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

60 birds were recorded seen in Idaho in May in our iNaturalist sample; 20 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

Mallard527 obs.

Canada Goose525 obs.

Red-winged Blackbird453 obs.

American Robin405 obs.

Bullock's Oriole302 obs.

Osprey244 obs.

Lazuli Bunting243 obs.

Killdeer239 obs.

Yellow-headed Blackbird231 obs.

Swainson's Hawk216 obs.

Western Kingbird205 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk194 obs.

All birds seen in Idaho in May

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	527	Apr (past peak)
2	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	525	Apr (past peak)
3	Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	453	Apr (past peak)
4	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	405	Mar (past peak)
5	Bullock's Oriole	Icterus bullockii	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	302	May (peak)
6	Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	Ospreys	244	Apr (past peak)
7	Lazuli Bunting	Passerina amoena	Cardinals and Allies	243	May (peak)
8	Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	Plovers and Lapwings	239	May (peak)
9	Yellow-headed Blackbird	Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	231	May (peak)
10	Swainson's Hawk	Buteo swainsoni	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	216	Aug (rising)
11	Western Kingbird	Tyrannus verticalis	Tyrant Flycatchers	205	May (peak)
12	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	194	Mar (past peak)
13	Black-billed Magpie	Pica hudsonia	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	192	May (peak)
14	California Quail	Callipepla californica	New World Quails	189	May (peak)
15	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	185	Apr (past peak)
16	Brewer's Blackbird	Euphagus cyanocephalus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	183	May (peak)
17	Western Tanager	Piranga ludoviciana	Cardinals and Allies	182	Jun (rising)
18	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	179	Apr (past peak)
19	Great Horned Owl	Bubo virginianus	Typical Owls	179	Apr (past peak)
20	Northern Yellow Warbler	Setophaga aestiva	New World Warblers	179	May (peak)
21	Cinnamon Teal	Spatula cyanoptera	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	170	May (peak)
22	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	163	Jan (past peak)
23	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	152	Apr (past peak)
24	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	147	Apr (past peak)
25	Black-headed Grosbeak	Pheucticus melanocephalus	Cardinals and Allies	144	May (peak)
26	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	143	Apr (past peak)
27	Wilson's Phalarope	Phalaropus tricolor	Sandpipers and Allies	138	May (peak)
28	Sandhill Crane	Antigone canadensis	Cranes	138	Apr (past peak)
29	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	132	Apr (past peak)
30	Chipping Sparrow	Spizella passerina	New World Sparrows	130	Jul (rising)
31	Brown-headed Cowbird	Molothrus ater	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	127	May (peak)
32	American White Pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos	Pelicans	126	Jun (rising)
33	Tree Swallow	Tachycineta bicolor	Swallows and Martins	124	May (peak)
34	Black-chinned Hummingbird	Archilochus alexandri	Hummingbirds	122	Jun (rising)
35	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	119	May (peak)
36	Western Meadowlark	Sturnella neglecta	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	118	Apr (past peak)
37	Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	Swallows and Martins	118	May (peak)
38	Double-crested Cormorant	Nannopterum auritum	Cormorants and Shags	113	Apr (past peak)
39	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	111	Apr (past peak)
40	Mountain Bluebird	Sialia currucoides	Thrushes	109	Jun (rising)
41	Calliope Hummingbird	Selasphorus calliope	Hummingbirds	107	Jun (rising)
42	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	104	Apr (past peak)
43	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	103	May (peak)
44	Lark Sparrow	Chondestes grammacus	New World Sparrows	100	May (peak)
45	Spotted Sandpiper	Actitis macularius	Sandpipers and Allies	99	Jul (rising)
46	American Coot	Fulica americana	Rails, Gallinules, and Coots	98	Apr (past peak)
47	Western Grebe	Aechmophorus occidentalis	Grebes	97	May (peak)
48	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	Falcons and Caracaras	96	Jan (past peak)
49	American Avocet	Recurvirostra americana	Stilts and Avocets	87	May (peak)
50	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Waxwings	87	Jun (rising)

Birds Seen in Idaho in May

Top birds in May

All birds seen in Idaho in May