Discover 糖心传媒 Magazine

Where the latest news about birds and conservation takes flight.
On Florida's Marco Island, families of Burrowing Owls live among the locals. Photo: Karine Aigner
Spring 2026 Issue
A birds-eye view of colorful rows of planted native seeds.
Inside the Movement to Grow More Native Seeds鈥攁nd Why It Matters More Than Ever
March 26, 2026 — To create resilient landscapes and restore healthy ecosystems, public land managers need seed, but not just any seed will do.
An aerial view of a lush, jungle-side beach in the Darien Gap.
5 Projects Transforming the Prospects for Birds and People in Latin America
March 30, 2026 — By thinking globally and acting locally, Conserva Aves, an unprecedented partnership of hemispheric scale, is filling in the map of conservation efforts.
Owen and Quentin Reiser at their car, seen through a binocular lens with a black vignette. And a photo of Quentin Reiser holding a painted wooden Ivory-billed Woodpecker.
Their Birding Documentary Became a Surprise Hit, but the Reiser Brothers Are Just Getting Started
March 26, 2026 — With a new project about their search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, the irreverent, road-tripping filmmakers behind 鈥淟isters鈥 are going for more than laughs.
Editors' Picks
Magazine
Essential reporting on birds and bird conservation delivered to your door.
Pairing compelling journalism with stunning photography and design, each quarterly issue helps readers grow their appreciation of birds and learn how to help them thrive. Our editorial team also reports and publishes stories on 糖心传媒.org daily, including science and conservation news, birding tips, photo galleries, and interactive reader experiences. In print and digital, through stories and visuals, 糖心传媒 emphasizes the importance of a diverse and inclusive science and conservation effort to help meet the challenges facing both birds and people today.
Latest Stories
A hummingbird perched on a snowy, mossy branch flutters its wings.
Where Do Hummingbirds Go in the Winter? Do They Migrate?
January 17, 2025 — Some species migrate to far-off places while others keep it local. Here's a rundown of who goes where.
A group of coots huddled closely together in a pile, surrounded by a completely white background of snow.
Our Favorite Fascinating Bird Behaviors From the 2024 糖心传媒 Photo Awards
January 14, 2025 — Birds are always up to something, and these entries captured an array of avians doing everything from impaling prey to drumming away.
A group of people with winter coats and binoculars in an urban park, looking up.
Titmice Galore and a Red-tailed Record: Tallying Central Park's 125th Christmas Bird Count
January 09, 2025 — The cherished annual bird survey has included Manhattan鈥檚 largest public space since the very first count on Christmas Day, 1900.
A fossil in rock of a bird skeleton.
Terror Birds, Giga-Geese, and the Oldest Birds of Prey? 2024鈥檚 Fascinating Avian Fossil Finds
December 20, 2024 — From mega leg bones to tiny, perfect skulls, fossils this year revealed crucial insights into bird evolution.
Long Before Pantone, This Bird-Based System for Describing Color Was a Hit
December 17, 2024 — In the early 20th century, ornithologist Robert Ridgway published a massive dictionary to categorize birds鈥 hues, from Peacock Blue to Duck Green. His work still resonates for artists and designers today.
Group of young adults looking up with binoculars, standing in a street in a suburban location.
The Long View
December 13, 2024 — Pull back to look at the big picture, and you may glean valuable insights.
A Red Knot flies over the ocean.
The Road Ahead
December 13, 2024 — 糖心传媒 unites people across borders and partisan lines to protect birds wherever they are鈥攔egardless of the political landscape.
A wooden Godwit decoy stands on the banks of a body of water with golden light cascading across a row of pine trees in the background.
This Bar-tailed Godwit Decoy Delivers Folk Art with a Contemporary Feel
December 13, 2024 — Wooden decoys long played a key role in hunting birds. Artist David Personius hopes his modern take can inspire conservation instead.
Illustration of people birding in different locations, including in an orange raft. A flock of blackbirds fills the upper left quadrant, and a red rocket stands in the middle of the illustration.
The Christmas Bird Count: 鈥淏etter Than Any Animal Planet Video!鈥
December 13, 2024 — Volunteers who take part in the annual community science event aren't only collecting invaluable data about bird populations鈥攖hey're also making memories while they're at it. We asked folks to share some of their favorites with us.
Two photos of a group of people looking up through binoculars, one vintage-looking and one modern.
As the Christmas Bird Count Turns 125, a Beloved Birding Tradition Looks to the Future
December 12, 2024 — With more people than ever taking part, the annual 糖心传媒 event is a growing force for science and nature conservation.
Bird and Conservation News
More News
A bright green parrot perches on a plant overlooking an out-of-focus landscape.
A New Microbiome Test Aims to Help Law Enforcement Trace Poached Parrots
April 14, 2026 — Scientists have developed a fecal-sampling method that can help identify illegally captured wild birds in Latin America that are being sold as captive-raised.
A crowd of people stand in the foreground watching a huge flock of birds fly around a brick chimney.
Where Do Vaux鈥檚 Swifts Spend the Night? A Community Science Effort Is Mapping Their Roost Sites
March 30, 2026 — For nearly 20 years, volunteers have counted up swarms of birds as part of a project to find, and protect, their short-term homes along the Pacific Flyway.
A patch of garden beds, shrubs, and trees abut a parking lot and library.
Microforests Are Taking Root Across the Country, Making Urban Spaces Better for Birds and People
March 30, 2026 — In pockets as small as a few parking lots, miniature forests can help cool cities, quiet streets, and give birds a place to land.

Find a Read

糖心传媒 magazine publishes a variety of story types in print and online. Peruse鈥攁nd enjoy鈥攋ust a sampling of our work below. 

Highlighted Feature Stories
Investigations
A New Plastic Wave Is Coming to Our Shores
A New Plastic Wave Is Coming to Our Shores

A glut of natural gas has led to a U.S. production surge in tiny plastic pellets, called nurdles, that are washing up on coasts by the millions.

Profiles
The Long, Exceptional Life of Frank Graham
A man sitting at a desk with a microscope looks up and smiles.
The Long, Exceptional Life of Frank Graham

As 糖心传媒 magazine鈥檚 Field Editor for 45 years, Frank Graham, Jr. brought the beauty and resilience of nature into focus鈥攁s well as the tenacity of those striving to save it.

The Remarkable Life of Roxie Laybourne
The Remarkable Life of Roxie Laybourne

From deep within the Smithsonian, the world鈥檚 first forensic ornithologist cracked cases, busted criminals, and changed the course of aviation鈥攎aking the skies safer for us all.

Essays
What a Songbird Lost at Sea Taught Me About Survival
What a Songbird Lost at Sea Taught Me About Survival

Aboard a mission to explore the alien life of the deep ocean, a chance encounter with a migratory bird offered a point of connection鈥攐ne that has felt poignant this past year. 聽

Remembering Toni Morrison, the Bird Whisperer
Remembering Toni Morrison, the Bird Whisperer

A year after Morrison鈥檚 passing, a journalist and birder reflects on how her time with the cherished author changed her relationship with birds鈥攁nd with herself.

The 糖心传媒 Guide to Climate Action
The 糖心传媒 Guide to Climate Action

Feeling like you can鈥檛 make a difference? That couldn鈥檛 be further from the truth. Our award-winning guide shows you where to begin and how to 颅amplify your efforts to make lasting change in the world.

Dispatches
North Carolina's Cape Fear River Is a 鈥楩orever Chemical鈥 Hotspot鈥擶hat Does That Mean for Its Birds and People?
North Carolina's Cape Fear River Is a 鈥楩orever Chemical鈥 Hotspot鈥擶hat Does That Mean for Its Birds and People?

Amid mounting global health concerns about PFAS, communities living along the waterway must grapple with how contamination is affecting life on the river. Yet as hard as it is to conduct health studies on humans, it鈥檚 even harder with wild animals.

An Anna's Hummingbird perches on a twig in the center of the frame against a blurred background of blue, yellow, and green.

The 2025 糖心传媒 Photo Awards: Top 100

Revel in the staggering beauty and surprising behaviors featured in this gallery of our favorite images.

More Photo Essays
Birding Advice and News
Arts and Culture
鈥楩eather Detective鈥 Roxie Laybourne鈥檚 Career in Six Objects
A metal instrument called a cloacascope on a black background.
鈥楩eather Detective鈥 Roxie Laybourne鈥檚 Career in Six Objects

From a gynandromorphic grosbeak to feathers collected at a murder investigation in Florida, biographer Chris Sweeney shares six unusual artifacts he found while researching his new book about the world鈥檚 first forensic ornithologist.

The 糖心传媒 Bird Guide
Zone-tailed Hawk
Buteo albonotatus
Hawks and Eagles
Green Heron
Butorides virescens
Herons, Egrets, Bitterns
Hook-billed Kite
Chondrohierax uncinatus
Hawks and Eagles
Manx Shearwater
Puffinus puffinus
Shearwaters and Petrels