Birding in Alabama
Check out Alabama for fun birding trails, refuges, parks, and even a barrier island with prime viewing of birds on their Northern Migration.
| National Wildlife Refuges | National Parks | Acreage of Important Bird Areas |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 7 | 761,950 |
Alabama includes a little bit of the Gulf Coast in the south and a little bit of theAppalachians in the north. Both ends are of interest to birders, as are many wildliferefuges, parks, and national forests in between.
In the extreme southwestern corner of the state you’ll find Dauphin Island, a Gulf Coastbarrier island that ranks with the legendary“fallout”sites of spring migration.Northbound birds, tired from crossing the Gulf of Mexico, stop here to rest and feed, ongood days creating a virtual zoo of songbirds.
Alabama’s northern highlands are not only very scenic in places, they’re home to speciesincluding Blue-headed Vireo and Black-throated Green Warbler, here near the edge oftheir breeding ranges. In the state’s extensive pinewoods birders can find Red-cockadedWoodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, and Bachman’s Sparrow, specialists in thishabitat.
Visitors (and locals, too) can take advantage of Alabama’s eight birding trails, offeringdirections to and information about 270 sites around the state.
Alabama Birding Hotspots
Dauphin Island has long been one of the legendary spring birding sites of the Gulf Coast.When theweather is right (usually after rain or a cold front), this barrier island can seewhat’s called a“fallout,”when birds that have crossed the Gulf of Mexico home in on thefirst wooded land they spot. A single tree may shelter a mix of a dozen vireos, thrushes,warblers, and other species.
There’s more to Dauphin Island than migrant songbirds, too. The area’s beaches arefrequented by many shorebirds, and there’s a mix of seabirds to see in and above thewaters of the Gulf of Mexico. The bird list for the relatively small island stands at morethan 320.
Some bird habitat has been lost to growing commercial development, but severalsignificant wooded areas have been protected, including a 164-acre dedicated birdsanctuary and smaller areas such as Shell Mound Park and Cadillac Square. From mid-March through mid-May, these and other sites will be full of birders enjoying throngs ofmigrants and hoping for a rarity such as Ash-throated Flycatcher, Fork-tailed Flycatcher,or Painted Redstart. Gray Kingbird and Black-whiskered Vireo appear with someregularity.
Sites including Pelican Point and Bayfront Park are productive for wading birds, gulls,terns, and marsh birds in general.
A ferry regularly runs the four miles across the bay to historic Fort Morgan,another“fallout”site similar to Dauphin Island. Situated at the tip of a peninsula on the GulfCoast, Fort Morgan is also a good vantage point from which to watch migrating raptors infall.
This very rewarding refuge protects beach, dunes, shrub habitat, and woodland on theFort Morgan Peninsula, west of the lively tourist town of Gulf Shores. Though not asfamous as nearby Fort Morgan or Dauphin Island, it can be a fine“fallout”site for springmigrants, as well. Its range of habitats makes Bon Secour an excellent all-around birdinglocation anytime from fall through early summer.
The refuge is known as a nesting area for the threatened Snowy Plover. Certain areas areclosed at times to protect the species.
The refuge visitor center on Highway 180 is a fine source of advice, and often has a listof recent bird sightings. Each of the four refuge trails is worth walking, and connectionsmake various combinations possible. The Jeff Friend Trail is a one-mile loop that’shandicapped accessible. The Pine Beach Trail is known for good birding, passing thoughvaried habitats, at one point with a saltwater lagoon on one side and a freshwater lake onthe other.
Therefuge bird list totals more than 230 species. When it comes to spring migration, justabout anything is possible from the entire list of eastern neotropical migrants. Nestingand year-round species include Brown Pelican, Osprey, Common Ground-Dove, Brown-headed Nuthatch, and Pine Warbler. Northern Gannet is seen regularly out in the Gulf.
Continuing west on the peninsular about 12 miles leads to historic Fort Morgan, famousas a spring migration hotspot and for raptor migration in fall.
The town of Gulf Shores is known more for spring-break partying and summer familyfun than for birding, and nearby Gulf State Park is very busy with tourists in summer andon warm weekends in spring and fall.
From late fall through winter, however, two nearby spots provide lookout points forbirders scanning the Gulf of Mexico for waterfowl, loons, and various seabirds. The statepark pavilion and the Fishing and Education Pier both offer slightly elevated views out toopen water.
Seen fairly often in winter are Black Scoter, Common Loon, Northern Gannet, andBonaparte’s Gull, along with many other common species of waterfowl, gulls, and terns.Of course, birders are always hoping for rare scoters, loons, shearwaters, or phalaropes.
Away from high tourist season, it can be pleasant to walk the long beach for close looksat shorebirds. Keep in mind that just ten miles west are the fine trails at Bon SecourNational Wildlife Refuge, arewarding birding site from fall through spring.
Birding the 84,000 acres of Conecuh National Forest isn’t as simple as going to one siteor walking one trail known for special species. Good birds abound in this area of longleafpine forest and mixed hardwoods, but birding here usually involves driving some of thepaved and unpaved roads and stopping often to look and listen.
Three of the notable birds here are the southern pinewoods trio of Red-cockadedWoodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, and Bachman’s Sparrow, often target species ofvisiting birders. The nuthatch is usually easy to find, since the little birds are very activeand constantly giving their squeaky call. The woodpecker is widespread in the pinewoodsof this national forest, but it’s helpful to find clusters of active nesting trees, usuallymarked with heavy flows of light-colored sap like candle wax. (Try driving west fromHighway 137 on Road 4, near the Florida state line—or better yet, call the national forestoffice and ask for the location of active colonies. There’s a ranger station in the town ofAndalusia.)
Bachman’s Sparrow moves its nesting areas as the habitat changes, and can be hard tofind except in spring and early summer when it sings its trilling whistle.
Other birds to look for here include Wild Turkey, Swallow-tailed Kite (rare), Red-headedWoodpecker, and Painted Bunting.
Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge is located on the Alabama-Georgia border where a damhas created the Walter F. George Reservoir on the Chattahoochee River. (The refugeincludes a unit on the Georgia side, one of that state’s best birding sites.)Habitatsincludewoodland, shrubby and open fields, and various wetlands,including the reservoir itself.
Because the refuge features several different areas and has seasonal closures, it’s a goodidea for a first-time visitor to call for advice or stop at the refuge headquarters onHighway 165 about ten miles north of the town of Eufaula. The easiest way to experiencethe refuge is to drive the seven-mile auto tour route on Highway 285 a short distancesouth of the headquarters.
Apart from the waterfowl and waders typical of the Southeast, the tour route offers arewarding mix of habitats, hosting species of open country, shrubby fields, and forest. Attimes, water levels in impoundments attract a good variety of shorebirds, and SandhillCrane has appeared occasionally in fields. Northern Bobwhite, Wild Turkey, and Brown-headed Nuthatch are among the resident birds. Osprey and Bald Eagle are seen fairlycommonly, and Northern Harriers hunt over fields in winter.
With such a diversity of habitats, Eufaula offers interesting birding practically year-round. Midsummer can be hot and devoid of much land bird activity, but late summerbrings shorebird migration. Visitors should be aware of hunting seasons and which areasare closed in winter to avoid disturbing waterfowl.
Located in the Talladega National Forest about 75 miles northeast of Birmingham,Coleman Lake is an attractive recreation area with campsites and picnic areas. Maturelongleaf pine forest makes it home to several sought-after birds.
Birders from outside the South visit areas like this to find three pine-specialist birds: Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, and Bachman’s Sparrow. All these arepresent in the Coleman Lake area, but there’s also a bonus: for some time this has beenthe southernmost places in the eastern United States to find Red Crossbill. These finches,with their oddly crossed bills that evolved to extract conifer seeds, are found frequently inarea pines, though flocks wander erratically. Listen for their calls to find them.
Other nesting birds found near Coleman Lake include Yellow-throated Vireo, WoodThrush, Ovenbird, Worm-eating Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, HoodedWarbler, Scarlet Tanager. Blue-headed Vireo, a scarce breeder in Alabama, has nested inthe area.
Cheaha State Park, in the Talladega National Forest about 60 miles east of Birmingham,is named for 2,411-foot Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama. Birders know itas one of the most rewarding destinations in the state.
Though Cheaha’s species list isn’t as long as that of a low-country wetland area, it's quitespecial for the region. As an extension of the Appalachian Mountains, the site hostsnesting species such as Blue-headed Vireo, Cedar Waxwing, Black-throated GreenWarbler, and Scarlet Tanager.
Alabama Highway 281, also known as Talladega Scenic Drive, winds through theTalladega National Forest to reach the state park. By stopping at overlooks and exploringside roads, birders can experience different habitats on the way to Cheaha. Once at thepark, several trails allow exploration of the site. The Bald Rock and Pulpit Rock trailsboth lead to excellent lookout points with views of the surrounding forest and hills.
Other notable breeding birds of Cheaha include Wild Turkey, Pileated Woodpecker,Brown-headed Nuthatch, Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, Worm-eating Warbler, HoodedWarbler, Prairie Warbler, and Blue Grosbeak. In fall, birders gather at the observationplatform atop the mountain to search the sky for migrating raptors.
About 30 miles southeast of Huntsville in northeastern Alabama, Guntersville Lake ranksamong the most popular birding destinations in the state. The chance to see nesting andwintering Bald Eagles may be the highlight, but the lake is equally known for winteringwaterfowl, nesting Osprey, and wading birds.
Guntersville Lake is a large and sprawling impoundment on the Tennessee River, and hasseveral viewing areas favored by local birders. One of them is Guntersville State Park, onHighway 227 northeast of the town of the same name. From the shore here in winter canoften be seen dabbling and diving ducks, loons, grebes, and Bald Eagles. The park hostsvery popular eagle-themed programs in winter. By continuing past the park over theTown Creek Bridge, you’ll reach other viewpoints along Highway 227.
In the town of Guntersville itself, walking trails parallel the lakeshore nearly all aroundthe peninsula on which the town is located. These trails make it easy to move around towhere rafts of waterfowl may be located in winter.Northwest of the town, Guntersville Dam is excellent for viewing Bald Eagles year-round, as they regularly nest nearby. The dam area offers another chance to view the lakeitself for waterbirds and gulls. A number of unusual raptors have showed up here over theyears, including regular visits by Peregine Falcon. Both the north and south sides of thedam are good birding locations, but there’s no road across the dam. A long, roundaboutdrive must be made to go from one side of the river to the other.
One of Alabama’s premier birding sites, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge comprisesseveral units near the cities of Decatur and Huntsville. With a cumulative bird list ofmore than 260 species, it’s productive year-round because of its wide range of habitats.Visitors to the refuge can explore bottomland hardwood swamps, fields where geese andcranes feed in winter, open lake with wintering diving ducks and loons, and forests withresidents and migrant songbirds. Refuge sites are mostly located on backwaters of theTennessee River upstream from Wheeler Lake.
The best first stop for birders is the excellent refuge visitor center southeast of Decaturoff Highway 67. Maps and advice here can help newcomers find various sites around therefuge, the directions to which are sometimes complicated. In addition, the nearbyobservation building provides an enclosed area with large windows for viewing winteringflocks of geese, ducks, and Sandhill Cranes. Endangered Whooping Cranes aresometimes present here, part of an introduced population breeding in the upper Midwest.
Similar winter viewing can be found at the refuge’s Beaverdam Peninsula Tower, nearLimestone Bay on the other side of the Tennessee River from the refuge visitor center(south of I-565). Also on Limestone Bay, Arrowhead Landing is one of the best localsites for viewing ducks and other waterbirds when water is high; findshorebirds andwading birds here when the water is low. Also in that area, the Beaverdam Swamp trailwinds through an extensive tupelo swamp, where birds include Barred Owl, PileatedWoodpecker, and Prothonotary Warbler.
Dancy Bottoms, south of the refuge visitor center and east of Highway 31, is anotherplace to explore a hardwood swamp, with similar species as Beaverdam Swamp. Nearlyany woodland around the refuge can be good for songbirds in spring migration, butDancy Bottoms is a favoriteinthat season.
These are just a few of the most popular birding areas. Refuge personnel can provideother suggestions depending on the season.
Designated an APP Important Bird Area, this 180,000-acre national forest innorthwestern Alabama’s Cumberland Plateau contains a wide diversity of woodlandtypes, from shortleaf and longleaf pine to most hardwood valleys to drier oak-hickory. Italso encompasses some of the state’s most scenic landscapes and Alabama’s onlynational wild and scenic river.
Songbirds, especially warblers, make Bankhead National Forest a favorite birdingdestination. Brown-headed Nuthatch, Ovenbird, Worm-eating Warbler, LouisianaWaterthrush, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Cerulean Warbler (a local specialty),Black-throated Green Warbler, Summer Tanager, and Scarlet Tanager nest here, amongmore than 80 breeding species.
An information kiosk is located on Highway 33 about 11 miles south of the town ofMoulton. Onepopular birding route is Northwest Road, which runs west from Highway33 about a mile south of the kiosk. Another 1.5 miles south on Highway 33, a drive weston Cranal Road leads in 3.9 miles to the Sipsey Wilderness Area, known for nestingCerulean Warbler.
Take Road 5 off Cranal Road to reach the Sipsey River picnic area, another good spot toexplore. At the Brushy Creek Recreation Area east of Highway 33, a 30-acre lake ishome to birds such as Wood Duck and Belted Kingfisher, adding interest to a day in thenational forest.
Birding Trail
You could wander anywhere in Alabama and see rich natural habitats and beautiful birds, but when the wind shifts in spring or fall, it’s time to head for the coast. The Gulf of Mexico exerts a powerful influence on migratory birds, and twice a year the tiny transients swarm by the thousands along its shores. The Alabama Coastal Birding Trail will lead you to the best of the migrant stopover sites, from legendary places like Fort Morgan and Dauphin Island to dozens of lesser-known gems. On big migration days the trees are alive with a kaleidoscopic swirl of brightly hued warblers, tanagers, orioles, buntings, and other songbirds, resting and refueling for the next leg of their journeys. Throngs of sandpipers andplovers march across the mudflats. Ibises and egrets pirouette in the shallows. On days when migration is slow, you can follow loops of the trail to inland woods, where you might hear the surprisingly sweet whistles of the elusive Bachman’s sparrow or abarred owl belting out baritone hoots from the deep shadows of a cypress swamp.
—Kenn Kaufman