Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
updated only through its 1976 edition; sighting data is almost entirely pre-1970, and some
things are outdated. For example, the house finch is listed as “hypothetical” ; today, that bird
is everywhere in the towns and cities of Alabama. The address of the University Press is The
University of Alabama Press, P.O. Drawer 2877, University, AL 35486. The topic is a large
hardback with color plates.
Bird habitat in Alabama runs from mountain cliffs to shoreline. In between are countless
swamps, marshes, pine barrens, pitcher plant bogs, various hardwood forests, canyons,
streams, rivers, lakes, grasslands, and fields. Alabama has many large rivers and lakes that at-
tract wintering loons, ducks, geese, and bald eagles. Spring brings migration of many species
of songbirds, and summer provides ample opportunity to sight such things as prothonotary
and hooded warblers in the swamps, if you can stand the heat, humidity, and insects.
The Alabama Ornithological Society has been active since 1952 in observing birds and as-
sisting birders in Alabama. If you live in Alabama, joining the AOS will give you access to
the knowledge and guidance of the top birders in the state. The AOS also operates a statewide
Rare Bird Hotline that one can call to receive the latest on unique birds sighted in Alabama;
the number is 205-987-2730. For more information about the AOS, the address is 803 Queen
City Ave., Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.
MISSISSIPPI
Although lacking in the variety of geologic landforms that Alabama has, Mississippi does
not lack in bird variety, and the state is blessed with wetlands in abundance. Being on the
Mississippi River and along the Mississippi flyway, the state's wetlands provide unparalleled
opportunities for observing waterfowl. The duck life in some of Mississippi's refuges can be
quite lavish and plentiful. Unfortunately, much of this wetland habitat has been converted to
pine plantations and open farmland, but still, some wonderful areas remain.
A good topic on birds and birding locations along the Mississippi coast is Birds and Bird-
ing on the Mississippi Coast , written by Judith Toups and Jerome Jackson and published by
the University Press of Mississippi. Their topic goes into explicit particulars about birding
locations in Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson Counties; as the purpose of this topic is to give
a general guide to the more accessible public areas for bird watching over a two-state area, I
do not attempt to get as specific on the covered areas along the Mississippi coast. However,
I have included the areas that I think will be the most productive for birds and the most ac-
cessible to the traveler. For those who wish to spend more time birding along the Mississippi
coast or for those who live there, Birds and Birding on the Mississippi Coast is highly re-
commended. The topic is hardbound and retails for around twenty dollars; the address for the
publisher is: University Press of Mississippi, Jackson, MS 39211.
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