National Parks Invite Bird Lovers to Participate in This Holiday Season Tradition — See Where
Between December 14, 2025, and January 5, 2026, bird lovers across America will wake before the break of dawn. They will gather in their favorite or nearest park to witness the colorful plumages and the moody morning tantrums of birds. Some will spot a tufted titmouse clinging to a snow-dusted branch. Others will capture red-naped sapsuckers or purple finches divebombing from treetops. Those who stay at home might see hummingbirds or sunbirds visiting their backyards or bird feeders for sweet nectar. Others, who visit a nearby garden, might get lucky to catch a bluebird eating grasshoppers, a mockingbird nibbling at blueberries, or a silvery-blue stellar jay with a live caterpillar dangling from its beak.
This event is much more than leisurely birdwatching. Dubbed the Christmas Bird Count (CBC), it is hosted by many national parks in collaboration with the National Audubon Society (NAS) as part of their bird conservation efforts.
This year would be Audubon's 126th CBC. Every year during December, NAS rolls out dates and lists of parks that choose to participate in the event. But why in winter? The tradition goes back to 1900 when ornithologist Frank Chapman, a scientist and writer, headed out for what they called the Christmas Side Hunt. Their goal was to see who would hunt the most birds. Eventually, bird enthusiasts joined their group and asked, “What if we just count them instead?” Santa Clara County Park noted on Facebook. This is when CBC emerged as an annual event, almost like a ritual.
Every CBC session has its own rhythm. Beginning with sunrise, volunteers start by observing the faint silhouettes of feathery fellows or listening to their songs in the quiet dark of early morning. With the onrush of daylight, volunteers follow the routes, counting each bird, tallying every appearance they see or hear. NPS has shared the full list of participating parks. In Texas, for instance, the Big Bend National Park will host CBC in the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. One circle will be in Chisos Basin, the other in the Rio Grande Village area, per NPS.
In Lake County, the Redbud Audubon Society will host CBC on December 20. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will also host it on December 20. In Sequoia, volunteers will gather at the Sequoia Parks Conservancy office at 6 a.m. for owling in the Ash Mountain area. Birding will begin at 7 a.m. and will continue for several hours.
The Great Sand Dunes National Park has scheduled the event a bit later, on January 3, 2026, starting from 7:45 am. In South-central Oklahoma, the Chickasaw National Recreation Area will celebrate the bird counting event on December 27 between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m.
CBCs might sound like an event that is immersive, meditative, and fun, but that seems to have no scientific significance. It has, actually. The objective of this event goes way beyond. By tallying the birds across an array of circles punctuated in America, scientists can monitor everything from their changing population numbers to their migration patterns and feeding behaviors during the wintertime. If the tally data suggests that the golden sparrows are missing from a region, scientists might be able to quickly detect the underlying cause and try to bring them back.
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