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Guided spring birding festival on Alabama’s Gulf Coast
Join Alabama Coastal BirdFest for guided birding trips across beaches, bays, and barrier islands—an ideal spring nature getaway based near Gulf State Park.
Event details
The John L. Borom Alabama Coastal BirdFest returns April 23 through 26, 2026, in a year defined by meaningful change. Alabama Audubon, the state’s leading bird conservation organization, has assumed management from the South Alabama Land Trust (SALT), a handoff that SALT Executive Director Jane Herndon described as a natural fit, noting the organization wanted to refocus on land protection while entrusting the festival’s legacy to a partner with deep roots in bird science and community engagement. Equally significant: after more than two decades anchored to the fall migration window, BirdFest makes its first-ever move to spring, positioning the event to capture one of the Gulf Coast’s most spectacular natural phenomena.
The program
Four days and more than 20 venues spread across Baldwin and Mobile counties form the backbone of the festival, with 30-plus guided birding and nature tours led by expert field naturalists. You’ll board boats into the storied Mobile-Tensaw Delta, walk the Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuary, scan shorebirds at historic Fort Morgan, and explore the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. Less-traveled gems round out the itinerary: the Blakeley Island Mud Ponds, Weeks Bay Reserve, Bayou La Batre, and the Forever Wild Grand Bay Savanna each offer their own quiet rewards.
Why spring matters
More than 370 bird species have been documented along the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, and the shift to April opens a new chapter for what the festival can offer. Spring signals the northward push of neotropical migrants refueling after their crossing of the Gulf: warblers flashing through live oaks, scarlet tanagers burning against new-green canopies, and shorebirds massing at the water’s edge. It is precisely the kind of spectacle that reminds even seasoned birders why they fell in love with the pursuit in the first place.
Workshops and family programming
Workshops cover hummingbird ecology, birding basics, monarch butterflies, and hands-on sessions with popular apps including eBird and Merlin Bird ID. The free, family-friendly Bird and Conservation Expo takes place at the Halstead Amphitheater on the Alabama Coastal Community College campus in downtown Fairhope, featuring a raptor show, a snake show, kids’ activities, and exhibitor booths. As evening settles over the waterway, sunset cruises with wine tasting offer a gentler close to full days in the field.
Legacy and conservation
Since its founding in 2004, BirdFest has raised more than $100,000 for coastal habitat preservation, making every tour, workshop, and expo ticket part of something larger than the weekend itself.
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