Watchable Wildlife

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Alabama is a birding paradise. Forests, mountains, meadows, swamps, and beaches dot the landscape, creating a plethora of avian habitats. From the majestic bald eagle, symbol of our nation's heritage, to the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, to the crowd-pleasing painted bunting, over 400 species of birds grace the blue skies above Alabama.

Feathery friends welcome you to many sites. The number and variety of birds you can see at each location will vary by season and weather conditions, making each birding expedition a new adventure. So grab your binoculars, brush up on your bird-calling skills, and wing it to Alabama. It's for the birds!

Alabama Birding Trails:

Alabama Birding Trails Map
This map shows the different trail locations across the state.

Tennessee Valley Talon Trail
This route follows the Tennessee River as it cuts a wide arc across the upper plateau of Alabama.

Highland Flyers Trail
This hilly, mountainous route includes the southern terminus of the Appalachian ridge.

Riverbend Gliders Trail
This route weaves through the flat, fertile corridor of the Black Warrior, Cahaba, Alabama, Tombigbee, and Conecuh river basins.

Winged Plains Trail
This route rolls over gently unfolding fields and forests toward the Chattahoochee River valley of southeastern Alabama.

Alabama Coastal Birding Trail
Looping around delta bottomlands, Mobile Bay, and the sandy terrain bordering the Gulf of Mexico, this route includes several highlights from the separately published "Alabama Coastal Birding Trail" (ACBT) brochure, which lists a total of 50 birding sites. For a copy, call 1-800-745-SAND or 1-800-5-MOBILE. This trail includes road signs identifying each birding site, corresponding to the codes shown in parentheses.

The Anniston Museum of Natural History is a special destination for birding enthusiasts in Alabama. It houses one of the oldest ornithology collections in the nation and it features more than 450 specimens of birds, including extinct and endangered species.

Alabama is the only state with a woodpecker as the state bird. The yellow-shafted yellowhammer was adopted in 1927. Its name was credited to a Civil War legend.

Just use the Search link above to search for more watchable wildlife activities, or visit the Year of Outdoor Alabama site.