60 birds were recorded seen in South Carolina in May in our iNaturalist sample; 10 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.
Top birds in May
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Bluebird
House Finch
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
Great Egret
Mourning Dove
Great Blue Heron
Carolina Wren
Canada Goose
Anhinga
American Robin
All birds seen in South Carolina in May
| # | Species | Scientific name | Family | Obs. | Peak in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Cardinal | Cardinalis cardinalis | Cardinals and Allies | 914 | Apr (past peak) |
| 2 | Eastern Bluebird | Sialia sialis | Thrushes | 903 | Apr (past peak) |
| 3 | House Finch | Haemorhous mexicanus | Finches, Euphonias, and Allies | 749 | May (peak) |
| 4 | Northern Mockingbird | Mimus polyglottos | Mockingbirds and Thrashers | 719 | Apr (past peak) |
| 5 | Brown Thrasher | Toxostoma rufum | Mockingbirds and Thrashers | 607 | May (peak) |
| 6 | Great Egret | Ardea alba | Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns | 560 | Jun (rising) |
| 7 | Mourning Dove | Zenaida macroura | Pigeons and Doves | 555 | Apr (past peak) |
| 8 | Great Blue Heron | Ardea herodias | Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns | 540 | Jun (rising) |
| 9 | Carolina Wren | Thryothorus ludovicianus | Wrens | 479 | Apr (past peak) |
| 10 | Canada Goose | Branta canadensis | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 465 | Apr (past peak) |
| 11 | Anhinga | Anhinga anhinga | Darters | 455 | Jun (rising) |
| 12 | American Robin | Turdus migratorius | Thrushes | 448 | Mar (past peak) |
| 13 | Laughing Gull | Leucophaeus atricilla | Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers | 431 | Jun (rising) |
| 14 | Painted Bunting | Passerina ciris | Cardinals and Allies | 405 | May (peak) |
| 15 | Snowy Egret | Egretta thula | Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns | 340 | Mar (past peak) |
| 16 | Red-winged Blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 327 | Apr (past peak) |
| 17 | Gray Catbird | Dumetella carolinensis | Mockingbirds and Thrashers | 323 | Apr (past peak) |
| 18 | Blue Jay | Cyanocitta cristata | Crows, Jays, and Magpies | 297 | May (peak) |
| 19 | Green Heron | Butorides virescens | Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns | 291 | Jun (rising) |
| 20 | Carolina Chickadee | Poecile carolinensis | Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice | 285 | Oct (rising) |
| 21 | Brown Pelican | Pelecanus occidentalis | Pelicans | 279 | Jun (rising) |
| 22 | Boat-tailed Grackle | Quiscalus major | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 272 | Mar (past peak) |
| 23 | Tufted Titmouse | Baeolophus bicolor | Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice | 271 | Apr (past peak) |
| 24 | Red-bellied Woodpecker | Melanerpes carolinus | Woodpeckers | 271 | Apr (past peak) |
| 25 | Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | Ospreys | 265 | Mar (past peak) |
| 26 | Downy Woodpecker | Dryobates pubescens | Woodpeckers | 264 | Mar (past peak) |
| 27 | Tricolored Heron | Egretta tricolor | Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns | 261 | Jun (rising) |
| 28 | Brown-headed Nuthatch | Sitta pusilla | Nuthatches | 260 | Jan (past peak) |
| 29 | Summer Tanager | Piranga rubra | Cardinals and Allies | 254 | May (peak) |
| 30 | Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Archilochus colubris | Hummingbirds | 253 | Sep (rising) |
| 31 | Great Crested Flycatcher | Myiarchus crinitus | Tyrant Flycatchers | 252 | May (peak) |
| 32 | Royal Tern | Thalasseus maximus | Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers | 248 | May (peak) |
| 33 | Chipping Sparrow | Spizella passerina | New World Sparrows | 246 | Mar (past peak) |
| 34 | Yellow-crowned Night Heron | Nyctanassa violacea | Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns | 234 | Jul (rising) |
| 35 | Wood Stork | Mycteria americana | Storks | 230 | Aug (rising) |
| 36 | Little Blue Heron | Egretta caerulea | Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns | 226 | Jun (rising) |
| 37 | Brown-headed Cowbird | Molothrus ater | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 220 | Apr (past peak) |
| 38 | Prothonotary Warbler | Protonotaria citrea | New World Warblers | 220 | Apr (past peak) |
| 39 | Red-shouldered Hawk | Buteo lineatus | Hawks, Eagles, and Kites | 218 | Jan (past peak) |
| 40 | Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura | New World Vultures | 216 | Jan (past peak) |
| 41 | Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 215 | Apr (past peak) |
| 42 | Barred Owl | Strix varia | Typical Owls | 212 | Apr (past peak) |
| 43 | Sanderling | Calidris alba | Sandpipers and Allies | 211 | Oct (rising) |
| 44 | Mississippi Kite | Ictinia mississippiensis | Hawks, Eagles, and Kites | 205 | May (peak) |
| 45 | Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | Swallows and Martins | 192 | May (peak) |
| 46 | Eastern Kingbird | Tyrannus tyrannus | Tyrant Flycatchers | 185 | May (peak) |
| 47 | American Goldfinch | Spinus tristis | Finches, Euphonias, and Allies | 185 | Feb (past peak) |
| 48 | Common Grackle | Quiscalus quiscula | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 180 | Apr (past peak) |
| 49 | Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus | Plovers and Lapwings | 178 | Apr (past peak) |
| 50 | Black-crowned Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns | 176 | Jun (rising) |