Alabama Bird Banding
Alabama's Mobile Delta region is known as America’s Amazon, with more species per square mile than any other state. The habitats in Alabama are very diverse, which provide critical habitats for over 400 species of birds, including endangered species. The Alabama Birding Trail Project provides attractions for nature-loving tourists and offers birding opportunities for schools, families and birders. This organization has been in the making for 10 years and has nearly 300 sites throughout the state. The non-profit organization, Alabama Audubon, plays an important role in scouting public locations for birdwatchers to enjoy year-round.
An expert describing the migratory bird to the birdwatchers that was captured during this year’s spring bird banding event at Fort Morgan State Historic Site.
Annual spring and fall migration bird bandings are held at the Fort Morgan State Historic Site in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The Fort Morgan State Historic Site was established in 1834 as a military site and is now a National Historic Landmark located 22 miles west of Hwy 59 in Gulf Shores. The Fort Morgan station is one of the few U.S. stations open to the public. It allows the community access to ornithologists and an opportunity to look at several bird species up-close.
As winter fades and spring approaches, various bird species soar back to the United States after spending the colder months in warmer climates. The spring migration takes flight along the Alabama Coast and draws crowds of fledgling birders and lifelong feathered fans alike. Coast 360 was fortunate to join these flocks of visitors to observe the many spring migrants as they landed along Coastal Alabama on their journey up the Mississippi Flyway.
The Mississippi Flyway is a bird migration route that follows the Mississippi, Missouri, and Lower Ohio Rivers in the United States across the western Great Lakes to the Mackenzie River and Hudson Bay in Canada. Many birds use this route because there are no mountains or ridges of hills blocking the path. The route as offers good sources of water and food.
One of the nets that was set up to gently capture some of the dozen bird species passing through Fort Morgan.
Researchers set up nets to gently catch dozens of bird species passing through the Gulf Coast during the annual spring migration. The birds were examined by the guest researchers, then a tiny band with unique numbers was placed around the ankle of the bird. The bands allows researchers to gather information about the bird when it's caught at another banding station in the future.
A Blue-winged warbler, captured in Alabama after its journey across the Gulf of Mexico. Many migratory birds stop here on their journey up and down the Mississippi Flyway every spring and fall to refuel before they continue their flight.
At this year’s spring bird banding event, 39 different species of birds were captured. While at the event, we saw a Blue-winged warbler, Veery, Yellow-billed cuckoo, Catbird, and a Prothonotary warbler. We encountered an experience like no other. We had to opportunity to view these five brightly colored birds up-close, and learned how to release the birds. To release a bird back into the wild, you bend your pointer and middle finger and gently grab the bird’s neck while placing your palm out underneath its legs, then you let go and let it fly away. Many birdwatchers had the opportunity to release the birds to continue their flight.
An expert gently grabs a Catbird to release it back on its flight up the Mississippi Flyway. The white board is a list of all the bird species that were gently captured in the 2023 Spring bird banding event at Fort Morgan State Historic Site.
2023 Banding Guest Researchers
At this year's Spring bird banding event, Dr. Scott Rush, an associate professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture at Mississippi State, and Eric Soehren, a zoologist with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resource’s State Land Division, were two guest researchers who helped research and take documentation on the spring migrants that landed in Fort Morgan. On-site, several interns and volunteers helped present the spring migrants to the birdwatchers. Once everyone had the opportunity to look and learn about the bird, it was released to continue its flight.
Dr. Scott Rush, an associate professor gently attaches an identifying band to a migratory bird during the Alabama Audubon bird banding event at Fort Morgan State Historic Site.
Sponsors
Alabama Audubon hosted the annual Coastal Alabama Bird Banding event in partnership with the Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Mississippi State University, Fort Morgan State Historic Site, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge.
The amazing sponsors who helped make this event possible!
The event is financially supported by Alabama Tourism Department, Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism, Greer’s Market, and several non-profit organizations. Their generous contribution allows the Coastal Alabama Bird Banding event to happen each year in Fort Morgan, Alabama.
Explore the Alabama Audubon website to learn more about how you can support this non-profit organization.
Check out our events, to learn more about the upcoming activities along the Alabama Gulf Coast.