Overview
- Volunteers nationwide are invited to count birds for one hour between January 9 and 11 in gardens, parks, or from windows and balconies.
- Participants record for each species the highest number seen at one time during the hour and submit results online via NABU’s website or Vogelwelt app, with entries accepted through January 19.
- Persistent frost and snowfall are expected to draw more birds to feeders, increasing observability during the count, according to NABU expert Julian Heiermann.
- NABU says the annual snapshot provides valuable data to track trends in settlement-area species, and organizers offer identification tools so novices can take part.
- Recent context includes strong participation in 2025 (Brandenburg: 4,883 people counted 122,231 birds; NRW: ~20,000 participants reported ~500,000) and a marked drop in blackbird sightings that NABU linked to the Usutu virus.