DCbird was founded in January 2023 to connect visitors and locals with Washington, DC’s diverse bird life via private, individualized birding tours. Our flagship Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens tour is our most popular offering, and we also offer custom itineraries by request. Whichever tour you select, we’ll ask some basic questions at booking to best understand your goals so we can provide you with the most positive experience possible. DCbird tours are small by design—your party will never be combined with another party—to allow for maximal interaction with your guide. The individualized attention and local knowledge of your guide will ensure you receive great value from your experience.
Birding in Washington, DC
With DC’s international reputation as a hub of politics and culture, the natural beauty that exists in the city is often overlooked, and that includes the city’s birdlife. According to eBird, 330 unique bird species have been recorded in the city, with well over 200 of those species occurring annually. DC’s geographic location along the Atlantic Flyway makes it a great place to see migrating birds, and the city is also host to many resident species year round. All DCbird tours take place within the city limits of the District of Columbia.
Meet Our Local Expert Guide
Andy McGeoch is DCbird’s founder and guide. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Andy has been a nature-lover his entire life and developed a particular interest in birds while living in the Boston area (his spark bird was a scolding blue jay). A DC resident on two different occasions, Andy returned to the city on a permanent basis in 2017 and spends every spare moment exploring DC’s many wild places and its great diversity of birds. A friendly and easy-going guide, he is eager to share his knowledge of DC’s birds with clients and adapt each tour to suit individual needs. Andy has volunteered his birding expertise with organizations including the National Park Service and the Smithsonian Institution, and his current DC life list is 234 species.
As someone who began birding in his late 20s, he is incredibly grateful to the kind, patient, and knowledgeable birders in the DC birding community who have helped him get to this point. Some of his favorite birds in the city include the wood thrush (DC’s official bird), bald eagle (the national bird of the United States), and chimney swift (unofficial bird of Andy’s apartment balcony).
In addition to birding, Andy enjoys travelling far and wide, studying Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig), retro video games, and following his favorite sports teams (ask him about them!). He lives in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of DC with his wife, Janet, where they enjoy their close proximity to Rock Creek Park.