Anyone visiting Southeastern Alabama’s Dauphin Island might be visiting during the spring bird migration season. Dauphin Island is a popular birding destination and is recognized as a Globally Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society and BirdLife International. There have been up to 350 bird species found on the island! Surprisingly, Dauphin Island is also an ideal birding location during the winter. This is usually when seabirds, shorebirds, and waterfowl are seen.
The whole island is considered a Bird Sanctuary, where a variety of birds can be seen from in any of the island’s public places, such as beaches, parks, wetlands, dunes, and the streets of Dauphin Island. A great time to visit is between April to October, as this is when the Alabama Ornithological Society meets on the island to participate in bird watching, fellowship, and great dining. Everyone is welcome to join in the activities, which include daily field trips.
Alabama Coastal Birding Trail
If you are new to birding in the Alabama area, you may be interested in The Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, which outlines the areas where birding is done most often. Local Alabama birders have created this list. The trail was designed in the late 1990s and opened soon after, providing bird enthusiasts with the chance to see a variety of birds in their natural habitat. The guide features six birding loops within Mobile and Baldwin counties, which make up more than 200 miles of birding!
The guide provides detailed instructions for every step along the trail, featured sequentially. However, visitors do not have to go to every loop. The stops in between loops are close to one another and can easily be covered in a short amount of time. If you are planning on visiting and using GPS, the guide provides latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates in decimal degrees on each stop. The stop description indicates the bird species seen in that location, based on the season.
The guide can be picked up at the Mobile Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau, Alabama Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau, and 5 Rivers – Alabama’s Delta Resource Center.
Important Bird Areas
One of the most popular Dauphin Island outdoor activities for locals and visitors is bird watching. Dauphin Island is considered an important birding area, as it has many densely populated areas, with residential properties on the eastern end of the island. It has the archipelago’s main population center. During the spring, you’ll see many passerines on Dauphin Island. The number of spring migratory passerines that make their way to the island, depends on the weather conditions. The largest number of passerines descend on the island when cold fronts move southward bring in northerly winds and rains, which makes it difficult for smaller birds to fly.
Much of the local economy of Dauphin Island depends on visiting bird watchers and the ornithological events hosted on the island. The popular spots on the island include the Fishing Pie, the Audubon Sanctuary, and Shell Mounds.
Book Your Dauphin Island Rental with ACP
When you start planning your trip to Dauphin Island, one of the first things that you might start looking for is accommodation. We recommend that you start by checking out our Dauphin Island vacation rentals at ACP Vacation Rentals!
If you enjoy nature, a nice Gulf breeze, and the chance to bird watch, we’re sure that you’ll enjoy our forest retreats. The woods are full of tall pine trees that are the ideal home for a variety of bird species, while they continue to migrate to and from their perspective homes.
Plan Your Dauphin Island Visit
Many of our rental homes are also close to bird sanctuaries and wildlife areas. A stay in any one of our forest retreats offers you the opportunity to continue exploring the island’s birdlife. We also have Gulf-front, bayfront, resort condos, and other types of rentals for you to choose from. Contact us today to find out about our availability!