The third annual BLACK BELT BIRDING FESTIVAL in Greensboro, Alabama will take place on August 4 & 5, 2023. Highlighting the birds, history, and heritage of Alabama’s Black Belt region, the festival offers rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of many species of birds in a natural environment.

As the Southeast’s largest prairie ecosystem, the Black Belt is unique unto itself. There is nowhere else you can find Wood Storks and Swallow-tailed Kites alongside Dickcissels and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers.

We are committed to fostering connections in the region so that more people, from all over, have the opportunity to experience this extraordinary place. —Dr. Scot Duncan, Executive Director of Alabama Audubon

Schedule :

August 4, 2023

The Festival kicks off the evening of Friday, August 4th at 5pm with a partner expo that is free to the public at Project Horseshoe Farm 1202 Main Street / Greensboro—an area nonprofit focused on building community. There will be live music by The Voodoo Saints and plenty to eat courtesy of Billy’s Cooking food truck.

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August 5, 2023

6am - 8:30am : FOREVER WILD TRIAL AREA - This STATE CATTLE RANCH 1132 County Road 73, Greensboro - $30

One of the birdiest sites in the Black Belt, this site offers a mix of wetlands, grassland, and forest. Species we may see include Wood Stork, Anhinga, Blue-winged Teal, White Ibis, several heron and egret species, Indigo Buntings, Blue Grosbeaks, Common Gallinules, American Kestrel (southeastern race), Eastern Kingbird, Loggerhead Shrike, Yellow Warbler, and Dickcissel. This is the best location for an unexpected species including early migrant shorebirds, ducks, and terns.

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6am - 8:15am : OLD CAHAWBA - PRAIRIE TRACT & ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE - 9518 Cahaba Rd, Orrville - $30

Search for grassland, scrub, and river forest birds at one of the most beautiful of the Black Belt prairies, which happens to be the site of Alabama’s first state capitol. Birds we hope to see include the Orchard Oriole, Blue Grosbeak, Northern Bobwhite (quail), Yellow-throated and Prairie Warbler, Summer Tanager, Broad-winged Hawk, Yellow-breasted Chat, Indigo Bunting, Acadian Flycatcher, Northern Parula, and American Redstart. We will also pause to admire some of the region’s iconic prairie plants.

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6am - 8:30am : PAYNE LAKE RECREATION AREA - 581 County Road 71, Moundville - $30

Payne Lake is an oasis for birds and birders in one of Alabama’s finest national forests. The diverse mix of habitats offers a chance to see many warblers including Kentucky, Black-and-white, Prairie, Hooded, Swainson’s, and Northern Parula. Also abundant here are the Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireo, Summer Tanager, Yellow- breasted Chat, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Red-headed Woodpecker, and Orchard Oriole. With luck, we might see a Red-cockaded Woodpecker.

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6am - 8:30am  : PERRY LAKES PARK - Highway 183, Marion - $30

One of the most popular birding sites in the Black Belt, Perry Lakes Park is a mix of bottomland forest, oxbow lakes, and swamp. A highlight is the restored fire tower where birders can see eye-to-eye with birds in the canopy. Species we may see include Bald Eagle, Wood Duck, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Little Blue Heron, Northern Parula, Barred Owl, Red-eyed Vireo, and Summer Tanager.

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7am - 8:30am : DOWNTOWN BIRDING FOR BEGINNERS - ALABAMA AUDUBON OFFICE / 1014 Whelan Street, Greensboro - Free Event

Get to know Downtown Greensboro’s birds with an easy stroll along the city’s historic streets on a quiet Saturday morning. This outing is open to all, but it is particularly designed for those who are new to birding, or bird curious, and want to meet others with similar interests.

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7am - 9am : BIRDABILITY ACCESSIBLE DRIVING TOUR - HISTORIC GREENSBORO OPERA HOUSE - 1217 Main Street, Greensboro - $30

A driving tour of bird habitats of the Black Belt, including catfish ponds, fields, and forest edges. The event is designed for birding from the car with occasional stops and minimal walking. Birds we may see include American White Pelicans, Wood Storks, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Bald Eagles, Black and Turkey Vultures, Dickcissels, herons and egrets, Eastern Kingbirds, Indigo Buntings, Swallow-tailed and Mississippi Kites, and Red-tailed Hawks.

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9am - 11:30am : THE JOE FARM - 1965 County Road 57, Newbern - $40

Spend a few hours as a guest of the Joe family on their multi-generational Black Angus cattle farm. As we watch, the Joes will harvest hay which can attract many Swallow-tailed and Mississippi Kites that dive after insects stirred up by the tractor—some at eye-level. As we wait for the kites, enjoy birding the nearby hedgerows and bottomland forest, and chat with the Joes and fellow nature lovers.

Depending on your preferred map, it is possible that you may be led to an address that is on the same road as the farm but that is not the precise location where you will need to be in order to join the group.

Be sure to look for our directional signage when traveling. We recommend you use GPS coordinates to ensure you arrive at the correct location: 32.54659° N, 87.59189° W

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1:30pm - 2:20pm : BIRDS OF PREY - PRESENTED BY ALABAMA WILDLIFE CENTER ALABAMA AUDUBON Office - 1014 Whelan Street, Greensboro - $20

Meet the staff of the Alabama Wildlife Center and their bird ambassadors—live owls, hawks, kites, and falcons. AWC is Alabama’s oldest and largest wildlife rehabilitation facility and cares for almost two thousand wild bird patients each year. The magnificent birds you will meet face-to-face have injuries preventing them from re-entering the wild, so they are used in education to heighten appreciation of Alabama’s native wildlife.

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2:30pm - 3:30pm : KEY NOTE ADDRESS DR. JAMES LAMB - HISTORIC GREENSBORO OPERA HOUSE - 1217 Main Street, Greensboro - $15

The 2023 Keynote Address will be presented by DR. JAMES LAMB, The Black Belt Museum’s Curator of Paleontology from the University of West Alabama in Livingston. His topic will be THE BLACK BELT / Ancient Oceans, Dinosaurs in the Prairie, through which he will he will explore how the Black Belt has produced more dinosaur skeletons than any other area east of the Mississippi River, and all unique to Alabama. Ancient toothed birds once flew over shallow oceans in the Black Belt, where catfish ponds now abound, and lived alongside their dinosaur cousins

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4:15pm - 5:15pm : BLACK WARRIOR RIVER AT MOUNDVILLE - 634 Mound State Parkway - $30

Explore the history and beauty of the Black Warrior River where it flows through the Black Belt at Moundville Archaeological Park. We’ll learn about the ecological importance of the river and the important work being done to protect it.

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4:15pm - 5:15pm : PRAIRIE RESTORATION AT CONTENTMENT - 585 County Road 24, Greensboro - $30

Enjoy the late afternoon as a guest of Elise Smith at Contentment, the eighty-acre property that she is transforming from agriculture back to native prairie with guidance from regional experts in prairie ecology and botany. We will also view the 19th century cabin used by famous ornithologist William C. Avery, who was Elise’s great-great uncle.

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4:15pm - 6:15pm : BARTON’S BEACH & ENDANGERED SPECIES TOUR - ALABAMA AQUATIC BIODIVERSITY CENTER / PERRY LAKES PARK 2202 SR-175, Marion - $30

Did you know that Alabama is a global hotspot for freshwater animals? First, we will tour a world-class facility where biologists are raising endangered mollusks for release into the wild to restore their populations and river ecosystems. Afterwards we will enjoy a short hike to a large sand bar (and local swimming hole!) on the Cahaba River, one of the most biologically diverse rivers in North America. Meet experts from the Cahaba River Society and learn about river creatures and river conservation. And be sure to dip your toes in the river to cool off!

Be sure to meet at the Center where there will be parking. Keep an eye out for our signs. GPS coordinates are: 32.69768° N, 87.25986° W

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4:30pm - 7:30pm : RED-COCKADED WOODPECKERS & LONGLEAF PINE FIRE ECOLOGY - PAYNE LAKE RECREATION AREA - 581 Co Rd 71, Moundville - $30

The endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker is found only in a few pockets of the region’s remaining Longleaf Pine forests. We will gather near the nesting trees of the woodpeckers and await their return to roost for the night. While we wait, we’ll learn from experts about the biology of the species and about the role that fire plays in maintaining these unique and threatened ecosystems. If the birds return to the roost early, this excursion will not last the full three hours.

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Date : August 4, 2023 - August 5, 2023

Location :

Project Horseshoe Farm

1202 Main St

Greensboro, AL 36744

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