Plan

Where to go birding in May

Every destination is rated month by month, so you can travel when the birds are there. Pick a month, a continent or a habitat.

38 destinations rated good or best in May

Bhutan Bhutan: the Lateral Road A cross-country route through pristine Himalayan forest from Paro to Trashigang.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Poor or no data
MMarch: Good
AApril: Best
MMay: Best
JJune: Poor or no data
JJuly: Poor or no data
AAugust: Poor or no data
SSeptember: Poor or no data
OOctober: Good
NNovember: Good
DDecember: Poor or no data

Poland Białowieża Forest Europe's last great lowland primeval forest: woodpecker heaven.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Poor or no data
MMarch: Good
AApril: Best
MMay: Best
JJune: Best
JJuly: Poor or no data
AAugust: Poor or no data
SSeptember: Good
OOctober: Poor or no data
NNovember: Poor or no data
DDecember: Poor or no data

Australia Cairns and the Daintree Wet tropics rainforest and Great Barrier Reef coast in one trip.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Poor or no data
MMarch: Poor or no data
AApril: Poor or no data
MMay: Good
JJune: Best
JJuly: Best
AAugust: Best
SSeptember: Best
OOctober: Best
NNovember: Best
DDecember: Good

France Camargue The Rhône delta: flamingos, herons and bee-eaters among lagoons and rice fields.

JJanuary: Good
FFebruary: Good
MMarch: Poor or no data
AApril: Best
MMay: Best
JJune: Best
JJuly: Poor or no data
AAugust: Poor or no data
SSeptember: Good
OOctober: Good
NNovember: Poor or no data
DDecember: Poor or no data

United States Cape May North America's most famous migration hotspot on a funnel-shaped peninsula.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Poor or no data
MMarch: Poor or no data
AApril: Poor or no data
MMay: Good
JJune: Poor or no data
JJuly: Poor or no data
AAugust: Poor or no data
SSeptember: Best
OOctober: Best
NNovember: Good
DDecember: Poor or no data

Romania Danube Delta Europe's largest wetland: pelicans, cormorants and reedbed warblers by boat.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Poor or no data
MMarch: Poor or no data
AApril: Good
MMay: Best
JJune: Best
JJuly: Poor or no data
AAugust: Good
SSeptember: Good
OOctober: Poor or no data
NNovember: Poor or no data
DDecember: Poor or no data

Malaysia Danum Valley Primary lowland rainforest in Sabah with Bornean specialities and big canopy towers.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Poor or no data
MMarch: Good
AApril: Best
MMay: Best
JJune: Best
JJuly: Best
AAugust: Best
SSeptember: Good
OOctober: Poor or no data
NNovember: Poor or no data
DDecember: Poor or no data

India Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary Eastern Himalayan forests where the Bugun Liocichla was discovered.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Poor or no data
MMarch: Good
AApril: Best
MMay: Best
JJune: Poor or no data
JJuly: Poor or no data
AAugust: Poor or no data
SSeptember: Poor or no data
OOctober: Good
NNovember: Good
DDecember: Poor or no data

Spain Extremadura Open plains and cork-oak woods for bustards, vultures and eagles.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Good
MMarch: Best
AApril: Best
MMay: Best
JJune: Poor or no data
JJuly: Poor or no data
AAugust: Poor or no data
SSeptember: Good
OOctober: Good
NNovember: Poor or no data
DDecember: Poor or no data

Ecuador Galápagos Islands Fearless birds that inspired Darwin; best explored by boat.

JJanuary: Good
FFebruary: Good
MMarch: Good
AApril: Best
MMay: Best
JJune: Best
JJuly: Good
AAugust: Good
SSeptember: Good
OOctober: Good
NNovember: Good
DDecember: Good

Nepal Ghorepani and Poon Hill (Annapurna) Rhododendron forest in the Annapurna foothills, with pheasants and Himalayan forest birds on a short trek from Pokhara.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Poor or no data
MMarch: Best
AApril: Best
MMay: Best
JJune: Poor or no data
JJuly: Poor or no data
AAugust: Poor or no data
SSeptember: Poor or no data
OOctober: Good
NNovember: Good
DDecember: Poor or no data

United States Hawaiʻi Island forest reserves High-elevation forests sheltering Hawaii's surviving honeycreepers.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Poor or no data
MMarch: Best
AApril: Best
MMay: Best
JJune: Best
JJuly: Good
AAugust: Good
SSeptember: Good
OOctober: Good
NNovember: Poor or no data
DDecember: Poor or no data

United States High Island Coastal woods where exhausted spring migrants land after crossing the Gulf.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Poor or no data
MMarch: Good
AApril: Best
MMay: Good
JJune: Poor or no data
JJuly: Poor or no data
AAugust: Poor or no data
SSeptember: Poor or no data
OOctober: Poor or no data
NNovember: Poor or no data
DDecember: Poor or no data

Hungary Hortobágy National Park Wide puszta grasslands and fishponds with bustards and huge autumn crane roosts.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Poor or no data
MMarch: Poor or no data
AApril: Best
MMay: Best
JJune: Good
JJuly: Poor or no data
AAugust: Poor or no data
SSeptember: Good
OOctober: Best
NNovember: Good
DDecember: Poor or no data

Argentina Iguazú Falls Giant waterfalls with swifts nesting behind the spray.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Poor or no data
MMarch: Good
AApril: Good
MMay: Good
JJune: Good
JJuly: Good
AAugust: Best
SSeptember: Best
OOctober: Best
NNovember: Best
DDecember: Poor or no data

New Zealand Kaikōura Deep water close to shore brings albatrosses within metres of boats.

JJanuary: Best
FFebruary: Best
MMarch: Best
AApril: Good
MMay: Good
JJune: Good
JJuly: Good
AAugust: Good
SSeptember: Good
OOctober: Good
NNovember: Best
DDecember: Best

Australia Kakadu National Park Tropical floodplains and sandstone escarpments with northern specialities.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Poor or no data
MMarch: Poor or no data
AApril: Poor or no data
MMay: Good
JJune: Best
JJuly: Best
AAugust: Best
SSeptember: Best
OOctober: Good
NNovember: Poor or no data
DDecember: Poor or no data

South Africa Kruger National Park Classic safari birding with over 500 species and easy self-drive roads.

JJanuary: Best
FFebruary: Best
MMarch: Best
AApril: Good
MMay: Good
JJune: Good
JJuly: Good
AAugust: Good
SSeptember: Good
OOctober: Good
NNovember: Best
DDecember: Best

Greece Lesvos An Aegean island where eastern Mediterranean specialities meet spring migrants.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Poor or no data
MMarch: Good
AApril: Best
MMay: Best
JJune: Poor or no data
JJuly: Poor or no data
AAugust: Poor or no data
SSeptember: Good
OOctober: Poor or no data
NNovember: Poor or no data
DDecember: Poor or no data

Uganda Mabamba Swamp A papyrus swamp near Entebbe where Shoebills are searched for by canoe.

JJanuary: Best
FFebruary: Best
MMarch: Good
AApril: Good
MMay: Good
JJune: Best
JJuly: Best
AAugust: Best
SSeptember: Good
OOctober: Good
NNovember: Good
DDecember: Best

United States Magee Marsh A lakeshore boardwalk famous for close-up warblers every May.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Poor or no data
MMarch: Poor or no data
AApril: Good
MMay: Best
JJune: Poor or no data
JJuly: Poor or no data
AAugust: Poor or no data
SSeptember: Good
OOctober: Poor or no data
NNovember: Poor or no data
DDecember: Poor or no data

Peru Manu A single road from Andean grassland down to Amazon rainforest.

JJanuary: Poor or no data
FFebruary: Poor or no data
MMarch: Poor or no data
AApril: Good
MMay: Best
JJune: Best
JJuly: Best
AAugust: Best
SSeptember: Best
OOctober: Best
NNovember: Good
DDecember: Poor or no data

Ecuador Mindo Choco cloud forest two hours from Quito: hummingbirds and antpittas.

JJanuary: Good
FFebruary: Good
MMarch: Good
AApril: Good
MMay: Good
JJune: Best
JJuly: Best
AAugust: Best
SSeptember: Best
OOctober: Good
NNovember: Good
DDecember: Good

Costa Rica Monteverde Cloud forest reserves with quetzals, bellbirds and hummingbird feeders.

JJanuary: Good
FFebruary: Good
MMarch: Best
AApril: Best
MMay: Best
JJune: Good
JJuly: Poor or no data
AAugust: Poor or no data
SSeptember: Poor or no data
OOctober: Poor or no data
NNovember: Poor or no data
DDecember: Poor or no data