Alabama

Catch this stunning rare bird in Alabama before it’s gone for the summer

Published

10 months ago

May 11, 2025

Catch this stunning rare bird in Alabama before it’s gone for the summer

They’re blue, round, and small. And birdwatchers throughout Alabama are hoping to catch sight of one before they head north for the summer.

The cerulean warbler is one of many bird species that migrate through Alabama in the spring and fall. But the brilliant blue birds are hard to spot when they’re here, and they’re becoming even more rare.

“It’s a really charismatic species,” said Thomas Thompson, a graduate student at Alabama A&M University who studies the Cerulean Warbler. “I think it captivates a lot of people, when they hear about it. And if you’re actually fortunate enough to hear one or see one, it’s a pretty awesome experience.”

Alabama is a stop-off point for cerulean warblers during migration. Their spring migration — mid-March to mid-May — is almost over but they’ll be back again in the fall.

Some cerulean warblers will breed in Alabama, in the northern third of the state, but their breeding grounds are becoming fewer and fewer.

You might see them on Chapman Mountain, said Lianne Koczur, science and conservation director with Alabama Audubon, the local chapter of the larger bird conservation society.

Cerulean warblers are around just 4.5 inches long. The males are bright blue with a black necklace, and white throats and bellies. Females are a paler bluish green with hints of yellow on their bellies.

Why are they so hard to spot? In addition to the decline in their population, they are a high canopy bird, meaning they hang out in the tops of trees, Koczur said, so they’re hard to see from the ground. The warblers also like to be in the interior of the forest, in mature trees, Thompson said.

“That’s another reason that they’re kind of poorly understudied is that they’re a cryptic species,” Thompson said. “They’re hard to see, they’re hard to find. More often than not you just hear them and you’re lucky if you get to see one because they’re tiny little birds.”

The warblers begin migrating north in mid-March and are largely past Alabama by mid-May. From there, they settle and breed as far west as Minnesota all the way to the east coast, but primarily in the Appalachian states, according to the Audubon Society’s migration tracker.

Their migration south for the winter begins as early as mid-July, becoming more prevalent in Alabama by September, according to the Audubon Society. From there the birds will settle in South America for the winter, in the Andes Mountains in Peru and up through Venezuela.

Since the 1980s, the warbler’s population has decreased by nearly 70%, according to the Audubon Society. From 1966 to 2005, the bird’s population decreased by an average of 3% every losses year. That’s one of the most dramatic declines of any bird species in recent memory, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It’s one of the fastest declining songbirds in North America, Thompson said.

“It’s kind of sad, because a lot of the birds that I hear singing there, I know they’re singing and there’s no female there to answer the call,” Thompson said. “It’s like taking a glimpse into kind of a disappearing population.”

Cerulean warblers breed in mature deciduous (meaning the trees lose their leaves) forests. This habitat has been lost over the decades, causing the bird’s population to decline. Their winter habitat in the Andes is also in danger of disappearing due to development, the fish and wildlife service said. Cerulean warblers are on the service’s Birds of Conservation list, meaning the bird is one of its highest priorities for conservation.

Because the warblers are so picky about their habitat, that makes them even more susceptible to habitat loss, Thompson said. Some birds can live anywhere, but cerulean warblers require those tall, mature deciduous trees, much of which has been lost. Even within the forest, the warblers like to breed in places where there’s a gap in the tree canopy, because it amplifies their song.

There used to be more locations where the bird could breed in the state. But today there’s just three known breeding populations in Alabama, Thompson said, though he acknowledged there could be populations on private land unknown to researchers. Those breeding populations are in the Sipsey Wilderness Area in the Bankhead National Forest, on Larkin Fork and in the Walls of Jericho tract in Jackson County.

“They used to be considered common. So there was sightings of them all around Birmingham and in multiple counties throughout Alabama,” Thompson said. “There was known breeding populations, and now there’s really only two known breeding populations left.”

There are several other warbler species that breed in Alabama, including Kentucky warblers, hooded warblers and Swainson’s warblers, Koczur said. All of these birds breed here in Alabama but migrate south to Central and South America for the winter.

This story is the first in Beautiful Birds of Alabama, a new series from AL.com featuring some of the state’s most unique birds.

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Alabama

Alabama NAACP Releases 2026 Selma Jubilee Weekend Schedule

Published

11 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Alabama NAACP Releases 2026 Selma Jubilee Weekend Schedule

The Alabama State Conference of the NAACP has announced its official schedule for the 2026 NAACP-sponsored Selma Jubilee Bridge Crossing Weekend, set for March 6–8 in Montgomery and Selma.

Held under the theme “A Time for Standing,” the annual commemoration honors the Foot Soldiers of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery marches and recognizes the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis and Rev. Jesse Jackson for their roles in advancing civil rights and voting access.

The three-day event will bring together national, state and local leaders, along with youth and college chapters, faith partners and community members for activities focused on reflection, education and civic engagement.

Scheduled events include a civic discussion titled “The New Civic Path” on March 6 at the Montgomery Interpretive Center at Alabama State University, followed by a Jubilee Gala that evening at Embassy Suites in Montgomery. On March 7, the Birmingham Metro Branch will host a bus trip to Selma, while a statewide civic engagement training will take place in Montgomery.

SEE ALSO: Bridge Crossing Jubilee to honor Rev. Jesse Jackson’s legacy in Selma
SEE ALSO: 16th Street Baptist Church: Keeping a Legacy Alive 63 Years Later

On March 8, participants will take part in the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Parade, voter activation efforts, worship services at Brown Chapel AME Church and Tabernacle Baptist Church, and the traditional bridge crossing at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Organizers say the weekend will emphasize continued civic participation and community engagement across Alabama.

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March 6 — Alabama NAACP Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Gala 5:30PM Embassy Suites by Hilton, 300 Tallapoosa St, Montgomery, AL 36104

March 7 — NAACP Birmingham Metro Branch Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Bus Trip 8AM–5PM Broad Street and Water Avenue in Selma Alabama

March 7 — Alabama State NAACP Statewide Civic Engagement Training 8–4:15PM Homewood Suites, 7800 EastChase Pkwy, Montgomery, AL 36117

March 8 — Alabama State NAACP in the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Parade 8AM–10AM Begins at 1722 Broad St and concludes at the National Voting Rights Museum

March 8 — Alabama NAACP Statewide Bridge Crossing Jubilee Bus Trip 8AM–5PM Alabama State University, Untenese and Mobile Branch and University of Alabama, Oakwood University, Broad Street and Water Avenue, Selma

March 8 — Alabama NAACP Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Participation in Worship Services 10AM–2PM Brown Chapel AME Church and Tabernacle Baptist Church, Selma

March 8 — Alabama NAACP Youth and College Civic Engagement Voter Activation 8AM–2PM Broad Street and Water Ave, Selma

March 8 — Alabama NAACP Statewide Bridge Crossing 11:15PM – Line up Alabama NAACP Tent on Waters Ave or at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma

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Alabama

3 Alabama players who helped their draft stock at 2026 NFL combine

Published

23 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

3 Alabama players who helped their draft stock at 2026 NFL combine

Each player had a pivotal role on the Crimson Tide in 2025.

Alabama had a multitude of former players who performed at an elite level at the NFL combine this past weekend.

Former Alabama star quarterback Ty Simpson was among those who put his talents on full display in Indianapolis, as Simpson continues to emerge as a top quarterback prospect available in April’s draft.

Numerous Crimson Tide stars on both sides of the football were able to have an excellent showing at the combine as well, with each playmaker a vital component to the Tide’s success in 2025.

Here are three Alabama players who helped their draft stock rise at the NFL combine.

Ty Simpson, Quarterback

Simpson is widely regarded as the best quarterback prospect available outside of Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. The talented redshirt junior put on an absolute show at the NFL combine, as Simpson delivered multiple perfect throws and put his talents on full display throughout Saturday’s events.

The former Alabama star is a candidate to potentially shine day one in his campaign in the NFL, as Simpson’s draft stock continues to rise prior to April.

Jam Miller, Running Back

Miller is an extremely fast and athletic running back, despite struggling in the Tide’s backfield last season. The star running back recorded an impressive 4.43u 40-yard dash time, as Miller could very easily shine in the NFL next season with consistent playing time.

Miller was nothing short of elite throughout his entire performance at the combine in Indianapolis, as the former Tide running back continues to rise in a multitude of draft rankings around the football world.

Kadyn Proctor, Offensive Tackle

Proctor played a crucial role on Alabama’s offensive line last season. The star lineman reportedly slimmed down prior to the NFL combine, as Proctor displayed elite speed and athleticism throughout Sunday’s combine in Indianapolis.

Proctor is widely expected to be a mid-to-late first round selection in April, as the talented lineman’s efforts during the combine could quickly begin to work in Proctor’s favor during next month’s draft.

The 2026 NFL draft will take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania starting on April 23, as each Crimson Tide star will look to shine throughout their rookie campaign in the NFL.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.

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Alabama

Husband, 19, fatally shot wife, 24, himself at Alabama hospital moments after welcoming their first child

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Husband, 19, fatally shot wife, 24, himself at Alabama hospital moments after welcoming their first child

A husband fatally shot his wife before turning the gun on himself at an Alabama hospital just moments after they welcomed their first child on Sunday.

Kynath Terry Jr., 19, gunned down 24-year-old Precious Johnson before fatally shooting himself inside the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital around 9:30 p.m. Sunday night, WTVM 13 reported.

Johnson delivered a healthy baby just before she was murdered. It’s not immediately clear if the baby was present during the shooting, but police said that Terry and Johnson were the only ones injured.

Terry’s mother told the outlet that the couple were having some marital issues leading up to Johnson’s due date, but nothing that made her fear her son would become violent.

She told the outlet that Terry completed Army National Guard training before tying the knot with Johnson.

She noted that Johnson didn’t want Terry’s side of the family at the hospital for her child’s birth, but it’s unclear if anyone from the mother-to-be’s own family was there.

The hospital was plunged into a lockdown “out of an abundance of caution” while police investigated reports of a shooting. It wasn’t lifted until hours later when they determined there was “no active threat to patients, team members or the public,” the outlet reported.

The Homewood Police Department described the tragedy as “an apparent murder-suicide and is domestic in nature.”

Danne Howard, the president of the Alabama Hospital Association, told the outlet that the chilling attack “was an isolated incident” unlike anything she’d encountered during her three decades working in the state.

Howard said, in the wake of the tragedy, the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital would undergo a security overhaul implementing “lessons learned” from a mandated after-action report.

Just three months ago, in a town six miles outside of Homewood, a beloved sports reporter was fatally shot by her husband before taking his own life. Their 3-year-old son, who was unharmed, led his grandfather to his parents’ bodies.

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