As a Globally Important Bird Area, Dauphin Island is one of the best places for birding in the Southeast. Plan a fall getaway on Dauphin Island and witness hundreds of birds take shelter on our island during the annual fall migration. Grab your binoculars and use the resources from Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuaries to find the best information on local birding spots, conservation efforts, and birding checklists. Bird watch from anywhere on the island or seek out the hot spots at East End, Pelican Point, or the Audubon Bird Sanctuary. With over 350 bird species reported here, birding on Dauphin Island is the perfect addition to your vacation with Boardwalk Realty.
Dauphin Island Fall Migration
Birding on Dauphin Island is fantastic year-round, but the spring and fall migrations have been described as the “stuff of birding legend.” During the fall, shorebirds make a pit stop on Dauphin Island to prepare and get ready for their long trans-gulf flight. This results in a high diversity of species passing through, providing incredible birding opportunities. If you want to join local research efforts, you can sign up for Coastal Bird Banding through the Audubon Bird Sanctuary in October.
Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuaries
The non-profit organization Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuaries preserves the island’s valuable habitat and manages several protected places open to the public. Download the birding checklist and see how many birds you can check off while visiting these birding locales:
Pelican Point
Located just south and east of Fort Gaines, Pelican Point is a popular spot to see seabirds in the early morning or late afternoon. Look for birds on the beach, jetties, and the underbrush by the parking area. Common species here include black-bellied plover, ruddy turnstone, gulls, terns, and brown pelicans.
Audubon Bird Sanctuary
The Audubon Bird Sanctuary offers 164 acres of phenomenal birding amidst woodlands, swamps, marshes, dunes, and beaches. Explore the sanctuary’s diverse habitats and spot migrating passerines in the oak grove and herons at Galliard Lake.
Shell Mound Park
Visit Shell Mound Park for the best passerine bird watching on the island. Explore this 11-acre site and see migrant birds in the oak trees and native vegetation. Nearby, you can find even more fantastic passerine birding at Goat Tree Reserve and Cadillac Square.
West End Park
Head to West End Park and walk along the beach to see large numbers of gulls, terns, shorebirds, and wading birds. See least terns and plovers in the dunes and shorebirds like reddish egrets in the tidal pools.
Fall Vacation Rentals on Dauphin Island
Plan your getaway from mid-September through October and experience the fall migration on Dauphin Island. Head to the island’s birding hot spots or enjoy birding from the comfort of your Dauphin Island vacation rental with Boardwalk Realty. Book one of our Gulf Front or Bay Front properties and watch the birds from your deck or from the beach steps away!
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