By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— In wildlife biodiversity and species, Alabama is second only to Florida, with more than 100 native birds. To give residents an opportunity to view some of these native birds, the Alabama Wildlife Center and Oak Mountain State Park are teaming up to host a Backyard Bird Count Feb. 13.

“We’re excited to be working with our great friends at Oak Mountain State Park,” said Doug Adair, executive director of the Alabama Wildlife Center. “We are so blessed to be in the middle of these spectacular almost 10,000 acres. It’s great bird habitat surrounding us. It’s a great place to view birds all year round.”

Attendees will meet at the AWC inside the park at 10:15 a.m. where staff members and volunteers will give an overview on how to identify birds and the kinds of birds participants might encounter.

From there, guests can choose one of three locations to view birds from.

Adair said the most easily accessible location is inside the center in their observation room. Anyone with mobility issues or young children can sit and view many bird species from the room.

The second location is about midway down the Treetop Nature Trail. Because the habitat changes in that area, Adair said he hopes attendees will be able to see more woodland birds in that area.

The third location is at the bottom of the hill between the marina and the OMSP park offices. This strip of woodlands is good for viewing species in a more open habitat, according to Adair.

“It’s just plain fun to see these animals and to participate in something like this,” Adair said. “We are all about raising awareness of our wildlife resources and fostering appreciation of those resources.”

At 11:30 a.m. everyone will return to the AWC to share the data they collected. Then the guests can meet all of the educational raptors during a Birds of Prey show. Refreshments and a craft for kids will be provided.

“It should be a really fun afternoon,” Adair said. “We are really excited about it. We are very pleased to be working with our good friends at Oak Mountain State Park that share our concern for the natural world.”

For more information, call the park naturalist at 620-2520 or email oakmountain.natuaralist@dcnr.alabama.gov.