Christmas Bird Count 2026-27: Dec. 14 to Jan. 5, How to Join a Count

The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) runs from Monday, Dec. 14, 2026 to Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2027, according to Birds Canada, and the National Audubon Society says the count “takes place between December 14 and January 5 each year.” Audubon says participation is free and open to bird enthusiasts of any level. We checked both official pages on Nov. 4, 2026; below are the dates, the weekends inside the window and the steps to join a count.

When does the 2026-27 Christmas Bird Count run?

Birds Canada lists the count as “December 14th, 2026 - January 5th, 2027.” Audubon gives the same start and end days without a year. By our calculation, Dec. 14, 2026 is a Monday and Jan. 5, 2027 is a Tuesday, which makes 23 days counting both ends: 17 weekdays and six weekend days.

Last season was Audubon’s 126th Christmas Bird Count, per its Dec. 14, 2025 release. We found no official number or registration date for the 2026-27 season.

Weekends and holidays inside the count window

Audubon says all count activities “must fall within the 24-hour period that comprises your circle’s count day.” Circles pick their own day, so ask your circle leader which date applies to you. These are the weekends and holidays in the window, from our calendar calculation:

Date	Day	What it is
Dec. 14, 2026	Monday	Window opens
Dec. 19-20, 2026	Saturday and Sunday	First weekend in the window
Dec. 25, 2026	Friday	Christmas Day
Dec. 26-27, 2026	Saturday and Sunday	Second weekend
Jan. 1, 2027	Friday	New Year’s Day
Jan. 2-3, 2027	Saturday and Sunday	Third weekend
Jan. 5, 2027	Tuesday	Window closes

Mark the days on the December 2026 printable calendar and the January 2027 printable calendar. For other dates in the month, see our December 2026 dates list.

How do you join a Christmas Bird Count?

1. Open Audubon’s CBC Circle Finder to locate a count near you. Audubon says to “visit our CBC Circle Finder to locate a count near you and register to participate.”
2. Register. There is no fee: Audubon said in its December 2025 release that “there is no fee to participate in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count.”
3. Contact your circle leader. Audubon says “your circle leader will be happy to help.”
4. Count on your circle’s count day, inside its 24-hour period.

Audubon’s December 2025 release says each count takes place in a 15-mile-wide circle. For help, Audubon lists cbcadmin@audubon.org.

How do you join a count in Canada?

Birds Canada says volunteers “count together in groups called Circles,” and asks you to select the Circle you want to participate in and register. Its phone number is 1-888-448-2473. Its page gives the same Dec. 14, 2026 to Jan. 5, 2027 window.

Can you count from home at a feeder?

Yes. Audubon says feeder counting needs “no binoculars or hiking required, and you can participate with less time commitment.” Ask your circle leader how feeder counts are set up in your circle.

Our free printable has the four join steps and a tally of 12 birds taken from Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Project FeederWatch “Common Feeder Birds” page: Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, American Goldfinch, House Finch, Mourning Dove and White-throated Sparrow. The list is not a ranking.

Where did the Christmas Bird Count start?

Audubon says the count began on Christmas Day 1900 with ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, “an early officer in the then-nascent Audubon Society.” Its history page says 27 dedicated birders held 25 Christmas Bird Counts that day.

The last day of the window, Jan. 5, 2027, is also National Bird Day; see our National Bird Day 2027 guide for the other winter counts. Looking for another way outdoors that week? See First Day Hikes 2027 for Friday, Jan. 1.