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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 big blue sky and rows of green trees separated by a smaller strip of dirt, that dirt is slowly flooding.
A California Wetland Program鈥檚 Flood of New Funding Lifts Hopes for Shorebirds
March 14, 2024 — With many species rapidly declining along the Pacific Flyway, conservationists and landowners in the Central Valley are creating temporary wetlands where birds need them most.
A bright green kakapo emerges from a bag on the ground held open by a person's hands.
On Mainland New Zealand, Crafty K膩k膩p艒 Are Thwarting Reintroduction Efforts
March 13, 2024 — Ten of the critically endangered parrots were released into a sanctuary in 2023 with hopes of eventually establishing a wild population. The only problem? The birds keep escaping.
Close-up portrait of a hawk with bright, all-white feathers with its mouth open and tongue sticking out.
This White Red-tailed Hawk Isn't Just Gorgeous鈥擨t's Also a Rare Scientific Opportunity
March 12, 2024 — The stunning raptor was recently trapped in Oklahoma by an awestruck group of researchers, who affixed the bird with a GPS transmitter for further study.
A Black-throated Blue Warbler stands on a branch looking at the camera in front of an out-of-focus green background.
As Spring Shifts Earlier, Many Migrating Birds Are Struggling to Keep Up
March 07, 2024 — With the climate warming, leaves and blooms are popping out ahead of schedule. A wide-ranging new study shows why this trend is troubling for a variety of bird species.
Two doves stand on a rock gently preening each others necks against a green out-of-focus background.
10 Fun Facts About the Mourning Dove
March 04, 2024 — Wing whistlers, chaotic nesters, and ... milk drinkers? These birds may be common, but they鈥檙e anything but boring.
A large beaver dam holds back a pond. In the background, a person in a blue jacket walks beside the pond in a foggy green landscape.
In the Arctic, Beavers Are Climate Winners. Should We Let Them Take Over?
February 27, 2024 — The voracious builders are reshaping the tundra, and generating controversy about whether their presence is cause for concern鈥攐r hope鈥攊n a warming world.
Two water birds rise up out of the water close together, a long reed held in one of the bird's beak wraps around their long necks as they twirl.
Our Favorite Fascinating Bird Behaviors From the 2023 糖心传媒 Photo Awards
February 22, 2024 — From an extra hungry Great Blue Heron to a very determined Verdin, this year's selections once again provide a vivid glimpse into the lives of birds.
Close up portrait of a Harpy Eagle turning its head to the side.
After Years in Captivity, These Rescued Harpy Eagles Are Flourishing in the Wild
February 16, 2024 — The successful rehabilitation of the majestic raptors is the first in Bolivia, and a ray of hope for a species that has lost vast stretches of its historical habitat.
A collage of the following birds. Photos from left: Atlantic Puffin, Shane Kalyn/糖心传媒 Photography Awards/2023 Professional Award Winner; White-tailed Kites, Jack Zhi/糖心传媒 Photography Awards/2022 Grand Prize Winner; Anna's Hummingbird, Patrick Coughl
How to Capture Photos That Will Catch the 糖心传媒 Photography Awards Judges' Attention
February 16, 2024 — We spoke with 糖心传媒 Photography Awards judge Morgan Heim about what it takes to wow the judges in the competition.
A group of people stand in a suburban lawn all looking in the same direction with cameras and binoculars.
Birdist Rule #84: Know the Dos and Don'ts of a Rare Bird Stakeout
February 05, 2024 — When going for a vagrant, it鈥檚 important to remember that everyone is on the same team.
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
Black Noddy
Anous minutus
Gulls and Terns
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
New World Sparrows
Kentucky Warbler
Geothlypis formosa
Wood Warblers
Red-necked Phalarope
Phalaropus lobatus
Sandpipers