Product Description

According to the National Audubon Society, more than 54 million Americans name birdwatching as a favored activity, making it one of the country's most popular hobbies. In locating sites productive for the viewing of a diversity of bird species and numbers, birdwatchers rely on location guides such as this one, written by local experts who know firsthand the terrain, seasonal profile, and makeup of bird species in their areas. Alabama plays host to a great number and variety of birds. The combination of its diverse natural habitats - from the Gulf coastline to Appalachian piedmont to the Tennessee River Valley - and its location in the eastern migratory flyway make it a wonderful place to observe birds in all seasons. Nearly 400 species have been positively identified in state records - almost half the total species recognized by the American Birding Association for the entire continental U.S. With the publication of A Birder's Guide to Alabama, that amazing diversity has been made more accessible for the casual birder as well as the avid "life-lister." A first of its kind for Alabama, this guide covers the best birding spots throughout the state, dividing them into four distinct geographic sections. Each section is covered by expert birders from that region and includes a general description of the area, access, the "hot spots" for viewing, the species expected to be seen and when, and details on the closest accommodations. The guide includes over 50 maps, as well as line drawings and photographs of different bird species. Spiralbound for convenience in the field, it also offers helpful bar charts describing the frequency and distribution for all the bird species recognized for Alabama. This book will appeal to both novices and experienced birders, hikers, outdoors-people, eco-tourists, and anyone interested in Alabama's rich biodiversity. Whether one hopes to witness the breathtaking "fall-out" of exhausted spring migrants on Dauphin Island following a coastal storm front or to gaze in awe from behind a blind at the massing of winter waterfowl at Joe Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, the user of A Birder's Guide to Alabama will find it a constantly referred-to source of information and a handy, practical field companion.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1159477 in Books
• Published on: 2001-03-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Spiral-bound
• 368 pages

Review
"[This] is the ultimate tool for knowing when and where to find birds in Alabama. Every resident and visiting birder will want to have this valuable resource." - Robert A. Duncan, author of The Birds of Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa Counties, Florida"

About the Author
John F. Porter Jr. is past president of the Alabama Ornithological Society and editor of the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail Guide.

Customer Reviews

For traveling birders
This is an excellent resource and dare I say a "must" for anyone birding Alabama. It is much more current and informative than the Birder's guide to Alabama and Mississippi. It includes detailed directions and summaries as well as bar charts for frequency and distribution of Alabama species. This is particularly helpful because the range maps in most field guides are notoriously inaccurate. If you're a beginner however and you need help with identification, get a field guide - not this.

Definitely NOT for identifying birds
I didn't pay close attention to the reviews, thinking that I was getting a book on identification/description of birds in Alabama. Nope. If you want to know where to go for birdwatching, this is good. There should be a description of this book provided on the product page to make this point clear.

But it you are looking to learn the different species and how to identify them, this isn't it. Go for the Audobon field guide to the Eastern region.

The Birds aren't there...
Lots of great information, BUT no pictures... So - if you see a bird, you have to read three paragraphs before you can figure out what it is - maybe...