ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — Adults who have ever wondered what bird is perched on the pier or calling from the marsh will get a chance to find out this month. Orange Beach Parks and Recreation is hosting a free bird identification class, Coastal Wings & Waves, on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Orange Beach Community Center.
The one-hour session is part of the city’s ongoing Adult Learning Lab series, which offers residents practical, low-pressure classes on a rotating set of topics. The bird class is open to adults and designed to be interactive and hands-on.
Learn Birds by Sight and Sound
Participants will learn to identify local birds both by sight and by sound — a skill instructors say is often easier to pick up than people expect once the basics are in place. The class will also highlight the best birdwatching spots in the Orange Beach area, where coastal habitats draw everything from pelicans and herons to migratory songbirds passing through the Gulf Coast.
Attendees will leave with tips for creating a bird-friendly backyard at home, from feeders and water features to native plantings that attract feathered visitors year-round.
Free Apps Put a Field Guide in Your Pocket
The class will introduce participants to free bird-identification apps, including Merlin and eBird. Both run on smartphones and make it dramatically easier to identify birds in the field — Merlin can suggest likely species from a photo, a description or even a recording of a bird’s song.
Using eBird, residents can log their sightings and contribute to a global database that scientists use to track bird populations and migration patterns. That means a casual afternoon of watching gulls on the shoreline can add up to real data.
Helping Coastal Wildlife
Beyond identification, the session will cover simple ways residents can help protect coastal wildlife. Coastal birds face growing pressures from habitat loss, storms and human activity, and organizers say small actions at home — from keeping beaches clean to giving nesting birds space — can make a measurable difference.
Registration is free through the Orange Beach activity registration portal at orangebeach.activityreg.com under the “Community Programs” section, where information about other Adult Learning Lab offerings is also available.