Winter bird count 2026 – “Stunde der Wintervögel”

The winter bird count 2026 “Stunde der Wintervögel” took place this year on the second weekend of January. In this blog post, I share which birds I was able to observe, what special occurrences there were this year, and which species were surprisingly completely absent at my observation site.

Winter bird count 2026

Frosty temperatures, an icy wind that made the cold feel even colder, and icy paths set the scene. But of course, this winter weather didn’t stop me from taking part in the winter bird count 2026.

What does such a frosty winter mean for the birds? After persistent frost and snowfall, do more birds show up at feeding stations? And at these temperatures, is it really possible to observe a particularly wide variety of bird species in gardens and parks?

To get straight to the point: yes—for me, it was a very special afternoon. On Sunday midday during the winter bird count 2026 weekend, I made my way to Volkspark Friedrichshain in Berlin to spend an hour observing the birds at a feeding station.

Because of the icy cold, I was initially torn about whether to take my camera with me. At such temperatures, fingers quickly risk becoming numb, almost frozen. In the end, I decided to bring it—and was more than happy with that decision.

Even before I reached the feeding station, I had a very special bird encounter: a common buzzard sat seemingly completely relaxed on a branch.

The bird was beautiful.

Hardly had I spotted the common buzzard when a family also stopped to watch the raptor—which, by the way, can be seen regularly in Berlin. Yet, as always, it was a special encounter, because the bird sat unusually still on the branch. And all this in the middle of a busy city park like Volkspark Friedrichshain.

Above the buzzard, a Eurasian jay made its presence known.

Of course, he was beautiful as well. After these first two encounters, I was genuinely curious to see which other birds I would discover that afternoon.

Even before I reached the feeding station, I came across countless great tits. Some bird food had fallen onto the snow- and ice-covered ground—and the tits certainly knew exactly where to find it. They flitted from branch to branch, from branch to fence, and repeatedly down to the ground. The path was alive with activity.

I had actually intended to continue on to the feeding station, but to be honest, I had to stop and watch the great tits for a while as they busily darted back and forth.

It was early January, and I have to admit that in the hustle and bustle of the past few weeks, I had hardly spent any time in the park. In that moment, I realized how much the birds mean to me—and how good these observations are for my well-being. Perhaps I wouldn’t have even gone out that day if it weren’t for the winter bird count 2026.

Nonetheless, near the many great tits, I spotted a common blackbird. I love its song and realized how long it had been since I last heard it. That day, it didn’t sing, but simply seeing it sitting calmly in the tree made me happy and content.

Finally, I made my way to the feeding station. On the path, I noticed a hooded crow that showed no fear and strolled around quite calmly. I carefully walked around it and continued on my way to the feeding station.

As I walked up the stairs to the feeding station, I spotted a Eurasian red squirrel in the distance, rummaging through the snow. I had hazelnuts in my pocket that I would have gladly offered to the little park resident. But that day, the squirrel stayed cautiously at a distance and didn’t dare come close to the bird feeder.

Since I was there to count birds, I left the squirrels aside—even though I actually like them very much.

When I arrived at the feeding station, I immediately noticed two other birdwatchers nearby. Hardly had I arrived when one of them shouted, “Long-tailed tit!”

What? Where? What? Long-tailed tits? Yes, really—long-tailed tits.

Wow! That was, of course, a very special sighting: a group of long-tailed tits! Unfortunately, they only stayed for a brief moment—a dog scared them off, and they were gone again.

The long-tailed tit I was able to photograph had a white head. There are several subspecies of long-tailed tits, which mainly differ in the markings on their heads. Since white-headed long-tailed tits are primarily found in Northern and Eastern Europe, I suspect that this small group most likely came from those regions.

Even though the long-tailed tits flew away quickly, I was thrilled by this additional sighting. I was so lucky! Or maybe it was simply the icy temperatures that drew so many birds to the park and the feeding station.

By the way, in Volkspark Friedrichshain, the birds are used to visitors offering them food. At the feeding station, I often encounter people who are just as enthusiastic about the birds as I am.

That gives me hope, because the birds need friends. I was also curious to see how many people would participate compared to last year—especially in these icy temperatures!

At the feeding station, there were especially many great tits (left photo) and blue tits (right photo). I tried to count them for the winter bird count 2026, but with all the constant movement, it wasn’t so easy to determine exactly how many there actually were.

Suddenly, a Eurasian red squirrel appeared again. But just as quickly as it had shown up, it disappeared once more. That afternoon, it apparently didn’t dare approach the feeding station. Normally, squirrels always grab a snack there, but that day they kept their distance—perhaps because of the dogs or because of us visitors. On other days, though, they do come to the feeding station…

Then, on the ground, I suddenly spotted a female common blackbird.

The female blackbird was generally quite shy. Overall, I get the feeling that I see fewer and fewer blackbirds. Whether their numbers are actually declining—in Berlin or across Germany, for that matter—I obviously cannot judge based on my own observations.

Not on the ground, but high up in the trees, I spotted a common wood pigeon (left photo) and a hooded crow (right photo).

The hooded crow had a lot to say: high up in the tree, it made its presence known loudly.

Later, more hooded crows joined a feeding spot where park visitors had left food, and they helped themselves generously. When the hooded crows are at the food, the smaller birds usually prefer to keep their distance.

I kept scanning the ground, because earlier I had spotted a European robin that had ducked under a few tree trunks, apparently searching for something.

It only showed itself for a brief moment, then disappeared again under and behind the trunks—right where I had previously observed striped field mice several times.

What struck me in that moment was this: up until then, I hadn’t seen a single house sparrow. Normally, they don’t appear all that frequently at the feeding station—but this time, not a single one!

I searched and searched, but in vain. Instead, I spotted a Eurasian chaffinch. No—actually two! However, the pair stayed rather hidden and seemed unsure whether to approach the feeding station or not. Most of the time, they remained perched on the branches, and only once did one of them venture out to search for its favorite seeds.

By the way, there were also birds that I only heard: the Eurasian nuthatch (left photo) and the short-toed treecreeper (right photo). I can now reliably recognize the Eurasian nuthatch by its call, and usually the short-toed treecreeper as well. However, since I only thought I heard the short-toed treecreeper very briefly, I didn’t count it for the winter bird count 2026—perhaps I had misheard.

Usually, the European green woodpecker is also present acoustically in the background in the Volkspark Friedrichshain—but that Sunday I didn’t hear the bird even once. Instead, I saw one! The sun was shining on its plumage, making the reds and greens really glow. And this time, I was even able to get a somewhat better photograph of the European green woodpecker!

And it wasn’t just one green woodpecker—it was actually two!

Both seemed to be searching the tree trunks for something edible. I watched them, looked up, and tried to photograph them. Other walkers also stopped and looked up. What could be so interesting up there, they must have wondered?

I stayed with the two green woodpeckers for a little while longer, but soon put my camera away, as my fingers were in danger of freezing on this icy day.

Eventually, the hour I had set aside for the winter bird count 2026 came to an end. But I still wanted to look around the park a bit—perhaps I would encounter the long-tailed tits or other birds again.

I would also have been happy to see a group of goldcrests. However, the little fellows didn’t show up—but I did, in fact, come across the long-tailed tits once more.

But first, the lone long-tailed tit flew away again. It stayed only about a meter above me—so close and beautiful.

Once it had disappeared, my eyes fell on a great spotted woodpecker high up in the tree. At first, I only heard its characteristic drumming, and then I finally spotted it with my eyes as well.

Since it was very cold, I decided to start heading home. But suddenly, I heard a soft chirping again that reminded me of a group of long-tailed tits—I couldn’t just leave. I searched through the bushes and made my way to another feeding spot in Volkspark Friedrichshain. A few blue tits were busily flitting back and forth.

And then, suddenly, I spotted a long-tailed tit sitting on the snow-covered ground. Was it the only one? Or were the others perhaps still nearby? Long-tailed tits usually move around in flocks. Would they come to the feeding station and share the food with the great tits and blue tits?

Yes, that’s exactly what they did. The long-tailed tits approached the feeding station and eagerly searched through the food.

I didn’t move any closer, so as not to startle the birds. Yet somehow, I had the feeling that these long-tailed tits were no longer quite as skittish. By the way, no dogs pass by in this part of the park.

At least six long-tailed tits were moving around—perhaps even more. Some stayed right at the feeding station, while I spotted a single long-tailed tit in the leafless bushes.

Luckily, I hadn’t gone home yet!

Although long-tailed tits can regularly be seen in Berlin during winter, I still don’t come across them very often. That’s why I wanted to make the most of my time with them on this day of the winter bird count 2026 and watch them for a long while—even though it was cold.

Perhaps these were the same long-tailed tits I had seen earlier? They, too, had white heads and no stripes. I can’t say for sure, but I suspect they were.

The long-tailed tits gave me plenty of opportunities to take photos. With their short wings and large eyes, they simply looked incredibly photogenic.

After a while, I finally set off for home. It was still cold—but all the more excited was I now to see the results. For me, it was an entirely successful day of birdwatching.

Results of the winter bird count 2026

This year, the winter bird count 2026 took place for the 16th time. As I mentioned earlier, I have participated in this nationwide counting campaign several times. Since it was particularly cold that weekend, I was very curious about the results. How many people were motivated to count birds on such frosty days? Do certain species appear more frequently on these days, while others are seen less often?

The first day began with a storm. According to NABU, most participants came from the federal states where the storm was expected to bring heavy snowfall—an interesting correlation.

Despite the weather, people diligently counted throughout the weekend, and once again this year, the house sparrow reached the top of the list.

Compared to the previous year, sightings of house sparrows decreased by about 15 %. In Berlin, the decline was even 46 %, so the house sparrow only reached second place here—where it had been first the year before. NABU also points out in its summary of the winter bird count 2026 that the trend for house sparrows, as well as for tree sparrows, is unfortunately downward.

Nationwide, the great tit came in second place, while in Berlin it took first place. It seems to be a close race between the two species, although, as mentioned, the trend for house sparrows is unfortunately declining.

In both Germany as a whole and in Berlin, the blue tit came in third place. This seems to match my own observations: I feel like I see more great tits than blue tits. Of course, reliable conclusions require data from many observations—and that is exactly what the winter bird count 2026 provides.

In Berlin, fourth and fifth place went to the hooded crow (left photo) and the common wood pigeon (right photo). The common blackbird, on the other hand, only reached sixth place in Berlin. Nationwide, the ranking was slightly different: there, the common blackbird took fourth place, the Eurasian tree sparrow fifth, and the Eurasian chaffinch sixth.

It is of course encouraging that the common blackbird was observed more frequently again, as it had previously been affected by the Usutu virus. It’s nice to see that it can now be observed more often.

I also found it interesting that the Eurasian chaffinch ranked sixth nationwide, but only reached 23rd place in Berlin.

Overall, the Eurasian chaffinch was still seen more frequently than the year before. Perhaps icy days like these draw this bird more strongly to the feeding stations.

While some bird species were observed more often, others seem to appear less frequently. For example, I did see a Eurasian jay, but overall fewer were reported than in the previous year. This could be due to the preceding mast year, when Eurasian jays can find more food in the forest than usual.

And the long-tailed tits?

In Berlin, long-tailed tits were reported over 90 % more often than the year before. This year, they reached 13th place. Back then, they had only ranked 21st. Nationwide, they reached 15th place in the winter bird count 2026—whereas the previous year, they were also 21st, just like in Berlin.

I already had a feeling that more long-tailed tits would be seen this year—perhaps because of the icy temperatures. Whether the increase was actually due to that is hard to say. According to NABU, however, there was apparently an influx from the north. As a reminder: long-tailed tits from the north tend to have white heads.

Nationwide, over 140,000 bird enthusiasts took part in the winter bird count 2026. The previous year, the number was just over 122,000. It is therefore clear that even more people participated this year—despite such a challenging weekend with a storm and freezing temperatures.

What is worrying, however, is that birds are being counted at fewer and fewer observation sites, such as gardens or parks. According to NABU, there is a clear downward trend.

Overall, even more birds were counted this year: over 3 million. Fewer had been recorded the year before. So the participation was not only a personal success for me, but also a success for the birds overall—so many more people showing interest in the bird world!

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Did you take part in the winter bird count 2026? If so, which birds did you observe? Let us know in the comments!