Peregrine Falcons are winter birds in District of Columbia: the first arrive in late September, they are common by early October, peak in the second week of December (2.8% of checklists), and most are gone by late March.
When to look
First arrivalsSep 22-30late September
Common byOct 1-7early October
PeakDec 8-14the second week of December
Most gone byMar 22-31late March
Best: the second week of December. First arrivals late September; most are gone by late March. Peak: on about 2.8% of District of Columbia checklists.
Janpeak season
Febpeak season
Marcommon
Apruncommon
Mayuncommon
Jununcommon
Juluncommon
Auguncommon
Sepuncommon
Octpeak season
Novpeak season
Decpeak season
Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.
Frequency is the share of complete checklists in District of Columbia that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
0%few checklistsno data
Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.
Captial GroundsDistrict of Columbia County, best early December · 20 checklists that week, 2,365 in all10%
Babcock Lakes (historical)District of Columbia County, best late December · 22 checklists that week, 855 in all10%
Goose IslandDistrict of Columbia County, best the second week of September · 26 checklists that week, 403 in all7.6%
National Capital ParksDistrict of Columbia County, best the second week of April · 185 checklists that week, 6,880 in all7.2%
Theodore Roosevelt IslandDistrict of Columbia County, best the second week of December · 89 checklists that week, 5,227 in all5.6%
Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.
Best time of day
In District of Columbia, the Peregrine Falcon is most often listed on checklists started between 7 and 9 am (1.5% of those checklists).
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.Week-by-week table
Month
Days 1-7
8-14
15-21
22-end
January
2.3%
1.7%
3.0%
2.4%
February
2.9%
2.6%
2.2%
3.1%
March
1.4%
1.4%
1.6%
1.3%
April
0.8%
1.0%
0.8%
0.5%
May
0.5%
0.3%
0.4%
0.7%
June
0.5%
0.9%
0.6%
0.3%
July
0.5%
0.5%
0.6%
0.5%
August
0.3%
0.2%
0.4%
0.6%
September
0.6%
1.1%
0.7%
1.1%
October
1.2%
1.6%
1.8%
2.3%
November
2.4%
2.9%
2.7%
2.2%
December
3.2%
2.1%
3.2%
2.5%
Neighboring states
Maryland: arrives the second week of July, 10 weeks earlier than District of Columbia
Virginia: arrives mid August, 5 weeks earlier than District of Columbia
Delaware: arrives late July, 8 weeks earlier than District of Columbia
Pennsylvania: arrives late July, 8 weeks earlier than District of Columbia
Common questions
When do Peregrine Falcons arrive in District of Columbia?
Peregrine Falcons are winter birds in District of Columbia: the first arrive in late September, they are common by early October, peak in the second week of December (2.8% of checklists), and most are gone by late March.
When do Peregrine Falcons leave District of Columbia?
Most Peregrine Falcons have left District of Columbia by late March, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until early April.
When is the best time to see a Peregrine Falcon in District of Columbia?
The Peregrine Falcon is reported most often in the second week of December, on about 2.8% of District of Columbia checklists.
Where in District of Columbia are Peregrine Falcons seen most often?
By county, District of Columbia County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Peregrine Falcon (counties with at least 200 checklists).
