Birds in North Dakota in May: What to Photograph (60 Species)

60 birds were recorded seen in North Dakota in May in our iNaturalist sample; 28 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

Yellow-headed Blackbird121 obs.

Canada Goose114 obs.

American Robin114 obs.

Blue-winged Teal97 obs.

Northern Yellow Warbler93 obs.

Northern Shoveler85 obs.

Red-winged Blackbird79 obs.

American White Pelican78 obs.

Baltimore Oriole77 obs.

Wilson's Phalarope77 obs.

Chipping Sparrow74 obs.

Clay-colored Sparrow72 obs.

All birds seen in North Dakota in May

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Yellow-headed Blackbird	Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	121	May (peak)
2	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	114	Apr (past peak)
3	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	114	Apr (past peak)
4	Blue-winged Teal	Spatula discors	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	97	May (peak)
5	Northern Yellow Warbler	Setophaga aestiva	New World Warblers	93	May (peak)
6	Northern Shoveler	Spatula clypeata	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	85	May (peak)
7	Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	79	Jun (rising)
8	American White Pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos	Pelicans	78	Jun (rising)
9	Baltimore Oriole	Icterus galbula	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	77	May (peak)
10	Wilson's Phalarope	Phalaropus tricolor	Sandpipers and Allies	77	May (peak)
11	Chipping Sparrow	Spizella passerina	New World Sparrows	74	May (peak)
12	Clay-colored Sparrow	Spizella pallida	New World Sparrows	72	May (peak)
13	Eastern Kingbird	Tyrannus tyrannus	Tyrant Flycatchers	68	Jun (rising)
14	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	66	May (peak)
15	American Avocet	Recurvirostra americana	Stilts and Avocets	64	May (peak)
16	Ring-necked Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	61	Apr (past peak)
17	Swainson's Thrush	Catharus ustulatus	Thrushes	61	May (peak)
18	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	57	Jul (rising)
19	Common Grackle	Quiscalus quiscula	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	56	Jun (rising)
20	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Pheucticus ludovicianus	Cardinals and Allies	55	May (peak)
21	Lark Sparrow	Chondestes grammacus	New World Sparrows	55	Jun (rising)
22	Bobolink	Dolichonyx oryzivorus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	52	Jun (rising)
23	White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	New World Sparrows	50	May (peak)
24	Marbled Godwit	Limosa fedoa	Sandpipers and Allies	49	Jun (rising)
25	Gadwall	Mareca strepera	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	49	May (peak)
26	Swainson's Hawk	Buteo swainsoni	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	48	May (peak)
27	Tree Swallow	Tachycineta bicolor	Swallows and Martins	48	May (peak)
28	Harris's Sparrow	Zonotrichia querula	New World Sparrows	47	May (peak)
29	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	46	Apr (past peak)
30	Western Grebe	Aechmophorus occidentalis	Grebes	46	Jun (rising)
31	Brown-headed Cowbird	Molothrus ater	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	46	Jun (rising)
32	Ruddy Duck	Oxyura jamaicensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	46	Jun (rising)
33	Willet	Tringa semipalmata	Sandpipers and Allies	45	May (peak)
34	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	44	May (peak)
35	Western Meadowlark	Sturnella neglecta	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	43	Jun (rising)
36	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	42	May (peak)
37	Western Kingbird	Tyrannus verticalis	Tyrant Flycatchers	42	Jun (rising)
38	Blackpoll Warbler	Setophaga striata	New World Warblers	42	May (peak)
39	American Coot	Fulica americana	Rails, Gallinules, and Coots	41	Jun (rising)
40	Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	Plovers and Lapwings	41	Jun (rising)
41	Least Flycatcher	Empidonax minimus	Tyrant Flycatchers	41	May (peak)
42	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	40	Jun (rising)
43	Black-headed Grosbeak	Pheucticus melanocephalus	Cardinals and Allies	40	May (peak)
44	American Redstart	Setophaga ruticilla	New World Warblers	39	May (peak)
45	Redhead	Aythya americana	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	37	May (peak)
46	Tennessee Warbler	Leiothlypis peregrina	New World Warblers	37	May (peak)
47	Eared Grebe	Podiceps nigricollis	Grebes	36	Jun (rising)
48	Forster's Tern	Sterna forsteri	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	36	May (peak)
49	Black Tern	Chlidonias niger	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	36	Jun (rising)
50	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	36	May (peak)

Birds Seen in North Dakota in May

Top birds in May

All birds seen in North Dakota in May