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
Illustrated cartoon strip of people casting ballots while birding on a boardwalk.
How to Make Sure Your Birding Buds Show Up to the Ballot Box
September 17, 2024 — The rational case for voting isn't enough to convince some people鈥攂ut appealing to their birder interests and identity might.
A Peregrine Falcon standing on sandy ground with metal ID bands on both legs.
Why Are Peregrine Falcon Numbers Falling in the United States Again?
September 17, 2024 — In a decline not seen since the DDT era, the spectacular raptors have noticeably decreased in numbers over the past two years. Some concerned experts believe avian flu is to blame.
A group of flamingos stand in shallow water.
Flocks of Flamingos Returned to a Rejuvenated Everglades. Are They Back for Good?
September 13, 2024 — For decades the Florida icons have been only occasional visitors, but conservationists are hopeful that the flamingos blown in by Hurricane Idalia mark the beginning of a new, permanent population.
A woman in a magenta jumpsuit stands next to a tree in a lush wetland.
How Lower Ninth Ward Residents Created a Haven for Birds and People
September 12, 2024 — With the help of a New Orleans-based nonprofit, community members turned a vacant, trash-filled lot into a thriving wetland and birding hotspot.
Portrait of a mottled brown Rock Ptarmigan looking straight on at the camera.
It鈥檚 One of the Biggest Events in a Bird鈥檚 Life. Scientists Can鈥檛 Agree How to Talk About It.
September 12, 2024 — Every species replaces its feathers by molting, but a passionate debate among ornithologists about what to call the plumage swaps spans oceans and generations.
A person in winter gear and snow shoes walks through vast, snow-covered land.
This Runner Is Completing a 100-Mile Ultramarathon in Every State鈥擣or Owls
September 10, 2024 — An unexpected encounter with a Snowy Owl led Pete Ripmaster to launch a monumental running and fundraising project.
Grid of many past 糖心传媒 magazine covers.
Dive Into 125 Years of 糖心传媒 Magazine Covers, Bird by Bird
September 05, 2024 — We catalogued more than 700 covers dating back to 1899 to discover what their subjects reveal about our publication鈥檚 enduring interests.
A flock of Red Knots foraging in shallow water among horseshoe crabs.
The Push to Save Horseshoe Crabs Is Gaining Momentum
September 05, 2024 — Conservationists hope new restrictions on harvesting and synthetic alternatives to a crab-blood compound used in biomedical testing can turn the tide for the ancient arthropods, whose eggs are a vital food source for Red Knots.
Two Bald Eagles stand on a branch looking down at a juvenile hawk who is looking up at them with its mouth open.
A Teen Photographer Captured a Raptor Rarity: Bald Eagles Raising a Red-tailed Hawk Chick
September 03, 2024 — Fresh off a win in the 糖心传媒 Photography Awards, Parham Pourahmad shares how his fast-growing passion for photographing wildlife led him to document the unusual avian adoption.
Two warblers stand in shallow water next to logs and rocks.
A New Study Reveals Migration Isn鈥檛 a Solo Affair鈥擨t鈥檚 the Social Event of the Season
August 26, 2024 — Migrants face myriad challenges. That's why certain songbird species choose to travel (and possibly even work) together, according to research drawing on a trove of bird banding records.
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
Double-crested Cormorant
Nannopterum auritum
Cormorants
Mottled Duck
Anas fulvigula
Ducks and Geese
Common Crane
Grus grus
Cranes
LeConte's Sparrow
Ammospiza leconteii
New World Sparrows