Nature
Birding on Dauphin Island
Our house is named for them: herons, pelicans, ospreys and the songbirds that pour onto the island each spring and fall.
From Waterbirds
Drive east on Bienville Boulevard. Shell Mound Park is near the center of the island, about 10 minutes away, and the Audubon sanctuary is a few minutes farther east.
Dauphin Island guide
Why Birders Come Here
First landfall
Songbirds crossing the Gulf from Central and South America often touch down on Dauphin Island first, so spring migration (late March through April) can bring warblers, tanagers and orioles by the treeful. Fall migration runs from September into October.
Globally important
The American Bird Conservancy classifies Dauphin Island as a Globally Important Bird Area, and the town says it has been voted America’s Birdiest City several times.
Shorebirds year-round
Brown pelicans, herons, egrets, terns and ospreys work the beaches and bay all year. Watch from the deck with your morning coffee.
Dauphin Island guide
Audubon Bird Sanctuary
164 acres
Pine and live oak forest, a swamp, dunes, Gaillard Lake and beach at 213 Bienville Blvd. on the east end.
Trails
About three miles of trails. A 1,000-foot accessible boardwalk leads from the parking lot to Gaillard Lake, where egrets and herons gather in the late afternoon.
Free
There’s no admission charge.
Dauphin Island guide
Indian Shell Mound Park
Ancient shell middens
An 11-acre park preserving mounds of oyster shells left by Native Americans centuries ago, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Songbird magnet
Huge, moss-draped live oaks shelter tired migrants in spring, making this one of the island’s best birding spots.
Getting there
On Iberville Street near the middle of the island; park along the road.
Tips
Before You Go
- Bring binoculars and bug spray, and go early in the morning.
- Check local birding reports in spring for “fallout” days after storms, when migrants pile onto the island.
- Stay on trails and give nesting shorebirds plenty of room on the beach.
- Note: the Jeff Friend Trail is across the bay in Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, a short ferry ride away.
Hours, prices and schedules change. Check the official source before you go: Town of Dauphin Island: Audubon Bird Sanctuary · Alabama Birding Trails.
Keep exploring
More of Dauphin Island
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