Doug Gochfeld made the jump from a love of trains, planes, and automobiles typical of many 7-year-olds to an avid interest in birds after a close encounter with a Steller's Jay in the Pacific Northwest. This filled his early formative years with scouring the urban landscape of New York City for birds with his father. After a teenage break from all things avian, he returned to it with a vengeance, and he hasn't looked back.
His first birding job was as a migration counter at the legendary Cape May Bird Observatory, where his love of and interest in the dynamics of migration (of anything with wings, insects included!) was cemented. From 2006 to 2016, he worked with birds from New Hampshire to Arizona, and from Suriname to Israel. He has also spent a substantial amount of time guiding in Alaska, the bulk of which was spent on St. Paul Island in the Pribilofs.
Doug's strongest interests in birding are migration, vagrancy, and overall patterns of distribution. Shorebirds and seabirds (and any other long-distance migrants, really) hold a special place in his heart, and he has done intensive work studying the breeding and wintering ecology of Hudsonian Godwits in Alaska and Semipalmated Sandpipers in Suriname and Brazil.
In addition to being on the New York State Avian Records Committee, Doug is also passionate about spreading the gospel of birding and the outdoors, and to this end he participates in youth and urban birding initiatives and has guided at birding festivals across the country. His writing and photographs have been published in a myriad of venues.
Doug has co-led Field Guides groups from Alaska, Trinidad, Panama, Cape May, and Arizona, to Newfoundland/Nova Scotia, New Guinea, Cambodia, Vietnam, Texas, Puerto Rico, Madagascar, and more. Additionally, he brought Florida and Israel back into our schedule in 2018 and developed our New Mexico tour for its 2019 inaugural. Scroll down to see his tours below--we think you'll have a great time traveling with him!
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
May 11-17, 2025 ($3175) with Doug Gochfeld
Tour Limit: 7
Spring migration at one of the country's famed birding hotspots.
Jun 1-22, 2025 ($8450) with Doug Gochfeld & local guide
Tour Limit: 8
We return to China for fabulous pheasants and numerous other Sichuan specialties.
Jul 16 - Aug 3, 2025 ($13275) with Doug Gochfeld & Jesse Fagan
Tour Limit: 10
Birds-of-paradise and bowerbirds are the crown jewels of one of the most remarkable bird faunas, one that exists alongside equally fascinating and varied cultures.
(New Britain Extension to Aug 8, 2025)
Sep 20-26, 2025 ($3425) with Doug Gochfeld & Sam Wilson
Tour Limit: 7
See bird migration in action at one of the country's top migration hotspots.
Oct 5-15, 2025 ($4325) with Doug Gochfeld & Jorge Montejo-Diaz
Tour Limit: 10
The amazing spectacle of huge numbers of migrating raptors combined with some highland birding and cultural highlights.
Oct 20 - Nov 12, 2025 ($17450) with Doug Gochfeld
Tour Limit: 10
The ultimate seabird and wildlife cruise, including fabulous South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. Variable fee depending on cabin choice.
Dec 20-27, 2025 ($3550) with Doug Gochfeld & Jay VanderGaast
Tour Limit: 14
Superb birding with two dozen Mexican endemics and fascinating ruins while based in lovely Oaxaca City.
Jan 8-20, 2026 (To be determined / 2025=$7525) with Doug Gochfeld & local guide
Tour Limit: 8
A survey birding tour of the country's vast untrammeled rainforest, with an emphasis on Guianan shield specialties, and side trips to coastal and savanna regions and spectacular Kaieteur Falls.
Jan 31 - Feb 16, 2026 (To be determined / 2025=$6925) with Doug Gochfeld & local guide
Tour Limit: 8
A "last chance" destination for some of the large, rare Asian waterbirds now extinct in neighboring countries, plus additional regional specialties and world-famous Angkor Wat.
Mar 1-8, 2026 (To be determined / 2025=$3550) with Chris Benesh & Doug Gochfeld
Tour Limit: 14
Superb birding with two dozen Mexican endemics and fascinating ruins while based in lovely Oaxaca City.
May be combined with Mexico: Enchanted Chiapas or Mexico: Oaxaca's Atlantic & Pacific Slopes
Mar 24 - Apr 10, 2026 (To be determined / 2025=$9950) with Doug Gochfeld & local guide
Tour Limit: 8
Three prime areas in some of Earth's richest forests while based in comfort right in the wild.
Apr 25 - May 4, 2026 (To be determined / 2025=$4550) with Doug Gochfeld
Tour Limit: 14
A tour for numerous specialties from Central Florida south to the Keys and Dry Tortugas.
May 31 - Jun 21, 2026 (To be determined / 2025=$8450) with Doug Gochfeld & local guide
Tour Limit: 8
We return to China for fabulous pheasants and numerous other Sichuan specialties.
Oct 3-9, 2026 (To be determined / 2025=$3425) with Doug Gochfeld
Tour Limit: 7
See bird migration in action at one of the country's top migration hotspots.
Oct 27 - Nov 12, 2026 (To be determined) 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 20 - Dec 3, 2026 (To be determined) with Doug Gochfeld
Tour Limit: 15
The ultimate seabird quest for a magnificent species seen by few birders: Emperor Penguin! Variable fee depending on cabin choice.