Spend a few hours as a guest of the Joe family on their multi-generational Black Angus cattle farm in Newbern. We watch as father Cornelius Joe tractors through his field knocking down hay for harvest, stirring up insects in the process. This usually attracts the attention of Swallow-tailed and Mississippi Kites, which arrive and dive after the insects - sometimes at eye level right in front of the crowd. As we wait for the kites, enjoy birding the nearby hedgerows and bottomland forest, and chat with the Joes and fellow nature lovers. Featured on Nat Geo’s Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper, and in numerous publications, including Living Bird and a cover story of The Bitter Southerner, the Joes are leading the way in showing how ecotourism can benefit the Black Belt and birds.120 Spots // $40.00

eBird Hotspot: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L11657086

Address: 1925 County Rd. 57 Newbern, AL 36765; (32.547074, -87.590155). Note that if you search for “The Joe Farm” in Google Maps, it will take you to a nearby location in the neighborhood. Park along Co. Rd. 57 outside of the gate & look for Alabama Audubon signs.

Terrain/Amenities: Guests are transported by tractor trailer or golf cart to the tree-lined edge of the pasture; Bathrooms available. Guests are encouraged to bring a chair.

Meet the staff of the Alabama Wildlife Center and their bird ambassadors - live owls, hawks, kites, and falcons - and maybe even a vulture! 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.

50 Spots / $25.00

Address: Greensboro Opera House 1217 Main Street, Greensboro, AL 36744; (32.704052, -87.594144)

This event is scheduled before the Keynote address in the same building.

Terrain/Amenities: This event is inside with plenty of seats. Bathrooms available. Street parking available.

We are excited to announce that Nate Swick will be the keynote speaker for the Black Belt Birding Festival 2026!

Nate is the Education & Digital Content Coordinator for the American Birding Association (ABA) and the host of the popular American Birding Podcast, which airs every Thursday and features in-depth conversations with birding experts, rare bird roundups, and the latest association news.

He is the author of A Beginner’s Guide to Birding and the ABA Field Guide to Birds of the Carolinas. Nate also serves on the North Carolina Bird Records Committee, previously as chair, and works as an eBird reviewer for the state. Based in Greensboro, North Carolina, he and his family are perfectly positioned between the biologically rich southern Appalachian Mountains and the world-renowned pelagic birding of the Outer Banks.

Festival attendees can look forward to Nate’s keynote address and insights drawn from his extensive experience in birding, education, and conservation.

110 Spots // $20.00

Address: Greensboro Opera House 1217 Main Street, Greensboro, AL 36744; (32.704052, -87.594144)

Terrain/Amenities: This event is inside with plenty of seats. Bathrooms available. Street parking available.

The Weissinger Lakes is an eBird hotspot known for rolling hills of hayfields, large aquaculture ponds, and Bald Eagles attracted to the area due to the abundance of catfish in the ponds.  While there is no guarantee that we’ll see eagles, there’s a good chance we’ll encounter them here while we bird along the sideroads criss-crossing this location. Expect to see herons, egrets, cormorants, pelicans, kettles of vultures, and maybe a few ducks. Adjacent hayfields provide habitat for meadowlarks, Dickcissels, and other grassland specialties. If you have a spotting scope, bring it along for scanning distant ponds and soaring raptors.

This outing is a good choice for those with limited mobility.  During stops we will remain close to the vehicles, and guests may bird from or next to their vehicles.

12 Spots // $35.00

eBird Hotspot: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L3946633

Address: 11826 AL-5, Marion Junction, AL 36759; (32.390515, -87.366159). Meet in the parking lot of St. Marks Primitive Baptist (“P.B.”) Church.

Terrain/Amenities: Stops will optionally involve minimal travel near the parked cars on gravel and paved roads and unmowed grass with variably even/uneven texture. Birding can be done from the car or outside the car along the road. Bathrooms unavailable.

Bird with us at one of the most impressive and impactful dams in Alabama. Located just a few miles northwest of Camden, the Miller’s Ferry Dam is one of three dams on the Alabama River.  The reservoir created by this dam on the Alabama River provides open-water habitat, while the margins of the reservoir provides foraging habitat for waders - of which we may see up to six species. Adjacent areas provide meadow and woodland habitats for summer breeding species.  

16 Spots // $35.00

eBird Hotspot: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L3839263

Address:  US Army Corps of Engineers, 1226 Power House Dr, Camden, AL 36726; (32.093260, -87.390722)

Terrain/Amenities: Mostly level terrain, mixture of paved and grassy paths around buildings, and gravel road in wooded areas.

Tucked away to the southeast of Eutaw on the banks of the Black Warrior River is West Damsite Park in Greene County.  This seldom birded eBird hotspot is a public use area on the western shore of the A.I. Seldon Dam.  The park provides an opportunity to bird the floodplains and inlets of the river, where we will likely hear (and hopefully see!) Summer Tanagers and Prothonotary and Black-and-white Warblers.  Other neotropical breeders frequenting these habitats include a variety of flycatchers, vireos, orioles, and buntings. 

16 Spots // $35.00

eBird Hotspot: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L2612377

Address: Damsite Public Use Area, Eutaw, AL 35462. Two miles southeast of Eutaw.  This site is on the west side of the Black Warrior River. (32.781396, -87.842707)

Terrain/Amenities: Gravel and dirt trails; paved parking lot overlooking the river. Bathrooms not available.

Did you know that Alabama is a global hotspot for freshwater animals? First, we will tour a world-class facility, the Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Center, where biologists are raising endangered mollusks for release into the wild to restore their populations and river ecosystems. Afterwards we will enjoy a hike to a nearby large sandbar (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!

20 Spots // $35.00

eBird Hotspot: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L712799

Address: Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Center, SR-175, Marion AL, 36756 (32.697708, -87.260148). There is no street number for the Center. In Google Maps, search for “Perry Lakes Park” which is northeast of Marion. The Center is at the intersection of the drive into the park and AL-175. Note that Center is on AL-175 at 3.1 mi south from the intersection of AL-5 and AL-175.

Terrain/Amenities: Travel up to 1 mile on gravel roads and forest trails with roots. Bathrooms available at the Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Center.

The threatened Red-cockaded Woodpecker is found only in a few pockets of the region’s remaining Longleaf Pine forests including here at Payne Lake Recreation Area in the Talladega National Forest. With your guide you will gather near the nesting trees of the woodpeckers and await their return to roost for the night. While waiting, 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. We’ll also see other species typical of the Longleaf Pine forest, possibly including Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos, Summer Tanagers, Yellow-breasted Chats, Brown-headed Nuthatches, and Red-headed Woodpeckers. If the woodpeckers return to the roost early, this excursion will not last the full three hours. Note: a day-use fee of $3 (cash only; bring exact change) is required for admission and is not included in ticket fee.

25 Spots // $35.00

eBird Hotspot: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L2165175

Address: Payne Lake Recreational Area, 581 Co Rd 71, Moundville, AL 35474; (32.880734, -87.445706). After paying the day-use fee, take the first right and park at the picnic area next to the spillway.

Terrain/Amenities:  Expect to traverse 0.25 mi on pavement, mowed grass, and - optionally - uneven terrain on and off trail. Bathrooms available. 

Owls live all around us, but are masters at hiding in plain sight! Nightjars live here during the summer and electrify the night with their songs. Join us at dusk for a walk in search of the amazing avian nocturnal predators that call the Black Belt home. Possibilities include Barred and Great Horned Owls, Eastern Screech-owls, Common Nighthawks, and Chuck-will’s-widows. Bring a flashlight!

25 Spots // $35.00 (Included in the Sumter Farm Stay Package)

Address: 100 Meadow Lane, Geiger, AL 35459; (32.867814, -88.303109)

Terrain/Amenities: Trails at dusk and night through the prairie on mowed, but uneven ground.

Black Belt nights on the prairie are lively. After the sun goes down and temperatures cool, a night party begins under a starry sky. Katydids and crickets fill the thick night air with their buzzy tunes, and owls and nightjars chime in with their haunting songs. Join us on a night quest to hear - and possibly see - owls and nightjars of the prairie and stargaze with an astronomer. 

Our adventure will take place at Contentment, a historic rural homestead near Greensboro. After a stroll on the prairie in search of night birds, Alabama Audubon board member and astronomer Dr. Michelle Wooten will lead us through an exploration of the night sky. Learn how to use a star map to find constellations - including bird constellations - and learn how dark sky conservation can protect migratory birds and create a healthier environment for people. Bring a red flashlight!

16 Spots / $35.00

Address: 585 Millwood Rd, Greensboro, AL 36744; (32.692307, -87.618199)

Terrain/Amenities: Trails through the prairie on mowed, but slightly uneven ground. At the homesite, the terrain is mowed, level grass and patio.