60 birds were recorded seen in Iowa 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.
Top birds in May
American Robin
Red-winged Blackbird
Canada Goose
House Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Gray Catbird
American Goldfinch
Mallard
Common Grackle
Eastern Kingbird
All birds seen in Iowa in May
| # | Species | Scientific name | Family | Obs. | Peak in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Robin | Turdus migratorius | Thrushes | 638 | May (peak) |
| 2 | Red-winged Blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 549 | May (peak) |
| 3 | Canada Goose | Branta canadensis | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 509 | Apr (past peak) |
| 4 | House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | Old World Sparrows | 456 | Jul (rising) |
| 5 | Baltimore Oriole | Icterus galbula | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 418 | May (peak) |
| 6 | Northern Cardinal | Cardinalis cardinalis | Cardinals and Allies | 326 | Apr (past peak) |
| 7 | Rose-breasted Grosbeak | Pheucticus ludovicianus | Cardinals and Allies | 280 | May (peak) |
| 8 | Gray Catbird | Dumetella carolinensis | Mockingbirds and Thrashers | 266 | May (peak) |
| 9 | American Goldfinch | Spinus tristis | Finches, Euphonias, and Allies | 229 | May (peak) |
| 10 | Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 214 | Apr (past peak) |
| 11 | Common Grackle | Quiscalus quiscula | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 207 | May (peak) |
| 12 | Eastern Kingbird | Tyrannus tyrannus | Tyrant Flycatchers | 207 | May (peak) |
| 13 | Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura | New World Vultures | 171 | May (peak) |
| 14 | Indigo Bunting | Passerina cyanea | Cardinals and Allies | 168 | May (peak) |
| 15 | Brown-headed Cowbird | Molothrus ater | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 166 | May (peak) |
| 16 | House Finch | Haemorhous mexicanus | Finches, Euphonias, and Allies | 166 | Aug (rising) |
| 17 | American Redstart | Setophaga ruticilla | New World Warblers | 152 | May (peak) |
| 18 | Northern Yellow Warbler | Setophaga aestiva | New World Warblers | 146 | May (peak) |
| 19 | Red-headed Woodpecker | Melanerpes erythrocephalus | Woodpeckers | 145 | May (peak) |
| 20 | Northern House Wren | Troglodytes aedon | Wrens | 144 | May (peak) |
| 21 | Eastern Bluebird | Sialia sialis | Thrushes | 144 | May (peak) |
| 22 | Mourning Dove | Zenaida macroura | Pigeons and Doves | 136 | May (peak) |
| 23 | Blue Jay | Cyanocitta cristata | Crows, Jays, and Magpies | 126 | May (peak) |
| 24 | Chipping Sparrow | Spizella passerina | New World Sparrows | 122 | May (peak) |
| 25 | European Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | Starlings | 121 | May (peak) |
| 26 | Barred Owl | Strix varia | Typical Owls | 121 | May (peak) |
| 27 | Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus | Plovers and Lapwings | 118 | Jun (rising) |
| 28 | Great Blue Heron | Ardea herodias | Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns | 115 | Aug (rising) |
| 29 | Swainson's Thrush | Catharus ustulatus | Thrushes | 113 | May (peak) |
| 30 | Common Yellowthroat | Geothlypis trichas | New World Warblers | 111 | May (peak) |
| 31 | Tree Swallow | Tachycineta bicolor | Swallows and Martins | 110 | May (peak) |
| 32 | Yellow-rumped Warbler | Setophaga coronata | New World Warblers | 104 | Oct (rising) |
| 33 | Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | Swallows and Martins | 103 | May (peak) |
| 34 | Wild Turkey | Meleagris gallopavo | Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies | 101 | May (peak) |
| 35 | Orchard Oriole | Icterus spurius | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 101 | May (peak) |
| 36 | Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Archilochus colubris | Hummingbirds | 94 | Sep (rising) |
| 37 | Dickcissel | Spiza americana | Cardinals and Allies | 94 | Jun (rising) |
| 38 | Downy Woodpecker | Dryobates pubescens | Woodpeckers | 93 | Dec (rising) |
| 39 | Red-bellied Woodpecker | Melanerpes carolinus | Woodpeckers | 91 | Dec (rising) |
| 40 | Cliff Swallow | Petrochelidon pyrrhonota | Swallows and Martins | 86 | Jun (rising) |
| 41 | Eastern Phoebe | Sayornis phoebe | Tyrant Flycatchers | 81 | May (peak) |
| 42 | Blue-winged Teal | Spatula discors | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 81 | Apr (past peak) |
| 43 | American White Pelican | Pelecanus erythrorhynchos | Pelicans | 80 | Apr (past peak) |
| 44 | Palm Warbler | Setophaga palmarum | New World Warblers | 79 | May (peak) |
| 45 | Bald Eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | Hawks, Eagles, and Kites | 77 | Mar (past peak) |
| 46 | Scarlet Tanager | Piranga olivacea | Cardinals and Allies | 77 | May (peak) |
| 47 | White-crowned Sparrow | Zonotrichia leucophrys | New World Sparrows | 72 | May (peak) |
| 48 | Brown Thrasher | Toxostoma rufum | Mockingbirds and Thrashers | 68 | May (peak) |
| 49 | Tennessee Warbler | Leiothlypis peregrina | New World Warblers | 68 | May (peak) |
| 50 | Song Sparrow | Melospiza melodia | New World Sparrows | 65 | Apr (past peak) |