Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge.
Bon Secour is located directly south of Mobile Bay. This birding refuge's strategic location on the Gulf Shore, combined with the habitat provided, makes Bon Secour one of the most important refuges for spring and fall migrants. Warbler numbers can be impressive, with 39 species seen here, and over 370 bird species have been recorded in the refuge. To get to the Refuge, exit the I-10 at Route 59 and then when entering the town of Gulf Shores, travel west on Hwy. 180 for approximately 8.2 miles to the visitor center. The nearest large city is Pensacola, FL.
Choctaw Reserve
Choctaw Refuge, which is just north of US Rte 84 near the Mississippi border, is appproximately 80 miles north of Mobile. It is bordered on the east by the Tombigbee River and divided into three sections by two small creeks, the Okatuppa and Turkey. This river-bottom land, which lies between 30 and 50 feet above sea level, is covered with stands of mixed hardwoods including sweet gum and oak. Tupelo gum and cypress growing in the wetter sloughs, rich farmland and moist soil impoundments add to the habitat diversity of this 4,218-acre refuge which is an excellent habitat for wintering waterfowl. Birding here can be good during passage as well.
Dauphin Island / Fort Morgan.
Wild Bird Magazine selected Dauphin Island as one of the top four locations in North America for viewing spring migrations! It has also been sited as one of the ten most globally important sites for bird migrations and is a "must" place to go to if you are birding the Alabama coast.
The Sanctuary consists of 164 acres of maritime forest, marshes, and dunes, including a lake, a swamp and a beach. It is located at the Eastern end of Dauphin Island, a 14 mile-long barrier island situated off the Alabama Gulf coast. In April, migratory birds travel from their wintering grounds and funnel back into the United States. En route, many cross the Gulf of Mexico. The first land some of these birds see, after traveling more than 600 miles across open water, is Alabama's inviting coastline. Passerines arrive in huge numbers, with vireos and warblers being predominant. The island can be reached via a toll ferry from Fort Morgan at the far west end of Bon Secour NWR or via a bridge across the Mississippi Sound from Heron Bay south of Mobile.
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge
This birding refuge is located between Decatur and Huntsville in the Tennessee River Valley of northern Alabama. Fall, winter, and spring are typically the best times to visit the Refuge in terms of weather and wildlife sightings. Fall brings migrating flocks of ducks and geese along with the peak of the warbler migration during early October. Winter months are the best time to see the largest concentrations of ducks and geese. During spring, migrating songbirds are commonly seen. The wildlife observation building, located near the Visitor Center, is one of the best places to view large concentrations of ducks and geese during winter months, and hummingbirds in spring, summer and fall.