Wheeler Refugespring migration
April is the peak of teal migration at the refuge, with warblers, vireos and other songbirds migrating too, per the Fish and Wildlife Service: usually April: Teal migration is at its peak.. Its usual window for this year has passed.
Right now at Wheeler Refuge
Right now in Wheeler Refuge · September
- Blue-winged teal migration at its peak · Sep
Next 7 days at Wheeler Refuge
- TodaySunny90° / 64°–
- ThuSunny92° / 67°3% rain
- FriMostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms90° / 67°45% rain
- SatShowers And Thunderstorms Likely84° / 65°73% rain
- SunShowers And Thunderstorms Likely78° / 59°73% rain
- MonSlight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny78° / 53°15% rain
- TueSunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers77° / 54°15% rain
Today: sunrise 6:42 a.m., sunset 6:35 p.m., light until 7:00 p.m. · moon waning gibbous, 78% lit (our calculation)
Your guide to the area
Where to watch
- Flint Creek TrailA 1.28-mile double loop of boardwalk and dirt through oak-hickory forest, where warblers are sometimes seen and heard in spring and fall migration; from the Flint Creek Day Use Area on the north side of Hwy 67, less than a quarter mile west of the visitor center entrance; no bikes
- Beaver Dam BoardwalkA 1-mile out-and-back gravel and boardwalk walk into the Beaverdam Creek Swamp National Natural Landmark, where songbirds often sing from the canopy (Site #25 on the North Alabama Birding Trail); from I-565 Exit 7 via County Line Rd and Old Hwy 20, which dead-ends at the trailhead; no bikes
Nearby
- Dahomey Refuge234 miMarch – JuneSatRain Showers Likely
- Mingo Refuge245 miApril and May are the best monthsSatChance Rain Showers
- St. Marks Refuge345 miearly in the month (April)SatChance Showers And Thunderstorms
- Clarence Cannon Refuge389 miaround the first week of MaySatSunny
- Pee Dee Refuge391 miMarch, April, and MaySatShowers And Thunderstorms Likely
- Atchafalaya Refuge393 miVisit in April or May for the best birding.SatShowers And Thunderstorms
The year at Wheeler Refuge
- Feb: Waterfowl numbers drop fast as birds head northFeb
- Mar: Blue-winged teal and shorebirds begin migratingMar
- Apr: Wildflowers at their peakApr
- Apr: Teal migration at its peak; warblers, vireos and other songbirds migratingApr
- May: The last migrant songbirds move throughMay
- Sep: Blue-winged teal migration at its peakNowSep
- Oct: Fall songbird migration at its peakOct
- Nov: Large numbers of great blue herons gatherNov
- Visitor center open seven days a weekNov–Feb
- Sandhill cranes: arriving from late November, numbers peak in early January (best seen from the Observation Building)Nov–Jan
- Waterfowl and crane numbers peak: late December into the first half of JanuaryDec–Jan
Wheeler Refuge in pictures
Questions people ask
When is the best time to see spring migration at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge?
April is the peak of teal migration at the refuge, with warblers, vireos and other songbirds migrating too, per the Fish and Wildlife Service: April: Teal migration is at its peak.. That's the usual peak in the source's own words, not a forecast.
Is spring migration under way at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge right now?
Not now: its usual spring migration window for this year has passed. Next time: April: Teal migration is at its peak., usually.
When can I walk the trails?
The refuge is open in daylight. The Atkeson Cypress Trail by the visitor center keeps the visitor center's hours.Sources: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wheeler NWR: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wheeler NWR: Trails ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How do I get to the Beaver Dam Boardwalk?
From I-565 take Exit 7 (County Line Rd), go south over the interstate, then turn right within 0.1 mile onto Old Hwy 20, which dead-ends at the trailhead in about 2 miles.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wheeler NWR: Trails ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Can I bike to see birds?
Not on the Flint Creek Trail or the Beaver Dam Boardwalk. The Hiking & Bicycling Trail near the visitor center road is 2.5 miles each way, open in daylight only.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wheeler NWR: Trails ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Which spring migrants start moving in March?
Blue-winged teal and shorebirds, in the refuge's March calendar.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wheeler NWR: Species (Seasons of Wildlife) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Does the April peak apply to every bird?
No. The calendar calls the teal migration a peak; for warblers, vireos and other small songbirds it only says they're migrating.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wheeler NWR: Species (Seasons of Wildlife) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How late do spring songbirds pass through?
Into May: the May entry mentions the last migrant songbirds moving through.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wheeler NWR: Species (Seasons of Wildlife) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Where are the best spots in Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge?
Flint Creek Trail: a 1.28-mile double loop of boardwalk and dirt through oak-hickory forest, where warblers are sometimes seen and heard in spring and fall migration; from the Flint Creek Day Use Area on the north side of Hwy 67, less than a quarter mile west of the visitor center entrance; no bikes; Beaver Dam Boardwalk: a 1-mile out-and-back gravel and boardwalk walk into the Beaverdam Creek Swamp National Natural Landmark, where songbirds often sing from the canopy (Site #25 on the North Alabama Birding Trail); from I-565 Exit 7 via County Line Rd and Old Hwy 20, which dead-ends at the trailhead; no bikes.
What is Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge like through the year?
Wildflowers at their peak (Apr), Teal migration at its peak; warblers, vireos and other songbirds migrating (Apr), Blue-winged teal migration at its peak (Sep), Fall songbird migration at its peak (Oct), Sandhill cranes: arriving from late November, numbers peak in early January (best seen from the Observation Building) (Nov–Jan), Visitor center open seven days a week (Nov–Feb), Blue-winged teal and shorebirds begin migrating (Mar), The last migrant songbirds move through (May), Waterfowl and crane numbers peak: late December into the first half of January (Dec–Jan), Large numbers of great blue herons gather (Nov) and Waterfowl numbers drop fast as birds head north (Feb).
How we know · Sources (4)
How we know
National Weather Service forecast and alerts (opens in a new tab) (Sep 30) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wheeler NWR: Species (Seasons of Wildlife) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wheeler NWR: Visit Us (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wheeler NWR: Trails (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28)