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

60 birds were recorded seen in Arizona in May in our iNaturalist sample; 13 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

White-winged Dove1,646 obs.

Gambel's Quail1,643 obs.

Mourning Dove1,356 obs.

Black-headed Grosbeak1,213 obs.

House Finch1,156 obs.

Broad-billed Hummingbird1,152 obs.

Vermilion Flycatcher1,107 obs.

Gila Woodpecker1,044 obs.

Great-tailed Grackle1,008 obs.

Curve-billed Thrasher974 obs.

Western Tanager919 obs.

Lesser Goldfinch847 obs.

All birds seen in Arizona in May

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	White-winged Dove	Zenaida asiatica	Pigeons and Doves	1,646	Apr (past peak)
2	Gambel's Quail	Callipepla gambelii	New World Quails	1,643	Apr (past peak)
3	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	1,356	Apr (past peak)
4	Black-headed Grosbeak	Pheucticus melanocephalus	Cardinals and Allies	1,213	May (peak)
5	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	1,156	Apr (past peak)
6	Broad-billed Hummingbird	Cynanthus latirostris	Hummingbirds	1,152	Aug (rising)
7	Vermilion Flycatcher	Pyrocephalus rubinus	Tyrant Flycatchers	1,107	Apr (past peak)
8	Gila Woodpecker	Melanerpes uropygialis	Woodpeckers	1,044	Apr (past peak)
9	Great-tailed Grackle	Quiscalus mexicanus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	1,008	Apr (past peak)
10	Curve-billed Thrasher	Toxostoma curvirostre	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	974	Apr (past peak)
11	Western Tanager	Piranga ludoviciana	Cardinals and Allies	919	May (peak)
12	Lesser Goldfinch	Spinus psaltria	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	847	Apr (past peak)
13	Anna's Hummingbird	Calypte anna	Hummingbirds	765	Mar (past peak)
14	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	752	Apr (past peak)
15	Cactus Wren	Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus	Wrens	723	Apr (past peak)
16	Acorn Woodpecker	Melanerpes formicivorus	Woodpeckers	705	May (peak)
17	Verdin	Auriparus flaviceps	Penduline-Tits	700	Apr (past peak)
18	Mexican Jay	Aphelocoma wollweberi	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	666	May (peak)
19	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	665	Apr (past peak)
20	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	660	Apr (past peak)
21	Black-chinned Hummingbird	Archilochus alexandri	Hummingbirds	652	Aug (rising)
22	Common Raven	Corvus corax	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	647	Mar (past peak)
23	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	637	Apr (past peak)
24	Greater Roadrunner	Geococcyx californianus	Cuckoos	609	Aug (rising)
25	Rivoli's Hummingbird	Eugenes fulgens	Hummingbirds	578	Aug (rising)
26	Ash-throated Flycatcher	Myiarchus cinerascens	Tyrant Flycatchers	569	Apr (past peak)
27	Summer Tanager	Piranga rubra	Cardinals and Allies	561	May (peak)
28	Western Wood-Pewee	Contopus sordidulus	Tyrant Flycatchers	558	May (peak)
29	Black-throated Sparrow	Amphispiza bilineata	New World Sparrows	553	Mar (past peak)
30	Abert's Towhee	Melozone aberti	New World Sparrows	511	Apr (past peak)
31	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	505	Jan (past peak)
32	Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	491	Apr (past peak)
33	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	474	May (peak)
34	Hooded Oriole	Icterus cucullatus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	473	Apr (past peak)
35	Brown-headed Cowbird	Molothrus ater	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	472	May (peak)
36	Phainopepla	Phainopepla nitens	Silky-flycatchers	468	Mar (past peak)
37	Yellow-eyed Junco	Junco phaeonotus	New World Sparrows	462	Aug (rising)
38	Say's Phoebe	Sayornis saya	Tyrant Flycatchers	459	Jan (past peak)
39	Canyon Towhee	Melozone fusca	New World Sparrows	451	May (peak)
40	Ladder-backed Woodpecker	Dryobates scalaris	Woodpeckers	448	Apr (past peak)
41	Lucy's Warbler	Leiothlypis luciae	New World Warblers	443	Apr (past peak)
42	Wilson's Warbler	Cardellina pusilla	New World Warblers	442	May (peak)
43	Bullock's Oriole	Icterus bullockii	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	436	May (peak)
44	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	432	Apr (past peak)
45	Western Kingbird	Tyrannus verticalis	Tyrant Flycatchers	430	Apr (past peak)
46	Great Horned Owl	Bubo virginianus	Typical Owls	425	Apr (past peak)
47	Painted Redstart	Myioborus pictus	New World Warblers	415	Apr (past peak)
48	Scott's Oriole	Icterus parisorum	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	401	May (peak)
49	Broad-tailed Hummingbird	Selasphorus platycercus	Hummingbirds	397	May (peak)
50	Costa's Hummingbird	Calypte costae	Hummingbirds	396	Mar (past peak)

Birds Seen in Arizona in May

Top birds in May

All birds seen in Arizona in May