recorded all year
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Recorded all year
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Recorded all year
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Recorded all year
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Recorded all year
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
Recorded all year
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Recorded all year
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
Recorded all year
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
Recorded all year
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Recorded all year
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Recorded all year
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Recorded all year
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Recorded all year
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Recorded all year
Dipper
Cinclus cinclusLC
Recorded all year
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Recorded all year
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
Recorded all year
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Recorded all year
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
Recorded all year
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Recorded all year
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Recorded all year
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Recorded all year
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Regularly Nov–Sep
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
Recorded all year
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Recorded all year
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
Recorded all year
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Recorded all year
Mediterranean Gull
Ichthyaetus melanocephalusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Bittern
Botaurus stellarisLC
Regularly Oct–Aug
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
Avocet
Recurvirostra avosettaLC
Regularly Nov–Sep
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Recorded all year
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
Recorded all year
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
Recorded all year
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
Recorded all year
Red Grouse
Lagopus scoticaLC
Recorded all year
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
Recorded all year
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
Recorded all year
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostraLC
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Regularly Nov–Sep
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Recorded all year
Willow Tit
Poecile montanusLC
Recorded all year
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
Recorded all year
Bearded Tit
Panurus biarmicusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellusLC
Regularly Jan–Aug
Summer visitors
(44)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Recorded all year
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Recorded all year
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Recorded all year
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
Regularly Apr–Aug
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Cuckoo
Cuculus canorusLC
Regularly Apr–Jul
Red-billed Chough
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocoraxLC
Recorded all year
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
Common Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Recorded all year
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Recorded all year
European Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleucaLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arcticaVU
Regularly Mar–Aug
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striataLC
Regularly May–Oct
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Wood Warbler
Phylloscopus sibilatrixLC
Regularly Apr–Jul
Manx Shearwater
Puffinus puffinusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialisLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetraLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naeviaLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaeaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Osprey
Pandion haliaetusLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
Little Ringed Plover
Thinornis dubiusLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
Hobby
Falco subbuteoLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flavaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
Recorded all year
Nightjar
Caprimulgus europaeusLC
Regularly May–Aug
Little Tern
Sternula albifronsLC
Regularly May–Sep
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
European Storm-petrel
Hydrobates pelagicusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Little Owl
Athene noctuaLC
Regularly Jan–Oct
Roseate Tern
Sterna dougalliiLC
Regularly May–Sep
Winter visitors
(18)Present outside the breeding season
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Recorded all year
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Recorded all year
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
Regularly Aug–May
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Recorded all year
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Recorded all year
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Regularly Jul–May
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
Recorded all year
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Regularly Sep–May
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
Regularly Oct–May
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Regularly Sep–May
Firecrest
Regulus ignicapillaLC
Regularly Sep–May
Passage migrants
(7)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Garganey
Spatula querquedulaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Ruff
Calidris pugnaxLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
Regularly May–Sep
European Turtle-dove
Streptopelia turturVU
Regularly May
Black Tern
Chlidonias nigerLC
Regularly May–Sep
Woodchat Shrike
Lanius senatorNT
Regularly May
Pectoral Sandpiper
Calidris melanotosLC
Regularly May–Sep
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