How to start birding in Birmingham—no yard required

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You don’t need acres of land (or even a yard) to get into birding. In fact, if you live in an apartment, condo or small home, you’re still perfectly positioned to enjoy one of the best birdwatching seasons of the year: spring in Central Alabama!

Why? Because Birmingham sits right in the Mississippi Flyway, one of North America’s biggest bird migration routes. That means your balcony, patio or window could be a front-row seat to birds traveling thousands of miles.

With the help of some local experts at Wild Birds Unlimited, here’s a run-down of everything you need to start your at-home birding setup.

What birds you might see this spring in Birmingham

Spring birding in Birmingham is a mix of familiar backyard birds and rare migrants. Here’s a look at what you can expect:

Your everyday regulars (native locals):

• Northern cardinal
• Carolina wren
• Carolina chickadee
• Blue jay
• Northern mockingbird
• Tufted titmouse
• Eastern bluebird
• Red-bellied woodpecker

Limited-time visitors (spring migrants):

• Warblers (like Blackburnian, Tennessee, black-throated blue, Canada)
• Scarlet tanager
• Indigo bunting
• Rose-breasted grosbeak
• Bobolink (mid-April–May)

How to start birding from anywhere in Birmingham

Getting started is easier than you think—no complicated setup required. If you’re just getting started, keep it simple.

A few well-chosen items go a long way:

• A tube feeder (easy, versatile, great for small spaces)
• A high-quality seed blend (less waste, more birds)
• A suet feeder for added variety
• A small bird bath or water dish
• Optional: a pole system or hanger for better placement

One of the advantages of shopping at a specialty store like Wild Birds Unlimited is getting advice tailored to your exact setup, whether that’s a downtown Birmingham balcony or a shaded Bluff Park backyard.

You’ll find beginner-friendly gear, high-quality seed and (maybe most helpful of all) a team that actually knows what birds you’re seeing in Birmingham right now. Team members can even help you select specific seed varieties based on the birds you’re hoping to attract!

Creating a mini habitat for birds no matter where you live in Birmingham

Want more birds? Think beyond feeders. Even a small balcony can check 2-3 of these boxes:

• Food: mix of seeds + feeder types
• Water: bird bath or shallow dish
• Shelter: plants, shrubs + nearby trees
• Nesting spots: birdhouses or safe cover

Now, there’s one enemy to bird feeders that you’ll need to tackle: the squirrel. While there’s no such thing as 100% squirrel-proof, you can make your setup annoying enough that they move on.

That means you’ll want to keep your feeders far away from trees or roofs where squirrels can launch from, trimming branches when necessary. Another hack: get a squirrel-proof feeder, with a weight sensor that locks up seed from squirrels or other animals.

Start your at-home birding setup in Birmingham

Ready to get started, or have more questions? The team at Wild Birds Unlimited can help you build a setup that fits your space and point you toward the right feeders, seed and supplies to get started. It’s also a great way to plug into a community of fellow bird lovers in Birmingham.

You can find them at two Birmingham-area locations:

• Wild Birds Unlimited (Hoover) 1580 Montgomery Hwy, Birmingham, AL 35216
• Wild Birds Unlimited (Inverness) 6215 Tattersall Blvd Suite 109, Birmingham, AL 35242

Explore feeders, seed + more beginner tips anytime on the Wild Birds Unlimited website to get started before your visit.

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