Doug Gochfeld (aka the Treeswift) has spent his adult life moving around the birding universe, from bird ecology and research positions in Alaska, Suriname, New Hampshire, and Brazil to birding festivals, counting migrations in Cape May, Arizona, and Eilat, and remote bird guiding on St. Paul Island in the Bering Sea, before landing at Field Guides, where he began guiding tours in 2014.
Doug's strongest interests in birding are migration, vagrancy, and the never-ending wheres, whens, and whys of bird distribution. Shorebirds and seabirds (and any other long-distance migrants, really) hold a special place in his heart, so give him a pair of muckboots or a boat and he's a happy camper. He particularly enjoys documenting birds in flight, as well as the learning and teaching that stem from the challenge of flight identification.
Doug serves on various avian records committees at state and national levels, and he participates in youth and urban birding initiatives and birding festivals, where he actively spreads the gospel of birding and the outdoors. His writing and photographs have been published worldwide.
Doug guides globally for Field Guides, including a string of new tours that he's initiated over the past decade. His Old World tour schedule focuses on Asia and Australasia, while he can be found guiding various Western Hemisphere tours from the Arctic to the Antarctic. If there's a boat involved, you can also count on Doug to be first on the gangway with his bottomless enthusiasm for pelagic life.
Scroll down to see Doug's current schedule of tours.
Client comment
"Excellent group experience. Everyone was very nice and compatible. Field Guides has so many great guides, but I have to rate Doug Gochfeld as one of the best I have ever met. It was such a pleasure to be on a birding trip with him! Office service was excellent." M.P., ALASKA FALL GOLDMINE tour participant
Links for Doug
Here are a few links relating to Doug that we think you'll enjoy:
A piece by Doug about raptor migration in Israel
Doug's Flickr photo site
Doug's Vimeo video site
Doug's Upcoming Tours
Oct 3-10, 2026 ($3995) with Doug Gochfeld
Tour Limit: 7
See bird migration in action at one of the country's top migration hotspots.
Oct 29 - Nov 14, 2026 ($9150) with Doug Gochfeld & local guide
Tour Limit: 10
Superb springtime birding tour through southern South America amid stark and spectacular landscapes.
May be combined with Northwestern Argentina
Nov 23 - Dec 6, 2026 ($15450) with Doug Gochfeld
Tour Limit: 10
The ultimate seabird quest for a magnificent species seen by few birders: Emperor Penguin! Variable fee depending on cabin choice.
Jan 9-25, 2027 ($7275) with Doug Gochfeld & local guide
Tour Limit: 8
See yet another side of China, visiting the country's most bird-diverse province.
Feb 20 - Mar 12, 2027 ($8750) with Doug Gochfeld & local guide
Tour Limit: 8
Intriguing survey tour to bird-rich but poorly known Vietnam.
Mar 31 - Apr 17, 2027 (To be determined / 2026=$10475) with Doug Gochfeld & Phil Chaon
Tour Limit: 8
Three prime areas in some of Earth's richest forests while based in comfort right in the wild.
May 15 - Jun 6, 2027 (To be determined / 2026=$8695) with Doug Gochfeld & local guide
Tour Limit: 8
We return to China for fabulous pheasants and numerous other Sichuan specialties.
Oct 12-27, 2027 - Part Two (To be determined / 2026=$8425) with Cory Gregory & Doug Gochfeld
Tour Limit: 12
In two parts for those with limited time. Part I covers the environs of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, southwest Australia, and Alice Springs. Part II begins in Darwin and continues to Queensland (Cairns, Atherton Tableland, Outback Queensland, and O'Reilly's Guest House). Both parts combine for a complete birding tour of Australia. An optional endemic-rich extension to Tasmania follows Part II.
(Tasmania Extension to Nov 1, 2027)
Nov 14 - Dec 2, 2027 (To be determined / 2026=$8975) with Doug Gochfeld & local guide
Tour Limit: 12
Beautiful landscapes as a backdrop for nearly 50 endemic birds plus a great selection of seabirds.
Dec 30, 2027 - Jan 6, 2028 (To be determined / 2026=$4875) with Doug Gochfeld & local guide
Tour Limit: 8
A superb introduction to Neotropical birds or a complement to your broader Middle American birding, all based at a charming lodge.