If you want to see birds, go to the zoo. The Birmingham Zoo is located on the south side of town and is marked on most road maps. There is a fine collection of captive exotic birds in the zoo; thousands of people come every year to look at these and other animals. Few people however realize that the zoo is also a haven for many species of wild native birds. Birding in the zoo and surrounding park is always rewarding and occasionally spectacular. I attribute the zoo’s abundance of wild birds to two major factors: First, there are over 100 acres of heavily wooded land around the zoo, surrounded by extensive urban development; and second, the great abundance of food. Food is placed in pens outside daily for captive animals and wild birds fly into them to help themselves. It’s sort of like birding in an 85 acre bird feeder. For persons interested in birding in the zoo I am dividing it into two major sections, inside the perimeter fence and outside the perimeter fence.