Birds to See in District of Columbia in December
77 bird species on our list for District of Columbia are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Ring-billed Gull, Northern Cardinal, Common Starling, American Robin and Blue Jay. New this month: Goldeneye, Snow Goose and Iceland Gull.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
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 December
77 birds
Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensisWinter visitorCommon43–54 cmRegularly Jul–May · 3.79% in Dec
Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.73% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.72% in Dec
American RobinTurdus migratoriusResidentCommon20–28 cmRecorded all year · 3.69% in Dec
Blue JayCyanocitta cristataResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 3.65% in Dec
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 3.60% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 3.08% in Dec
American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchosResidentCommon41–53 cmRecorded all year · 3.00% in Dec
Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottosResidentCommon21–26 cmRecorded all year · 2.81% in Dec
Song SparrowMelospiza melodiaResidentCommon12–17 cmRecorded all year · 2.80% in Dec
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescensResidentCommon14–18 cmRecorded all year · 2.66% in Dec
Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraResidentCommon23–34 cmRecorded all year · 2.64% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 2.63% in Dec
Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinusResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 2.39% in Dec
Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolorResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.37% in Dec
White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensisResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 1.79% in Dec
Fish CrowCorvus ossifragusResidentCommon36–41 cmRecorded all year · 1.72% in Dec
American Herring GullLarus smithsonianusWinter visitorCommon53–65 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 1.62% in Dec
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 1.55% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 1.42% in Dec
Ruby-crowned KingletCorthylio calendulaWinter visitorCommon9–11 cmRegularly Sep–May · 1.35% in Dec
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisWinter visitorCommon45–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.21% in Dec
House FinchHaemorhous mexicanusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.14% in Dec
Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalusResidentCommon70–102 cmRecorded all year · 1.00% in Dec
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasResidentCommon91–137 cmRecorded all year · 0.99% in Dec
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusWinter visitorCommon64–79 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.90% in Dec
Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus variusWinter visitorCommon19–22 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.89% in Dec
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusResidentCommon18–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.82% in Dec
Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceusResidentCommon17–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.81% in Dec
Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgianaWinter visitorCommon12–15 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.76% in Dec
Turkey VultureCathartes auraResidentCommon62–81 cmRecorded all year · 0.66% in Dec
Eastern BluebirdSialia sialisResidentCommon16–21 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in Dec
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatusResidentCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.60% in Dec
Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatusWinter visitorCommon14–18 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.59% in Dec
Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronataWinter visitorCommon12–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.57% in Dec
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorCommon24–33 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.56% in Dec
Fox SparrowPasserella iliacaWinter visitorUncommon15–19 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.48% in Dec
Orange-crowned WarblerLeiothlypis celataWinter visitorUncommon11–14 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.41% in Dec
Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorumResidentCommon15–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.41% in Dec
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.40% in Dec
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.39% in Dec
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podicepsWinter visitorUncommon31–38 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.30% in Dec
Gray CatbirdDumetella carolinensisSummer visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.30% in Dec
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.30% in Dec
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorUncommon54–59 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.27% in Dec
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Dec
Common GrackleQuiscalus quisculaSummer visitorCommon28–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusWinter visitorUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Dec
Wood DuckAix sponsaResidentCommon47–54 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Dec
Common RavenCorvus coraxWinter visitorUncommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Dec
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorUncommon35–43 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.19% in Dec
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatusWinter visitorUncommon24–34 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.18% in Dec
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorUncommon46–56 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.16% in Dec
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorUncommon53–76 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.14% in Dec
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.13% in Dec
Nashville WarblerLeiothlypis ruficapillaPassage migrantUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.11% in Dec
Chipping SparrowSpizella passerinaSummer visitorCommon12–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusWinter visitorUncommon31–38 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.10% in Dec
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentUncommon100–125 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Dec
Common LoonGavia immerWinter visitorUncommon66–91 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.09% in Dec
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensPassage migrantUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.09% in Dec
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.09% in Dec
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesPassage migrantUncommon52–60 cmRegularly Dec · 0.08% in Dec
Barred OwlStrix variaResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Dec
Pine SiskinSpinus pinusWinter visitorUncommon11–14 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.06% in Dec
Palm WarblerSetophaga palmarumPassage migrantCommon12–14 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.06% in Dec
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.04% in Dec
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.04% in Dec
Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphiaPassage migrantUncommon28–38 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.02% in Dec
Horned LarkEremophila alpestrisResidentUncommon16–20 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.02% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorUncommon34–38 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.02% in Dec
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.02% in Dec
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianusWinter visitorRare46–63 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.02% in Dec
Northern PintailAnas acutaPassage migrantUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.02% in Dec
Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalusWinter visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.01% in Dec
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorRare120–150 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.01% in Dec
White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrysPassage migrantUncommon15–16 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.01% in Dec
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