Birds in Alaska in May: What to Photograph (60 Species)

60 birds were recorded seen in Alaska in May in our iNaturalist sample; 18 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Top birds in May

Bald Eagle902 obs.

Short-billed Gull460 obs.

American Robin409 obs.

American Wigeon359 obs.

Sandhill Crane310 obs.

Tree Swallow306 obs.

Black-legged Kittiwake282 obs.

Mallard281 obs.

Harlequin Duck254 obs.

Red-necked Grebe253 obs.

White-crowned Sparrow250 obs.

Northern Shoveler249 obs.

All birds seen in Alaska in May

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	902	Jul (rising)
2	Short-billed Gull	Larus brachyrhynchus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	460	Jul (rising)
3	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	409	Jun (rising)
4	American Wigeon	Mareca americana	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	359	May (peak)
5	Sandhill Crane	Antigone canadensis	Cranes	310	May (peak)
6	Tree Swallow	Tachycineta bicolor	Swallows and Martins	306	May (peak)
7	Black-legged Kittiwake	Rissa tridactyla	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	282	Jul (rising)
8	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	281	May (peak)
9	Harlequin Duck	Histrionicus histrionicus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	254	Jun (rising)
10	Red-necked Grebe	Podiceps grisegena	Grebes	253	Jun (rising)
11	White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	New World Sparrows	250	Jun (rising)
12	Northern Shoveler	Spatula clypeata	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	249	May (peak)
13	Black-billed Magpie	Pica hudsonia	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	240	Jul (rising)
14	Western Sandpiper	Calidris mauri	Sandpipers and Allies	232	May (peak)
15	Common Raven	Corvus corax	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	228	Jul (rising)
16	Red-necked Phalarope	Phalaropus lobatus	Sandpipers and Allies	210	Jun (rising)
17	Glaucous-winged Gull	Larus glaucescens	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	209	Jul (rising)
18	Savannah Sparrow	Passerculus sandwichensis	New World Sparrows	207	Jun (rising)
19	Least Sandpiper	Calidris minutilla	Sandpipers and Allies	205	May (peak)
20	Semipalmated Plover	Charadrius semipalmatus	Plovers and Lapwings	203	May (peak)
21	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	198	May (peak)
22	Green-winged Teal	Anas crecca	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	194	May (peak)
23	Northern Pintail	Anas acuta	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	192	May (peak)
24	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	189	Jun (rising)
25	Pigeon Guillemot	Cepphus columba	Auks, Murres, and Puffins	185	Jul (rising)
26	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	184	Jun (rising)
27	Greater White-fronted Goose	Anser albifrons	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	179	May (peak)
28	Lesser Yellowlegs	Tringa flavipes	Sandpipers and Allies	174	May (peak)
29	Lapland Longspur	Calcarius lapponicus	Longspurs and Snow Buntings	173	Jun (rising)
30	Orange-crowned Warbler	Leiothlypis celata	New World Warblers	165	Jun (rising)
31	Greater Scaup	Aythya marila	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	161	Jun (rising)
32	Fox Sparrow	Passerella iliaca	New World Sparrows	156	Jun (rising)
33	Bonaparte's Gull	Chroicocephalus philadelphia	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	155	Jul (rising)
34	Trumpeter Swan	Cygnus buccinator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	149	Jun (rising)
35	Steller's Jay	Cyanocitta stelleri	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	149	Aug (rising)
36	Common Loon	Gavia immer	Loons	147	Jun (rising)
37	Pacific Loon	Gavia pacifica	Loons	146	Jun (rising)
38	Spruce Grouse	Canachites canadensis	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	145	Sep (rising)
39	Barrow's Goldeneye	Bucephala islandica	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	141	May (peak)
40	Wilson's Warbler	Cardellina pusilla	New World Warblers	133	May (peak)
41	Black Oystercatcher	Haematopus bachmani	Oystercatchers	131	Jun (rising)
42	Hudsonian Whimbrel	Numenius hudsonicus	Sandpipers and Allies	131	May (peak)
43	Golden-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia atricapilla	New World Sparrows	130	Jun (rising)
44	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	126	Jul (rising)
45	Canada Jay	Perisoreus canadensis	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	126	Jun (rising)
46	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	124	Jun (rising)
47	Varied Thrush	Ixoreus naevius	Thrushes	123	Jun (rising)
48	Dunlin	Calidris alpina	Sandpipers and Allies	121	May (peak)
49	Hermit Thrush	Catharus guttatus	Thrushes	119	May (peak)
50	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	117	Jul (rising)

Birds Seen in Alaska in May

Top birds in May

All birds seen in Alaska in May