Washington, DC

The District of Columbia is not, of course, part of the State of Maryland, but we have included it in this Birder’s Guide because of the close geographical, historical, and cultural links with Maryland. The District is intensely urban, but there are many National Park Service parks and monuments, as well as municipal parks, that provide good habitat for birds. DC has excellent access to water, with the Potomac River on its southwest border and the Anacostia River in the east.

Washington, DC has over 320 species reported on eBird, while official records indicate 347 species observed and documented.. For the DC eBird checklist, eBird hotspots, and more, click here.

View a comparison of DC and Maryland counties based on total number of species reported on eBird.

Washington, DC is bordered by Montgomery County, MD on the northwest; Prince George’s County, MD on the east; and Virginia on the southwest. The city is surrounded by the DC Beltway/I-495.  Major routes through the city include I-395 and I-295.

To view the DC government’s printable street map of Washington, DC (PDF format), please click here. Note that the DC government’s street map does not include labels on National Park Service and other federal properties. For that reason, you may prefer the National Park Service map. In the upper left corner of the map, choose “Park Tiles” and then use the +/- buttons to zoom in and out, and use the mouse to move the map.

The city is served by the Audubon Society of the District of Columbia; Nature Forward (formerly known as the Audubon Naturalist Society) also serves the the greater Washington, DC metropolitan region.

Explore birding sites in Washington, DC by choosing from the list below.