Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 3
Mountains and Piedmont
MOUND STATE MONUMENT
In the town of Moundville, a truly fascinating collection of earthen mounds and other artifacts
of a large Southeastern Indian city are preserved in Mound State Monument. The monument
is located right on the Black Warrior River, and over its 317 acres is much open field and
edge habitat for birds. Grassland species such as eastern meadowlark and eastern bluebird, and
wintering sparrows such as white-throated, fox, vesper, song, and savannah sparrows can be
sighted; wintering red-tailed hawks, American kestrels, and northern harrier are also possible.
In winter, the river can yield various ducks, gulls, and occasional common loons. Summer
brings a number of songbirds such as indigo bunting, summer tanager, blue grosbeak, dickcis-
sel, and a variety of woodland and swamp warblers including prothonotary, northern parula,
yellow-throated, black-and-white, American redstart, hooded, and Kentucky. Although I know
of no unusual species that regularly occur at Moundville, the combination of woodland, field,
and river habitats in close proximity make for good birding.
The impressive mounds and the displays of artifacts make Moundville a worthwhile stop if
one is in the area and has any interest in the history of the native inhabitants of the South. A
one-way drive winds through the fields and the mounds (there are 20 of them still intact) and
leads down to the river. The park is located just west of SH 69, on the northern end of town;
there are signs that guide you right to the park. Moundville is about 13 miles south of Tus-
caloosa. More information on the park and on the history of the Native Americans who lived
there can be obtained from Alabama State Museum of Natural History, Mound State Monu-
ment, P.O. Box 66, Moundville, AL 35474.
CAHABA RIVER
One of the last free-flowing rivers in Alabama, the Cahaba is the most biologically diverse
river of its size in the entire nation. Crossing a number of different geologic provinces as it
