Islands are for the birds: Birdwatching in Alabama

Calling all ornithologists! What is an ornithologist you might inquire? You know, birders -- those folks who pass the time hunting, viewing and studying multi-hued winged creatures in their natural habitat through the eyes of a pair of hight-priced, German-engineered binoculars. This weekend is all about the birds at Fort Morgan Road and Bon Secour, two major sites along the expansive Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, which is 240 miles of trails. And if the birds' southern migration to warmer climes holds to its traditional schedule, this will be the optimal time to admire these exotic birds of paradise in our area.

Birding is considered eco-tourism -- a billion dollar industry in the tourism sector throughout the United States. Birding enthusiasts converging on the Florida/Alabama Gulf Coast this month inject important dollars into the economy in an otherwise slow time for tourism.

According to the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau survey in 2002, 8 percent of tourists listed bird watching as their primary activity, and in 2006 that figure jumped to just fewer than 20 percent. Despite hurricanes and commercial swelling, that number continues to rise.

"The bird-watching periods are a catalyst of economic growth, driving in numerous tourists," said Joanne McDonough nature tourism specialist along the Alabama Gulf Coast. "The region brings in somewhere near $100 million dollars per year. The Alabama Coastal Birding Trail Web site has had a hit rate increase of 90 percent since 2002."

read the full story: The Penscola News Journal