Birds of an Alabama Feather
BY DANA COWART CRISSON
the species found in the continental United States, have been documented in Alabama. The barn owl, belted kingfisher, brown thrasher, eastern bluebird, great blue heron, mourning dove, wood duck, seaside sparrow, pine warbler, and Alabama’s state bird, the yellowhammer woodpecker (often called the Northern flicker) are just a few of the birds that are easy to find throughout the state. Tiny hummingbirds, those enchanting creatures that zoom by in a flash of color, are also favorites with birders. “When it comes to birding, Alabama is the best of the best,” says Bob Sargent, president of the Hummer Bird Study Group and Master Bird Bander. Bob and his wife, Martha, who have been birding together for over 20 years, are well-known in birding circles as hummingbird experts. “It was a small hobby that turned into a giant obsession,” he
Fort Morgan. Over 3,000 adults and hundreds of school children from inside the state and from neighboring states including Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee visit the station and Dauphin Island during those weeks to observe and help band the migrating birds. Birds are captured, weighed, measured, banded and released. The data collected helps officials to monitor the population and health of thousands of migratory birds. “In my 17 years of birding, I have never missed a spring migration at Dauphin Island,” says Ken Hackman, a zoology teacher at Madison Central High School in Madison, Miss. Hackman, who also does field research with Mississippi State and LSU on a rare endangered bird called Henslow’s Sparrow, brings his high school students on a field trip to Dauphin Island
cle of spring migration at Dauphin Island is unsurpassed.” The number and variety of birds to see in each migration season depends on many different factors, but the weather conditions may be the most important. Birders usually see the most birds on the worst weather days. “My most exciting birding experience was a fallout that happened at the west end of Dauphin Island one raw, rainy, windy April,” recalls Venetia Friend, president of the Alabama Coastal Birding Association. “A fallout is what occurs when a group of migrating birds literally fall out of the sky to look for places to rest. The barrier islands here are especially attractive to birds, who grow tired of fighting the
The natural diversity of Alabama surroundings provide many feathered friends with ideal habitats, and that attracts bird watchers in growing numbers
D
oes the term “birdwatcher” conjure up images of the character of Jane Hathaway from The Beverly Hillbillies — a skinny senior citizen in a funny hat, tromping through the park, carrying a heavy bird book and huge, cumbersome binoculars? Today’s birdwatchers, now simply called birders, are a far cry from that outdated image. “Birders are not all little old ladies in tennis shoes — birders come in all ages and all income levels,” says Bebe Gauntt, public relations manager at the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Birding is growing by leaps and bounds — as a matter of fact, birdwatching is the fastest growing form of outdoor recreation in the nation. Birders spend more money than golfers or even hunters. If there is a rare bird alert here on the coast, bird enthusiasts immediately hop in a car or a plane and head our direction. The word is definitely getting out about birding in our state.” Tom Haggerty, a biology professor at the University of North Alabama and editor of Alabama Bird Life magazine, agrees. “Indeed, the stereotypical gray-haired birder is a myth,” he says. “Some of the very best birders are young people in their twenties who have become fascinated with birds. These birders have a high energy level and are full of enthusiasm, and they travel through Alabama season after seaPARTNERS
son in their hunt to spot that rare and elusive bird.” According to recent figures released from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, nearly one-third of all Americans age 16 or older, a total of more than 66 million people, photograph or observe birds during the year, and they spend over $40 billion doing so. Over the last five years, the ranks of bird watchers swelled by 5 percent, and spending on travel, lodging and equipment such as tiny, powerful new binoculars and pocketsized bird field guides jumped by as much as 33 percent. In 2001 alone, outdoor enthusiasts spent $626 million on watching birds and other wildlife in Alabama. Why is Alabama so enticing to birds and the folks that love them? The natural diversity of its surroundings, including the coastal plain, the Alabama ridge and valley, the Appalachian plateaus found in the mountain region, and the low plateaus in the Tennessee Valley, provide many feathered friends with ideal habitats, the experts say. A large number of waterfowl are attracted to Alabama as well, since the state is also served by four major river systems, the Tennessee, Warrior-Tombigbee, CoosaTallapoosa-Alabama and Chattahoochee Rivers. It is no wonder that over 400 different species of birds, over half of all
Birding enthusiasts in Alabama spot can spot Canadian geese at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, home for Alabama’s only concentration of wild geese.
says with a laugh. “When we first started, it was thought that only the ruby-throated hummingbird lived here. Through many years of banding, studying, and documenting, we now know that 13 different species of hummingbirds winter here, including black-chinned, buff-bellied, calliope, and Rufous hummingbirds.” Twice a year, during the bird migration period in April and in October, Sargent spends up to two weeks at the Bird Banding Station on the coast at
each year as part of a zoological field study program for special credit. “We travel through Mississippi and Texas, too, but our favorite location is Dauphin Island. Once my students become involved with the banding that is being done by Bob Sargent and other members of the birding community, they become passionate about birds. They especially love the hummingbirds — to be able to hold these beautiful little jewels in your hands is just amazing. The specta-
winds in bad weather. On this particular day, I looked up and saw literally thousands of birds, coming in low, almost head-high, streaming in off the Gulf. It was just incredible.” Dauphin Island continues to gain nationwide recognition for offering great beach-side birding in a picturesque setting. Wild Bird magazine recently selected the Audubon Bird Sanctuary at
Dauphin Island as one of the top four locations in North America for viewing spring migrations. Dauphin Island is also listed on the Cornell University website as one of the premiere places in the southeast United States to bird. According to Gauntt, the inauguration of the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, with six clearly marked loops encompassing Gulf Shores, Fort Morgan, South Baldwin County, the East Mobile River, Dauphin Island/Bayou La Batre and the Mobile Bay causeway, has attracted large numbers of birders as well. “All birders, whether they are full-timers or novices, love the trail. Year after year we see license plates from all over the South and even as far away as Oklahoma, Michigan and Wisconsin,” she says. Following the success of the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, a new trail is under development in the northern third of the state, according to Mark Sasser, nongame wildlife coordinator with Alabama’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Covering 12 counties along the Tennessee River and encompassing 50 existing birding sites, the North Alabama Birding Trail (NABT) is designed in three loops, with each loop requiring no more than a long weekend to view. Funding for the birding trail, which has an expected completion date of fall 2005, is through a Wildlife Conservation and Restoration federal grant, with matching money coming from sponsors in the Tennessee Valley region. Not only are birds beautiful and fun to watch, but they serve an even greater purpose, say Alabama birding enthusiasts. They help us discover what is happening to our environment. “Birders are naturally very concerned about promoting conservation. The more people that we can interest in birding, the more they will work to help us preserve the birds’ natural habitat,” says Fred Stevenson, vice-president of the Tennessee Valley Audubon Society. “In addition, birding is a wonderful activity to share with others — it is great for the whole family. You are outside, you are learning, and the economic impact on our state is tremendous, since most birders are willing to travel great distances when they hear of a rare bird alert. Alabama truly is a birding paradise.” s
SPRING 2004