Birds, snails, turtles and more: Scot Duncan protects Alabama’s amazing creatures

By: Ali Nolan

When you think of birdwatching, you may think of older folks with binoculars, quietly observing nature in all its feathered glory. But Scot Duncan, Ph.D., the executive director of Alabama Audubon, is on a mission to change that image. Since stepping into his role two years ago, Duncan has helped share his passion for Alabama’s birds with a growing community of bird-curious enthusiasts.

Growing up on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Duncan was immersed in the world of birds since birth — and, he jokes, in utero — thanks to his parents. This early passion led him to a career as a biologist, studying ecosystems around the world, from the tropics of Africa and Latin America to the icy expanses of Antarctica. He moved to the Birmingham area with his wife, Ginger, in 2002, where he started his 20-year career as a professor at Birmingham-Southern College and Ginger began her medical residency at UAB.

Duncan quickly fell in love with Alabama’s landscapes and biodiversity and was inspired to write “Southern Wonder: Alabama’s Surprising Biodiversity,” which he says is the book he was looking for but couldn’t find when he first moved to Alabama. It’s a widely read and taught text.

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