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Theodore Roosevelt and Birding in Washington, DC

A painting of Theodore Roosevelt depicts him glaring at the viewer with one hand on his hip and the other gripping an orb-shaped cap of a newel post.
Theodore Roosevelt by John Singer Sargent

White House Historical Association

Theodore Roosevelt was an avid nature enthusiast with a keen interest in bird life. As a child, he devoured natural history books and even set out to create his own household natural history museum. By the age of 14, he was an accomplished taxidermist; two taxidermied birds are in the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace archives, and a snowy owl he prepared as a boy entered the collections at the American Museum of Natural History in New York when he gifted it in 1911.

While serving as president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt frequently spent time outdoors hiking and horseback riding, including in Rock Creek Park. In addition to doing all this strenuous activity amid his busy official schedule, Roosevelt took notice of the bird life around him.

In 1908, Lucy Maynard was updating her book "Birds of Washington and Vicinity" and Roosevelt sought to help out by providing a list of 93 birds he had personally seen in Washington, DC, during his presidential years. His handwritten note appears to have been recorded directly from memory. TR included notes on which species he had seen at the White House, and even those he had noticed nesting on the White House grounds.

Roosevelt himself admitted at the end of the list, "Doubless this list is incomplete; I have seen others that I have forgotten." Indeed, Roosevelt glaringly omitted any form of waterfowl, gulls, or shorebirds from his list, as well as a number of common raptors. Avid birders can appreciate, though, that TR probably recalled every warbler he saw, and made sure they were on the list!

During his presidency, Theodore Roosevelt protected approximately 230 million acres of public land, including 51 federal bird refuges, the first of their kind. These actions played an important role in protecting species from overhunting and the possibility of extinction.

The list of birds Theodore Roosevelt gave to Lucy Maynard is compiled below for you to explore. To view the list written in his own hand, see "Birds seen in the White House grounds and about Washington."

What birds have you seen in Washington, DC? Or in your neighborhood? Who would you share your bird list with?

List of birds Theodore Roosevelt recorded in Washington, DC

By default, the list is sorted in the order that Roosevelt wrote them down, but you may sort them by any of the headers. In places where Roosevelt used a quotation mark to refer to text above on his list, the appropriate word or phrase has been entered in brackets [like so].

Reading the list in the original order reveals something of how Theodore Roosevelt's memory worked when recalling the birds. How would you organize your list?
Birds Theodore Roosevelt recalled seeing in Washington, DC from 1901-1908
Seen on White House grounds Bird Note Modern name Latin name

Now it's your turn!

Ready to tap your inner Theodore Roosevelt and identify Washington, DC, birds? Grab your binoculars and see what you can find. Check the lists below for birds the National Park Service has recorded in Washington, DC, national parks. If you're new to birding, try our Birding for Beginners guide to learn more about how to notice, identify and enjoy birds wherever you are!

Bird checklist

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Visit NPSpecies for more comprehensive information and advanced search capability. Have a suggestion or comment on this list? Let us know.

National Mall and Memorial Parks, Rock Creek Park, The White House and President's Park

Last updated: June 3, 2025