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

60 birds were recorded seen in Washington in May in our iNaturalist sample; 24 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

Mallard2,574 obs.

American Robin2,525 obs.

Canada Goose2,329 obs.

Great Blue Heron2,066 obs.

Dark-eyed Junco1,983 obs.

Song Sparrow1,852 obs.

Red-winged Blackbird1,830 obs.

Bald Eagle1,810 obs.

American Crow1,768 obs.

Spotted Towhee1,255 obs.

Anna's Hummingbird1,013 obs.

White-crowned Sparrow990 obs.

All birds seen in Washington in May

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	2,574	Apr (past peak)
2	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	2,525	Apr (past peak)
3	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	2,329	Apr (past peak)
4	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	2,066	May (peak)
5	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	1,983	May (peak)
6	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	1,852	Apr (past peak)
7	Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	1,830	Apr (past peak)
8	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	1,810	Apr (past peak)
9	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	1,768	Apr (past peak)
10	Spotted Towhee	Pipilo maculatus	New World Sparrows	1,255	Apr (past peak)
11	Anna's Hummingbird	Calypte anna	Hummingbirds	1,013	Apr (past peak)
12	White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	New World Sparrows	990	Apr (past peak)
13	Black-headed Grosbeak	Pheucticus melanocephalus	Cardinals and Allies	983	May (peak)
14	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	951	May (peak)
15	Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	Ospreys	856	Aug (rising)
16	Steller's Jay	Cyanocitta stelleri	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	827	May (peak)
17	Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	Plovers and Lapwings	825	May (peak)
18	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	799	May (peak)
19	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	794	Jun (rising)
20	Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	Swallows and Martins	764	Jul (rising)
21	Tree Swallow	Tachycineta bicolor	Swallows and Martins	763	May (peak)
22	Gadwall	Mareca strepera	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	743	May (peak)
23	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	742	May (peak)
24	Wood Duck	Aix sponsa	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	719	Jun (rising)
25	Violet-green Swallow	Tachycineta thalassina	Swallows and Martins	667	May (peak)
26	Brown-headed Cowbird	Molothrus ater	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	619	May (peak)
27	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Waxwings	608	Jun (rising)
28	Western Tanager	Piranga ludoviciana	Cardinals and Allies	590	May (peak)
29	Barred Owl	Strix varia	Typical Owls	585	Jul (rising)
30	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	533	Mar (past peak)
31	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	529	Apr (past peak)
32	Wilson's Warbler	Cardellina pusilla	New World Warblers	526	May (peak)
33	Pigeon Guillemot	Cepphus columba	Auks, Murres, and Puffins	510	Jul (rising)
34	Rufous Hummingbird	Selasphorus rufus	Hummingbirds	503	May (peak)
35	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	495	May (peak)
36	Savannah Sparrow	Passerculus sandwichensis	New World Sparrows	459	Apr (past peak)
37	Cinnamon Teal	Spatula cyanoptera	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	389	May (peak)
38	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	377	May (peak)
39	Red-breasted Sapsucker	Sphyrapicus ruber	Woodpeckers	377	Jun (rising)
40	Pileated Woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	Woodpeckers	362	May (peak)
41	Hairy Woodpecker	Leuconotopicus villosus	Woodpeckers	360	Jun (rising)
42	Chestnut-backed Chickadee	Poecile rufescens	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	359	Apr (past peak)
43	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	357	Apr (past peak)
44	Yellow-headed Blackbird	Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	355	May (peak)
45	California Scrub-Jay	Aphelocoma californica	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	352	May (peak)
46	Bewick's Wren	Thryomanes bewickii	Wrens	346	Apr (past peak)
47	Northern Yellow Warbler	Setophaga aestiva	New World Warblers	344	May (peak)
48	Caspian Tern	Hydroprogne caspia	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	335	May (peak)
49	California Quail	Callipepla californica	New World Quails	328	May (peak)
50	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	325	Mar (past peak)

Birds Seen in Washington in May

Top birds in May

All birds seen in Washington in May