Dauphin Island Audubon Bird Sanctuary

Early History -    During the development phase of the Dauphin Island Park and Beach Board, Dr. Wilson Gaillard, an avid birder and conservationist, recognized the need to create an Island refuge to protect the natural ecosystem as well as provide safety and resources for the incredible numbers of migrating birds and butterflies on their twice annual passages. The Dauphin Island Park and Beach Board was immediately receptive to this idea, and selected perhaps the most beautiful parcel of land on the Island. More importantly, the 164-acres would include the widest possible range of habitats from a fresh water lake, Gulf beaches, swamp, pine forest, dune system and hardwood clearings.
   This "Bird Sanctuary", as it was known, was established in 1961 by the Park and Beach Board. In 1967, the Park and Beach Board enhanced the status of the Sanctuary by entering into a formal agreement with the National Audubon Society, so that it was officially included as part of the national system of Audubon wildlife sanctuaries.
   As the years passed, there was a growing awareness of Dauphin Island's unique location and resources related to the spring and fall migrations. For example, one of the first acts when the Town of Dauphin Island was created in 1988 was to designate the entire Island as a Bird Refuge.
   The future of this incredible site has never been brighter. It is one of the featured attractions of the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail and a separate project provides an extensive nature interpretive sign system along the paths.
   A 1000-foot handicap access boardwalk from the parking lot to "Gaillard Lake" has been constructed along with a beautiful lake pier. The trail system has been enlarged and a raised walkway through the Tupelo swamp created. A ground breaking grant from the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program was secured to reverse the spread of Cogan Grass and reestablish native vegetation. The extensive trail system includes boardwalks giving controlled access to the Gulf shoreline and both a swamp and dune observation platform. We have also recently installed two large nesting platforms in the dune area as part of Alabama's Osprey Nesting Trail.

Strategic Importance- Wild Bird Magazine selected Dauphin Island as one of the top four locations in North America for viewing spring migrations! The Island has also been sited as one of the ten most globally important sites for bird migrations.
   The Sanctuary consists of 164 acres of maritime forest, marshes, and dunes, including a lake, a swamp and a beach. It is located at the Eastern end of Dauphin Island, a 14 mile-long Barrier Island situated off the Alabama Gulf coast. The Sanctuary is of vital importance because it is the largest segment of protected forest on the Island and the first landfall for neo-tropical migrant birds after their long flight across the Gulf from Central and South America each spring. Here these birds, often exhausted and weakened from severe weather during the long flight, find their first food and shelter. It is also their final feeding and esting place before their return flight each fall.

Habitat Description- The dominant trees in the maritime forest are longleaf and slash pine, southern magnolia, live oak, and tupelo gum. A transition zone of white sand dunes separates the forest from the beach. Sea oats cover the dunes, giving way to a sparse covering of pines, scrubby oaks, seaside goldenrod, and lichens.
   Gaillard Lake, approximately four and a half acres in size, lies at the southern edge of the pine woods and is bordered by tall pines on the north and west, and by a tupelo swamp on the east and south. Alligators may be seen in the lake. Friends of Dauphin Island Audubon Sanctuary-Formation of Friends- Recognition and expert advice were increased for the site in 1992 by the creation of the nonprofit Friends of the Dauphin Island Audubon Bird Sanctuary, Inc. Although the Park and Beach Board has sole responsibility for the Sanctuary, including maintenance and improvements, the partnership with National Audubon, the Friends of the Sanctuary, and others, has produced an ideal situation protecting the needs of wildlife and the interest of the general public. (Note: besides their efforts with the Sanctuary, the "Friends" also have an excellent project purchasing undeveloped lots on the Island to insure they remain wildlife refuges. They have expanded their goals and re-organized under the name Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuaries, Inc. Contact them for further information.)

Gulf Coast Bird Observatory Initiatives- Efforts are underway to preserve similar areas of vital coastal habitat along the entire perimeter of the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf Coast Bird Observatory was initiated by a unique partnership including Huston Audubon society, the Nature Conservancies of Texas and Louisiana, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department, Amoco Production Co., Phillips Petroleum Co., and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The Observatory's mission, conservation of migratory birds and their habitat, works under the umbrella of Partners in Flight- Aves de las Americas, an international co-operative effort working to reverse declining population trends in birds. The Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuaries, Inc. have joined as Site Partners in the Observatory's efforts to secure protected stopover habitat for nearctic-neo-tropical migratory birds, joining with other coastal site partners in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Mexico.