Coastal Alabama Bird Banding

In partnership with the State Lands Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Mississippi State University, and Fort Morgan State Historic Site, Alabama Audubon is pleased to announce the return of its popular Coastal Bird Banding event, coming this spring to the Alabama Gulf Coast. This annual event is made possible through logistical support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge and the Alabama Historical Commission, and through financial support from Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism, the Edwin L. and Elizabeth L. Skelton Foundation, the Sybil and White Smith Foundation, and the Curtis & Edith Munson Foundation.

Art by Chris Davis.

This year’s banding event runs from Tuesday, April 18th, to Saturday, April 22nd, at Baldwin County’s historic Fort Morgan (110 AL-180, Gulf Shores). We invite the public to join us during the following hours:

• Tuesday, April 18th, noon to 3 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 19th, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Thursday, April 20th, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Friday, April 21st, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Saturday, April 22nd, 8 a.m. to noon

Join our staff, guest researchers, and banding volunteers for an invaluable look at the many spring migrants touching down in Coastal Alabama on their journey up the Mississippi Flyway. Bring your cameras and enjoy unparalleled access to the researchers and their work, with up-close-and-personal views of some amazing birds!

Remember to bring water, bug spray, sunscreen, and perhaps an outdoor chair; restrooms and concessions are available next to the ferry, and all ages are welcome to attend. (Please note that while the Coastal Alabama Bird Banding event is free, there is an admission fee to enter the park. For up-to-date pricing, visit their website.)

2023 Banding Leads

Dr. Scott Rush, Associate Professor, Dept. of Wildlife, Fisheries & Aquaculture, Mississippi State

An associate professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Aquaculture at Mississippi State, Scott received his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in 2009. While his graduate research focused on properties of northern Gulf tidal-marsh ecosystems, he and his graduate students currently work on developing novel approaches to understand landscape/trophic ecologies and wildlife populations.

Eric Soehren, Ecologist, Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources

A graduate of  Jacksonville  State  University with both undergraduate and master’s degrees in Biology, Eric has been a zoologist with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resource’s State Lands Division since 1997. He currently manages the Wehle Land Conservation Center (WLCC), where he administers the Avian Conservation Center, which works to develop and coordinate bird research and monitoring programs. Eric is actively involved with several conservation organizations including the Alabama Ornithological Society, Southeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, and the Inland Bird Banding Association.