Jingle Birds & Holiday Cheer

Jingle birds, jingle birds, jingle all the way… If there’s one thing that makes winter mornings brighter, it’s the cheerful flutter of feathers outside the window. As snow dusts the branches and steam curls up from mugs of hot cocoa, our backyards come alive with cardinals, chickadees, juncos, and woodpeckers stopping by for a winter feast. It’s the kind of simple magic that feels right at home in the holiday season.

This week, that cozy joy comes with a special purpose, it’s Christmas Bird Count week, when bird lovers across North America turn their holiday traditions into a gift for science. For more than a century, people have bundled up, grabbed their binoculars (and now their smartphones), and tallied every bird they see, helping scientists better understand how winter birds are doing and how our changing world is shaping their lives.

And the best part? You don’t even have to leave home to be part of it. With PixCams, you can pull up a chair, sip your cocoa, and watch live as winter visitors flutter in and out of feeders, nest boxes, and forest scenes. Whether you spot a bold red cardinal or a quick flash of a nuthatch, every sighting adds to the wonder and reminds us that sometimes the most meaningful holiday moments are the quiet ones shared with the wild just outside our windows.

So this week, let the carols play, keep a tally sheet nearby, and join us as we celebrate the season the PixCams way with jingle birds, holiday cheer, and a whole lot of counting.

What Is the Christmas Bird Count?

The Christmas Bird Count is one of the most beloved traditions in birding and one of the most important. It began back in 1900, when conservationists led by ornithologist Frank Chapman a new way to celebrate the holidays: instead of the old “side hunt,” where birds were shot and tallied, people would head outdoors to count birds alive. That simple shift helped spark a conservation movement and laid the foundation for what would become a global citizen-science effort.

More than a century later, the Christmas Bird Count has grown into one of the longest-running wildlife surveys in the world. Each winter, tens of thousands of volunteers across North America from seasoned birders to families at backyard feeders take part in a single-day count within their local “circle,” recording every bird they see or hear. Together, these observations create an annual snapshot of winter bird life across an entire continent.

Why does counting birds in winter matter so much? Because this is when birds face some of their toughest challenges. Cold temperatures, limited food, and changing weather patterns all influence where birds survive and how many make it through the season. By comparing counts year after year, scientists can track population trends, shifting ranges, and early signs of climate change, helping guide conservation efforts that protect birds and the habitats they depend on.

What starts as a simple holiday activity, watching feeders, scanning snowy branches, jotting down names, becomes something much bigger. Each checkmark on a tally sheet adds to a story that’s been unfolding for more than 120 years, reminding us that even small moments of noticing can make a lasting difference for wildlife.

Why Every Bird Counts

When you’re counting birds, it’s easy to get excited about something rare or unusual, but in the Christmas Bird Count, it’s often the everyday birds that matter most. Chickadees bouncing through the branches, cardinals glowing red against the snow, sparrows rustling in brush piles, these familiar faces are the heartbeat of winter. Their numbers tell quiet but powerful stories about how our landscapes are changing and how well our most common neighbors are really doing.

Because the Christmas Bird Count has been running for more than a century, each tally adds to a remarkable long-term record. Scientists can look back through decades of data to spot population declines, sudden increases, and shifts in where birds spend their winters. Patterns that would be invisible in a single year become clear over time, helping conservationists understand which species need help and why.

That’s what makes counting birds such a meaningful holiday tradition. In a season centered on giving, your observations become a gift to conservation, a way to give back to the birds that brighten dark winter days with color, song, and life. No wrapping paper required, just a willingness to pay attention.

And the beauty of it all is how small it starts. A glance out the window. A few minutes watching a feeder. A simple mark on a tally sheet. Those tiny backyard moments, multiplied by thousands of people across the continent, grow into big-picture science that shapes how we protect wildlife for generations to come.

What Makes This Season Special

Winter may seem quiet at first glance, but for bird watchers, it’s one of the most rewarding seasons of all. With natural food sources harder to find, birds are drawn to backyard feeders and sheltered spots, bringing them closer to our windows, and to PixCams, than at any other time of year. A single feeder can become a lively stage where chickadees, cardinals, juncos, nuthatches, and woodpeckers take turns, offering front-row seats to winter life.

The season also clears the view. With leaves gone from trees and shrubs, there’s less foliage to hide birds, making it easier to spot quick movements and identify visitors perched on bare branches. Against snow and muted winter colors, even small birds stand out, turning simple moments into striking scenes.

Winter birds have remarkable ways of coping with the cold. You’ll often see them fluffing their feathers to trap warm air, tucking one leg up at a time, or darting in and out of cover to conserve energy. Many species also join mixed flocks, moving together through woods and yards, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, and woodpeckers traveling as a team, sharing both safety and food-finding skills.

That’s exactly why the Christmas Bird Count takes place in winter. This season offers a clear snapshot of which birds are surviving where, revealing shifts in winter ranges and the effects of weather and climate year after year. Unlike spring migration counts, the CBC captures birds when they’ve settled in for the season, making winter a uniquely powerful time to measure the health and resilience of bird populations across the continent.

Grab Your Cocoa & Start Counting

So as the lights glow a little brighter and the air turns crisp, we invite you to do one simple thing this week: grab some cocoa and start counting. Pull up PixCams on your screen, settle into your favorite chair, and let the winter birds bring the season to life, one flutter, hop, and flash of color at a time.

Keep a little tally as you watch. How many chickadees dart in and out? Does a cardinal return again and again? Do juncos gather beneath the feeder while a nuthatch sneaks in headfirst? Every mark you make connects you to thousands of others across the continent who are also watching, counting, and celebrating birds as part of the Christmas Bird Count tradition.

We’d love to share in what you’re seeing. Drop a comment on the blog, reply on social media, or tag PixCams with your favorite winter visitors and moments from the cams. Your sightings and stories help build our community, and remind us all how much wonder lives just beyond our windows.

From all of us at PixCams, happy counting and happy holidays!