Alabama Audubon is pleased to announce the third annual Black Belt Birding Festival in Greensboro, Alabama on August 4 & 5, 2023. Highlighting the birds, history, and heritage of Alabama’s Black Belt region, the festival is a popular offering from the conservation nonprofit’s Black Belt Birding Initiative, a program committed to bringing the economic benefits of bird-based ecotourism to this unique stretch of rural Alabama.
The Black Belt Birding Festival aims to increase accessibility, and to provide entertainment and learning experiences, for all members of the community and new visitors to the area. It showcases the area’s diverse birdlife and attracts many visitors that support local businesses both downtown and in surrounding cities.
The 2023 festival will provide many of the popular offerings from previous years alongside new opportunities thanks to the continued investment of Alabama Audubon partners. It will kick off on Friday evening, August 4 with a free partner expo at Project Horseshoe Farm—an area nonprofit focused on building community— and will feature live music and food trucks.
On the morning of Saturday, August 5, the festival continues with a curated selection of birding excursions throughout the Black Belt that include: Perry Lakes Park; the M.Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Trial Area (State Cattle Ranch); Old Cahawba: Prairie Tract and Archaeological Site; Payne Lake Recreation Area; Talladega National Forest; and Connecting with Birds and Nature Tours, LLC at The Joe Farm. The swarming of the Swallow-tailed and Mississippi Kites at The Joe Farm is a spectacle that should not be missed, nor should the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers later in the day at the Talladega National Forest.
In the afternoon on Saturday, in Downtown Greensboro, the Alabama Wildlife Center will present their Birds of Prey showcase with appearances by many of their rehabilitated resident bird ambassadors— live owls, hawks, kites, and falcons.
