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

60 birds were recorded seen in Delaware in May in our iNaturalist sample; 33 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

Red-winged Blackbird267 obs.

Great Blue Heron261 obs.

Canada Goose256 obs.

Osprey239 obs.

Gray Catbird229 obs.

Semipalmated Sandpiper227 obs.

Blue Grosbeak226 obs.

Common Yellowthroat220 obs.

Willet219 obs.

Laughing Gull212 obs.

Bald Eagle199 obs.

Ruddy Turnstone198 obs.

All birds seen in Delaware in May

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	267	May (peak)
2	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	261	May (peak)
3	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	256	May (peak)
4	Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	Ospreys	239	Jul (rising)
5	Gray Catbird	Dumetella carolinensis	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	229	May (peak)
6	Semipalmated Sandpiper	Calidris pusilla	Sandpipers and Allies	227	May (peak)
7	Blue Grosbeak	Passerina caerulea	Cardinals and Allies	226	May (peak)
8	Common Yellowthroat	Geothlypis trichas	New World Warblers	220	May (peak)
9	Willet	Tringa semipalmata	Sandpipers and Allies	219	May (peak)
10	Laughing Gull	Leucophaeus atricilla	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	212	Aug (rising)
11	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	199	Apr (past peak)
12	Ruddy Turnstone	Arenaria interpres	Sandpipers and Allies	198	May (peak)
13	Dunlin	Calidris alpina	Sandpipers and Allies	190	May (peak)
14	Snowy Egret	Egretta thula	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	183	Aug (rising)
15	Tree Swallow	Tachycineta bicolor	Swallows and Martins	175	May (peak)
16	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	174	Apr (past peak)
17	Black-necked Stilt	Himantopus mexicanus	Stilts and Avocets	171	May (peak)
18	Eastern Kingbird	Tyrannus tyrannus	Tyrant Flycatchers	156	May (peak)
19	Black-bellied Plover	Pluvialis squatarola	Plovers and Lapwings	144	May (peak)
20	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	144	May (peak)
21	Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	Swallows and Martins	138	May (peak)
22	Short-billed Dowitcher	Limnodromus griseus	Sandpipers and Allies	134	May (peak)
23	Great Egret	Ardea alba	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	130	Aug (rising)
24	Indigo Bunting	Passerina cyanea	Cardinals and Allies	123	May (peak)
25	Purple Martin	Progne subis	Swallows and Martins	123	May (peak)
26	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	119	Apr (past peak)
27	Orchard Oriole	Icterus spurius	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	119	May (peak)
28	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	118	Apr (past peak)
29	Green Heron	Butorides virescens	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	116	Aug (rising)
30	Northern Yellow Warbler	Setophaga aestiva	New World Warblers	106	May (peak)
31	Forster's Tern	Sterna forsteri	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	104	Aug (rising)
32	Semipalmated Plover	Charadrius semipalmatus	Plovers and Lapwings	102	Aug (rising)
33	Double-crested Cormorant	Nannopterum auritum	Cormorants and Shags	100	Aug (rising)
34	Chipping Sparrow	Spizella passerina	New World Sparrows	96	Apr (past peak)
35	Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	Wrens	94	May (peak)
36	Least Sandpiper	Calidris minutilla	Sandpipers and Allies	92	May (peak)
37	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	92	May (peak)
38	Marsh Wren	Cistothorus palustris	Wrens	90	May (peak)
39	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	85	Apr (past peak)
40	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	85	Mar (past peak)
41	Brown Thrasher	Toxostoma rufum	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	84	May (peak)
42	Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	83	Apr (past peak)
43	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	83	May (peak)
44	Common Grackle	Quiscalus quiscula	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	80	May (peak)
45	Mute Swan	Cygnus olor	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	78	May (peak)
46	Red Knot	Calidris canutus	Sandpipers and Allies	77	May (peak)
47	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	73	Apr (past peak)
48	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	71	May (peak)
49	Spotted Sandpiper	Actitis macularius	Sandpipers and Allies	69	May (peak)
50	Great Crested Flycatcher	Myiarchus crinitus	Tyrant Flycatchers	65	May (peak)

Birds Seen in Delaware in May

Top birds in May

All birds seen in Delaware in May