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

60 birds were recorded seen in Texas in May in our iNaturalist sample; 6 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

Northern Cardinal8,717 obs.

Painted Bunting5,754 obs.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron5,526 obs.

Northern Mockingbird5,513 obs.

Great-tailed Grackle5,076 obs.

Great Blue Heron4,581 obs.

Great Egret4,395 obs.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher4,331 obs.

White-winged Dove3,899 obs.

Mourning Dove3,831 obs.

House Finch3,737 obs.

Blue Jay3,544 obs.

All birds seen in Texas in May

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	8,717	Apr (past peak)
2	Painted Bunting	Passerina ciris	Cardinals and Allies	5,754	May (peak)
3	Yellow-crowned Night Heron	Nyctanassa violacea	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	5,526	Apr (past peak)
4	Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	5,513	Apr (past peak)
5	Great-tailed Grackle	Quiscalus mexicanus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	5,076	Apr (past peak)
6	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	4,581	Apr (past peak)
7	Great Egret	Ardea alba	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	4,395	Apr (past peak)
8	Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	Tyrannus forficatus	Tyrant Flycatchers	4,331	Apr (past peak)
9	White-winged Dove	Zenaida asiatica	Pigeons and Doves	3,899	Apr (past peak)
10	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	3,831	Apr (past peak)
11	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	3,737	Apr (past peak)
12	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	3,544	Apr (past peak)
13	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	3,333	Apr (past peak)
14	Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	3,274	Apr (past peak)
15	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	3,270	Apr (past peak)
16	Black-bellied Whistling-Duck	Dendrocygna autumnalis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	3,263	Apr (past peak)
17	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	3,180	Apr (past peak)
18	Green Heron	Butorides virescens	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	3,090	May (peak)
19	Mississippi Kite	Ictinia mississippiensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	3,006	May (peak)
20	Western Kingbird	Tyrannus verticalis	Tyrant Flycatchers	2,946	May (peak)
21	Summer Tanager	Piranga rubra	Cardinals and Allies	2,791	Apr (past peak)
22	Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	Swallows and Martins	2,784	Apr (past peak)
23	Black Vulture	Coragyps atratus	New World Vultures	2,615	Apr (past peak)
24	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	2,546	Apr (past peak)
25	Eastern Phoebe	Sayornis phoebe	Tyrant Flycatchers	2,543	Oct (rising)
26	Snowy Egret	Egretta thula	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	2,529	Apr (past peak)
27	Red-shouldered Hawk	Buteo lineatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	2,515	Feb (past peak)
28	Dickcissel	Spiza americana	Cardinals and Allies	2,378	May (peak)
29	Carolina Chickadee	Poecile carolinensis	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	2,374	Jan (past peak)
30	Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	Wrens	2,329	Apr (past peak)
31	Brown-headed Cowbird	Molothrus ater	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	2,235	Apr (past peak)
32	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	2,144	Apr (past peak)
33	Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	Plovers and Lapwings	2,096	Apr (past peak)
34	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	2,065	Apr (past peak)
35	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	1,921	Feb (past peak)
36	Northern Yellow Warbler	Setophaga aestiva	New World Warblers	1,821	Sep (rising)
37	Lark Sparrow	Chondestes grammacus	New World Sparrows	1,765	Apr (past peak)
38	Eastern Kingbird	Tyrannus tyrannus	Tyrant Flycatchers	1,734	Apr (past peak)
39	Western Cattle-Egret	Ardea ibis	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	1,681	Apr (past peak)
40	Greater Roadrunner	Geococcyx californianus	Cuckoos	1,650	Apr (past peak)
41	Laughing Gull	Leucophaeus atricilla	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	1,645	Apr (past peak)
42	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	1,594	Apr (past peak)
43	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	1,594	Jan (past peak)
44	Indigo Bunting	Passerina cyanea	Cardinals and Allies	1,591	Apr (past peak)
45	Little Blue Heron	Egretta caerulea	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	1,589	Apr (past peak)
46	Black-necked Stilt	Himantopus mexicanus	Stilts and Avocets	1,498	Apr (past peak)
47	Magnolia Warbler	Setophaga magnolia	New World Warblers	1,477	May (peak)
48	White Ibis	Eudocimus albus	Ibises and Spoonbills	1,459	Apr (past peak)
49	Neotropic Cormorant	Nannopterum brasilianum	Cormorants and Shags	1,446	Apr (past peak)
50	Lesser Goldfinch	Spinus psaltria	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	1,361	Apr (past peak)

Birds Seen in Texas in May

Top birds in May

All birds seen in Texas in May