Birds to See in District of Columbia in August
77 bird species on our list for District of Columbia are recorded regularly in August
Of these, the most often recorded are Northern Cardinal, American Robin, Mourning Dove, Common Starling and Gray Catbird. New this month: American Redstart, American Herring Gull, Magnolia Warbler and Ovenbird and 16 more.
On the move in August
GBIF · AugArriving
At their peak
From District of Columbia’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 77 birds in August
77 birds
Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 4.35% in Aug
American RobinTurdus migratoriusResidentCommon20–28 cmRecorded all year · 4.19% in Aug
Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraResidentCommon23–34 cmRecorded all year · 3.73% in Aug
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.48% in Aug
Gray CatbirdDumetella carolinensisSummer visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 3.45% in Aug
Blue JayCyanocitta cristataResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 2.95% in Aug
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 2.86% in Aug
American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchosResidentCommon41–53 cmRecorded all year · 2.53% in Aug
Common GrackleQuiscalus quisculaSummer visitorCommon28–34 cmRecorded all year · 2.38% in Aug
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.30% in Aug
Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottosResidentCommon21–26 cmRecorded all year · 2.23% in Aug
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescensResidentCommon14–18 cmRecorded all year · 2.21% in Aug
Fish CrowCorvus ossifragusResidentCommon36–41 cmRecorded all year · 2.03% in Aug
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 1.97% in Aug
Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinusResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.92% in Aug
Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolorResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.81% in Aug
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 1.77% in Aug
OspreyPandion haliaetusSummer visitorCommon54–58 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 1.76% in Aug
Great White EgretArdea albaPassage migrantCommon80–104 cmRegularly Jun–Nov · 1.64% in Aug
White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensisResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 1.55% in Aug
Song SparrowMelospiza melodiaResidentCommon12–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.55% in Aug
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasResidentCommon91–137 cmRecorded all year · 1.44% in Aug
Ruby-throated HummingbirdArchilochus colubrisSummer visitorCommon7–9 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 1.38% in Aug
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 1.23% in Aug
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 1.13% in Aug
Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensisWinter visitorCommon43–54 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.12% in Aug
Great Crested FlycatcherMyiarchus crinitusSummer visitorCommon17–22 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 1.09% in Aug
Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceusResidentCommon17–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.96% in Aug
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatusResidentCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.93% in Aug
House FinchHaemorhous mexicanusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.71% in Aug
American RedstartSetophaga ruticillaPassage migrantCommon11–14 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.61% in Aug
Wood DuckAix sponsaResidentCommon47–54 cmRecorded all year · 0.60% in Aug
Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbulaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.59% in Aug
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusResidentCommon18–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in Aug
Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalusResidentCommon70–102 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Aug
Turkey VultureCathartes auraResidentCommon62–81 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in Aug
Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichasSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.43% in Aug
Chestnut-sided WarblerSetophaga pensylvanicaPassage migrantCommon10–14 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.34% in Aug
Eastern BluebirdSialia sialisResidentCommon16–21 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Aug
Northern Yellow WarblerSetophaga aestivaSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.27% in Aug
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisWinter visitorCommon45–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Aug
Chipping SparrowSpizella passerinaSummer visitorCommon12–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Aug
Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorumResidentCommon15–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Aug
Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivaceaSummer visitorCommon16–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.21% in Aug
Magnolia WarblerSetophaga magnoliaPassage migrantCommon11–13 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.16% in Aug
Cape May WarblerSetophaga tigrinaPassage migrantCommon12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.14% in Aug
Common RavenCorvus coraxWinter visitorUncommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Aug
Barred OwlStrix variaResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Aug
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.12% in Aug
Purple MartinProgne subisSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Mar–Aug · 0.11% in Aug
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.11% in Aug
American Herring GullLarus smithsonianusWinter visitorCommon53–65 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.10% in Aug
OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapillaPassage migrantCommon12–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.10% in Aug
Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimusPassage migrantUncommon12–14 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.09% in Aug
Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensisPassage migrantUncommon12–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.09% in Aug
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorCommon24–33 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.08% in Aug
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Aug
VeeryCatharus fuscescensSummer visitorCommon16–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.07% in Aug
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentUncommon100–125 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Aug
Tennessee WarblerLeiothlypis peregrinaPassage migrantCommon10–13 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.06% in Aug
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusWinter visitorUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Aug
Forster's TernSterna forsteriResidentUncommon33–36 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.05% in Aug
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorUncommon54–59 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.05% in Aug
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesPassage migrantRare23–27 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.05% in Aug
Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatusPassage migrantUncommon17–19 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.05% in Aug
Black-throated Green WarblerSetophaga virensPassage migrantCommon11–12 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.04% in Aug
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaPassage migrantRare15–18 cmRegularly May–Aug · 0.04% in Aug
BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorusPassage migrantUncommon16–20 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.04% in Aug
American AvocetRecurvirostra americanaResidentRare43–51 cmRegularly Jul–Aug · 0.04% in Aug
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaPassage migrantUncommon29–40 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.03% in Aug
Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventrisPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Sep · 0.03% in Aug
Black TernChlidonias nigerPassage migrantRare22–26 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.02% in Aug
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Aug–Oct · 0.02% in Aug
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 0.01% in Aug
Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citreaSummer visitorUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.01% in Aug
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianusWinter visitorRare46–63 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.00% in Aug
Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asioResidentRare16–25 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 0.00% in Aug
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made