60 birds were recorded seen in Indiana in May in our iNaturalist sample; 26 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.
Top birds in May
American Robin
Canada Goose
Red-winged Blackbird
Baltimore Oriole
Mallard
Northern Cardinal
Gray Catbird
Great Blue Heron
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Brown-headed Cowbird
Eastern Bluebird
House Sparrow
All birds seen in Indiana in May
| # | Species | Scientific name | Family | Obs. | Peak in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Robin | Turdus migratorius | Thrushes | 1,169 | Apr (past peak) |
| 2 | Canada Goose | Branta canadensis | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 804 | Apr (past peak) |
| 3 | Red-winged Blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 700 | Apr (past peak) |
| 4 | Baltimore Oriole | Icterus galbula | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 662 | May (peak) |
| 5 | Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 597 | Apr (past peak) |
| 6 | Northern Cardinal | Cardinalis cardinalis | Cardinals and Allies | 536 | Apr (past peak) |
| 7 | Gray Catbird | Dumetella carolinensis | Mockingbirds and Thrashers | 490 | May (peak) |
| 8 | Great Blue Heron | Ardea herodias | Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns | 457 | May (peak) |
| 9 | Rose-breasted Grosbeak | Pheucticus ludovicianus | Cardinals and Allies | 457 | May (peak) |
| 10 | Brown-headed Cowbird | Molothrus ater | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 448 | Apr (past peak) |
| 11 | Eastern Bluebird | Sialia sialis | Thrushes | 432 | Apr (past peak) |
| 12 | House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | Old World Sparrows | 430 | Apr (past peak) |
| 13 | Northern Yellow Warbler | Setophaga aestiva | New World Warblers | 395 | May (peak) |
| 14 | Indigo Bunting | Passerina cyanea | Cardinals and Allies | 375 | May (peak) |
| 15 | Mourning Dove | Zenaida macroura | Pigeons and Doves | 364 | Apr (past peak) |
| 16 | American Goldfinch | Spinus tristis | Finches, Euphonias, and Allies | 345 | Aug (rising) |
| 17 | House Finch | Haemorhous mexicanus | Finches, Euphonias, and Allies | 337 | Apr (past peak) |
| 18 | Eastern Kingbird | Tyrannus tyrannus | Tyrant Flycatchers | 335 | May (peak) |
| 19 | Blue Jay | Cyanocitta cristata | Crows, Jays, and Magpies | 334 | May (peak) |
| 20 | Song Sparrow | Melospiza melodia | New World Sparrows | 319 | May (peak) |
| 21 | Tree Swallow | Tachycineta bicolor | Swallows and Martins | 305 | May (peak) |
| 22 | Downy Woodpecker | Dryobates pubescens | Woodpeckers | 293 | Apr (past peak) |
| 23 | Red-bellied Woodpecker | Melanerpes carolinus | Woodpeckers | 289 | Apr (past peak) |
| 24 | Swainson's Thrush | Catharus ustulatus | Thrushes | 287 | May (peak) |
| 25 | Red-headed Woodpecker | Melanerpes erythrocephalus | Woodpeckers | 275 | May (peak) |
| 26 | Pileated Woodpecker | Dryocopus pileatus | Woodpeckers | 265 | May (peak) |
| 27 | Common Grackle | Quiscalus quiscula | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 254 | May (peak) |
| 28 | Common Yellowthroat | Geothlypis trichas | New World Warblers | 248 | May (peak) |
| 29 | Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus | Plovers and Lapwings | 236 | May (peak) |
| 30 | Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura | New World Vultures | 231 | Apr (past peak) |
| 31 | European Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | Starlings | 229 | Apr (past peak) |
| 32 | Chipping Sparrow | Spizella passerina | New World Sparrows | 227 | Apr (past peak) |
| 33 | Scarlet Tanager | Piranga olivacea | Cardinals and Allies | 224 | May (peak) |
| 34 | Tufted Titmouse | Baeolophus bicolor | Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice | 211 | Apr (past peak) |
| 35 | American Redstart | Setophaga ruticilla | New World Warblers | 210 | May (peak) |
| 36 | White-breasted Nuthatch | Sitta carolinensis | Nuthatches | 204 | Apr (past peak) |
| 37 | Eastern Phoebe | Sayornis phoebe | Tyrant Flycatchers | 198 | May (peak) |
| 38 | Palm Warbler | Setophaga palmarum | New World Warblers | 197 | May (peak) |
| 39 | Northern House Wren | Troglodytes aedon | Wrens | 186 | May (peak) |
| 40 | Bald Eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | Hawks, Eagles, and Kites | 180 | Apr (past peak) |
| 41 | Yellow-rumped Warbler | Setophaga coronata | New World Warblers | 180 | Apr (past peak) |
| 42 | Wood Duck | Aix sponsa | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 179 | Apr (past peak) |
| 43 | Wild Turkey | Meleagris gallopavo | Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies | 175 | May (peak) |
| 44 | Green Heron | Butorides virescens | Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns | 173 | Aug (rising) |
| 45 | Eastern Towhee | Pipilo erythrophthalmus | New World Sparrows | 173 | Apr (past peak) |
| 46 | Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Archilochus colubris | Hummingbirds | 167 | Sep (rising) |
| 47 | White-crowned Sparrow | Zonotrichia leucophrys | New World Sparrows | 167 | May (peak) |
| 48 | Red-shouldered Hawk | Buteo lineatus | Hawks, Eagles, and Kites | 166 | May (peak) |
| 49 | Cedar Waxwing | Bombycilla cedrorum | Waxwings | 163 | May (peak) |
| 50 | Field Sparrow | Spizella pusilla | New World Sparrows | 162 | May (peak) |