This past November ten Audubon members traveled in Belize with Alabama Audubon executive director, Scot Duncan, and the country’s top bird guide, Roni Martinez. The group birded in Yucatan jungle, pine woodland, and high tropical forest.
The 229 species seen included Ocellated Turkey, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle, King Vulture, Scarlet Macaw, White-collared and Red-capped Manakins, Yucatan Jay, and White Hawk. The group learned about Mayan history and Belizean culture from local guides and was treated to different Belizean cuisines every night. Other highlights included tours of Mayan ruins, boat trips on rivers and wetlands, and listening to owls in the dead of night while a nearby jaguar roared.
If you would like to join us for one of our international trips with our partners at Conservancy Travel, consider traveling with us to the coffee region of Colombia September 14-23, 2025. Colombia has nearly 2000 species of birds! The deadline to register is May 17th, 2025. There are several spots still open.
Details on our website: https://alaudubon.org/travel
New Staff Welcome to the flock, Ellen Killough!
Ellen joined us as Director of Development and has been busy immersing herself into the bird world! Ellen Killough is a lifelong artist, fly angler, gardener and nonprofit executive with twenty years of leadership across the business and philanthropic landscape. She began her career in apparel design with Russell Athletic and later managed major tournament retail operations for the PGA TOUR. She transitioned to nonprofit fundraising exclusively in 2003, leading the Panama City Center for the Arts in Panama City, Florida, and the Fredericksburg Area Museum & Cultural Center in Fredericksburg, VA. As CEO of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Ellen expanded revenue streams and positioned the organization for long-term success.
Upon returning to Alabama she represented the New York City-based Runway of Dreams Foundation before joining Auburn University as a frontline fundraiser in 2020, where she proudly served her alma mater as Development Director for the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. A Montgomery native, Ellen enjoys Auburn football, making art, and fly fishing in the mountains. Here she holds an Indigo Bunting at Fort Morgan banding and her favorite bird are bluebirds!
PROJECT SAFE FLIGHT
Our Project Safe Flight window collision monitoring continued to spread to new areas of the state this fall. We documented 261 dead or injured birds. The most common were Tennessee Warblers (37), hummingbirds (22), and sapsuckers (14). A new species this year was Brown Creeper (2). Over the last two years of this project we have documented a total of 793 dead/injured/stunned birds.
Cities: 7
Volunteers: 37
Volunteer Hours: 200 Surveys: 348
If you haven’t seen this article about the Kreher Preserve’s new education building, check it out! They covered every window with FeatherFriendly decals! We were able to support this effort with a donation thanks to our Community Impact Grant from EBSCO Industries. We also started putting decals up at Auburn University’s College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment this winter.
For more information about our Project Safe Flight initiative to support those efforts, please contact Science & Conservation Director, LIANNE KOCZUR , at lianne@alaudubon.org or 205.719.3678.
Bird of the Y ear 2025
Alabama Audubon’s Bird of the Year event was a night to remember, celebrating the Snowy Plover! This was our second annual Bird of the Year celebration, and we are thrilled by the growing support for Alabama’s birds and conservation efforts. Held at Cahaba Brewing Company, the evening featured live music, a silent auction, and interactive bird-themed fun—including an albatross wingspan display showcasing the impressive 14-foot wingspan of these incredible seabirds.
The Snowy Plover is of particular concern in Alabama, where it is considered a species of highest conservation concern due to threats such as habitat loss, predation, and human disturbances. A special highlight of the night was presenting UAB with the Avian Ally Award for their commitment to bird-friendly initiatives, including incorporating bird-safe glass on their new Genomics Building to prevent bird collisions. Guests also had the chance to view a one-of-a-kind artwork created by UAB student and nature enthusiast Ava Bailey, capturing the beauty of the Snowy Plover.
We are so grateful for the incredible support from our community and can’t wait to continue celebrating Alabama’s birds together!
Meet bbGY (“Guy”), the Snowy Plover star Bird of the Year 2025.
Artist Ava Bailey beautifully captured the essence of the Snowy Plover through her artwork—featuring a real, banded bird that our coastal team has been tracking for years. Known by the colored bands on his legs as bbGY (or affectionately, “Guy”), this tiny shorebird was originally banded in 2016 on Dauphin Island.
Since then, he’s returned to the beach multiple times, becoming a familiar and beloved figure in our coastal monitoring efforts.
Snowy Plovers like Guy face countless challenges along Alabama’s coast — from habitat loss and human disturbance to predators and rising sea levels. That’s why they’ve become a focal point of our coastal conservation initiative. These birds nest directly on sandy beaches, where their eggs and chicks are incredibly vulnerable.
Coastal N ews
The 2024 Snowy Plover nesting season on Dauphin Island was a success. For the second year in a row there was a record number of fledglings. To help the birds nest successfully, Alabama Audubon's coastal team fenced, signed, and stewarded the nesting site while educating beachgoers about the birds. Stewardship efforts helped produce seven fluffy, long-legged chicks, which survived to fledging age.
This is the first time we have had banded Snowy Plover fledglings, and resighting these birds will help us understand more about survival and movements. In fact, in February our coastal staff saw two of these birds back on Dauphin Island! They survived their first winter (which was a tough one with a storm that left several inches of snow on the beach for a few days!) and came back to the site where they hatched.
We have been monitoring the snowy plover population since 2018, and in most years they have struggled to nest successfully. During 2018-2022, only 7 chicks survived to fledging age from nests on Dauphin Island’s west end. The Snowy Plovers across the bay at Bon Secour had more success in some years, but the last two years have been hard on them. Snowy Plovers are listed as highest conservation concern in Alabama’s State Wildlife Action Plan.
The Alabama Coastal Bird Stewardship Program is funded with Deepwater Horizon natural resources damage settlement funds provided by the Alabama Trustee Implementation Group. This project is further supported by the National Audubon Society through funding from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Education MiniGran t
We are actively building educational partnerships throughout the state that support educational nonprofits. Each of our Mini-Grant recipients has been awarded a different amount based on project size and demonstrated need, totaling $3,000. Learn more about each project!
Turtle Point Science Center
"Turtle Point is a hands-on facility in Flomaton, Alabama, serving Escambia County schools and the public. Programs are tailored for all ages, including home-schoolers. A highlight is our “Bird Bus,” a converted school bus bird blind used before guided hikes to a wetland overlook. We seek funding for colorful educational signs along our boardwalk, designed with a visual artist, to teach visitors about Alabama birds and support Alabama Audubon’s mission. "
Dauphin Island Sea Lab
"Discovery Hall Programs is adding a bird-focused class to its coastal science offerings. Students will study bird biology, ecology, and conservation issues in the classroom, then birdwatch in nearby habitats. The class emphasizes hands-on learning and fosters awareness of birds and environmental challenges on the coast."
award.
J.Larr y Newton Elementary School, Baldwin County
"Our project “Using Technology to Enhance Birding” aims to engage students with native and migratory birds through the Birdfy Feeder—a smart feeder with a built-in camera and AI to identify and log bird species. Students can observe birds live or via app, apply citizen science skills, and analyze real-time data. This ties directly to science and math standards, enhancing lessons on life cycles, ecosystems, and data analysis. Ultimately, students gain knowledge, curiosity, and a stronger connection to their environment —perfectly aligned with Alabama Audubon’s goals."
Turtle Point Science Center Director Sierra Stiles accepts her Education MiniGrant
CUBA TRIP
This March, Alabama Audubon and Conservancy Travel partnered for our third trip to western Cuba, one of the most memorable yet! Our Cuban guides, Maikel and Raul, along with Program Coordinator Andrew Lydeard, led nine guests through the mountains of western Cuba, into the famous Zapata Swamp, to La Playa Larga & the Bay of Pigs, and into Havana.
This observant, passionate, and lucky group saw 147 species, more birds on this Cuban trip than either of our first other two! Some highlights for the group were Cuban endemics only found on the island, including Cuban Solitaires, Cuban Trogons, Cuban Todies, Cuban Black Hawks, Bee Hummingbirds (of course), and many others.
In fact, the only endemic bird target we missed was the Zapata Wren, a phenomenal reason to go back next time! Other tropical specialties seen on this trip were Key West Quail-Doves, Western Spindalis, American Flamingos, White-collared Swifts, and a Stygian Owl chasing a Lesser Yellowlegs over town one night! In addition to an excellent collection of Cuban birds, the group ate some of the best seafood on the planet, including crab, lobster, fish, and shrimp, all while basking in the glow of the Caribbean sun.
Our last days in Havana were full of cultural and historical exploration as we explored Old Havana, Revolutionary Square, and some notable landmarks in the old, beautiful city.
Thank you to:
Angie and Christian Kidder
Winston Lancaster
Charles and Rhonda Lydeard
Tara Miller
Anne and Ira Mitchell
Beth Stewart
OFFICERS
MISSION
The mission of ALABAMA AUDUBON is to promote conservation and a greater knowledge of birds, their habitats, and the natural world.
Maggie Amsler
President
Lois Woodward
President Elect
Greg Harber
Secretary
Lori Oswald
Treasurer
Barry Fleming
Vice President, Conservation
Jonah Cohen
Vice President, Education
Matt Hunter
Vice President, Field Trips
Heather McCalley
Vice President, Development & Membership
Community Engagement
STAFF
R.Scot Duncan
Executive Director
Keith A. Wolfe-Hughes
Financial & Administrative Director
Lianne Koczur Science & Conservation Director
Ellen Killough Development Director
Allison Ciamarra Communication Coordinator
Andrew Lydeard Program Coordinator
Tim Higgins Black Belt Coordinator
Cortney Weatherby Coastal Outreach Manager
Olivia Morpeth Coastal Biologist
DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE
Joe Watts
Jacqueline Gray Miller
Linda Neighbors
Rashidah Farid
Stephannie Nixon
Michelle Wooten
Cliff Martin
Annette Kinderman
BIRMINGHAM P.O. Box 130819 Birmingham, AL 35213
FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM
@alaubudon
Through more than seventy-five years of conservation work in one of our nation’s most biologically rich states, ALABAMA AUDUBON has seen firsthand how biodiversity strengthens natural communities. This same principle applies to human communities, which is why our organization is committed to providing opportunities for all Alabamians to learn about and enjoy wild birds, their habitats, and the natural world. To that end, we invite everyone to participate in our work, as we strive to make our programs, classes, and events open and welcoming to all. Working together we can save the birds we love and the nature we need.
FOR EACH TAG ISSUED, WE RECEIVE $41.25
Every time you drive down the road, you will be supporting our mission to promote conservation and education by increasing awareness of our organization across Alabama. alaudubon.org/ alabama-audubon-car-tag
