The fifth annual BLACK BELT BIRDING FESTIVAL will take place on August 1, 2, & 3, 2025. Highlighting the birds, history, and heritage of Alabama’s Black Belt region, the festival brings together the joy of birding with the benefits of ecotourism to a region of profoundly important ecology and civil rights history.
“We are super excited about this year’s festival given that participation has surged over the past two years. Nowhere else can you see Wood Storks, Scissor- tailed Flycatchers, and Swallow-tailed Kites against a backdrop of bountiful grasslands and epic civil rights history,” said Dr. Scot Duncan, Executive Director of Alabama Audubon.
The Black Belt is the largest natural grassland region in the eastern U.S. Named for its dark soils, grassland and wetland birds thrive here among the region’s ranches, farms, and restored prairies.
The Festival starts the evening of Friday, August 1st at 5pm with a kick-off party that is free to the public at Project Horseshoe Farm (1202 Main Street, Greensboro) – a regional nonprofit focused on community health – with live music by Alabama singersongwriter Rachel Edwards accompanied by jazz guitarist John Holaway. Guided field trips begin Saturday morning across Dallas, Hale, Perry, Marengo, and Sumter counties, including birding from a 100 ft birding tower designed by Auburn University’s Rural Studio at Perry Lakes Park near Marion and a beginners bird walk in Selma while learning about the Civil Rights Movement with Terry Chestnut, Jr., whose father, J.L Chestnut, Jr., was Alabama’s first Black lawyer and represented Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Joe Farm, a 4th generation Black-owned cattle ranch, is among the most popular events of the weekend, where Swallow-tailed and Mississippi Kites put on an exciting show while snatching insects out of the air behind Mr. Cornelius Joe’s tractor. The Joe Farm has been featured on Nat Geo’s Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper and a recent BBC Travel Show episode highlighting the Black Belt, and was also lauded in a study by Beyond Green Travel and the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development as a premier ecotourism destination in the Black Belt. For the first time, our event is stretching well into Sunday morning, with events at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park, tours of campsites in Dallas and Lowndes Counties used by foot soldiers during the historic Selma to Montgomery March for Civil Rights in 1965, and a partnership with the Cahaba River Society to bird by canoe on the oxbow lakes at Perry Lakes Park.
The 2025 Keynote Address will be presented by author, photographer, and filmmaker Dudley Edmonson on The Browning of Birding and its Impact on Conservation and Outdoor Recreation, where he will explore the intersection of race, representation, and environmental stewardship. Drawing from his compelling book, People the Planet Needs Now, Dudley will share power stories from 25 Black and Brown scientists and activists whose lived experiences and groundbreaking work offer new perspectives on addressing the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges. Through vivid storytelling and fullcolor photography, Dudley will illustrate how these diverse voices are leading the charge for environmental justice and innovation – while emphasizing why the work of land trusts is essential for fostering meaningful connections to nature for all communities.
Throughout the weekend, visitors and Black Belt residents can enjoy community- based programming including a special gallery exhibit and artists market at Aaron Sanders Head’s Sumac Cottage (1107 South St., Greensboro) throughout the day on Saturday.
Birders of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities are invited to join Alabama Audubon for an unforgettable weekend in the beautiful Black Belt region of Alabama, where opportunities to experience, learn, and bird at historic sites, working farms, and ongoing prairies restorations abound. Tickets and a detailed schedule of events are available at ALAudubon.org
Founded in 1946 as the Birmingham Audubon Society, Alabama Audubon has since grown to become the state’s leading nonprofit promoting conservation and a greater knowledge of birds, their habitats, and the natural world. Alabama Audubon’s Black Belt Birding Initiative works to bring the economic and environmental benefits of birdbased ecotourism to one of the country’s most economically- challenged rural areas.
A certified chapter of the National Audubon Society and an independent 501(c)(3)organization, Alabama Audubon’s mission is to promote conservation and a greater knowledge of birds, their habitats, and the natural world. Find out more at alaudubon.org or follow us on social media @alaudubon (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).
