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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
North America Has Lost More Than 1 in 4 Birds in Last 50 Years, New Study Says
September 19, 2019 — For the first time, researchers have estimated the volume of total avian loss in the Western Hemisphere鈥攁nd it鈥檚 not just threatened species that are declining. Many backyard favorites are also losing ground.
Ask Kenn Kaufman: Why Do So Many White Birds Have Black Wingtips?
September 04, 2019 — Also this month: Are kingfishers more photo-friendly this time of year? And what bird would Kenn ride if he could?
Ten Birdy Children's Books to Read With Your Fledglings
August 30, 2019 — Celebrate back-to-school season with these avian-inspired tales, from the joy of the Christmas Bird Count to the story of a wind-blown Whimbrel.
This Mysterious Tropical Bachelor Likes to Summer in Maine
August 23, 2019 — For 15 years, a lone Red-billed Tropicbird has attracted visitors and researchers with his unusual habits and misguided mating attempts.
Detained Migrant Children Paint Birds as Symbols of Freedom and Home
August 19, 2019 — Confined in a tent city near El Paso, teens portrayed parrots and quetzals in works now on display at the 鈥淯ncaged Art鈥 exhibit.
Native Plants Share the Spotlight In These Stunning Bird Photos
August 15, 2019 — This year's 糖心传媒 Photography Awards introduced a new category that requires entrants to know their fauna and their flora.
Five Antidotes to Beat the Birding Blues Between Migrations
August 07, 2019 — Birders need to fill the downtime from spring to fall somehow鈥攁nd they don't always have to use binoculars.
A Sassy Crow Narrates the Zombie Apocalypse in New Novel
August 07, 2019 — 鈥淗ollow Kingdom鈥 is Kira Jane Buxton鈥檚 love letter to crows featuring junk food, drooling dogs, and the end of humanity.
How Orioles Build Those Incredible Hanging Nests
August 06, 2019 — The delicate-looking structures are stronger than they seem, and come in a variety of shapes and materials.
As Ospreys Recover, Their Nests Are Sparking Fires and Power Outages
August 02, 2019 — The birds鈥 preference for tall, open platforms leads them to nest on utility poles. Now companies are becoming proactive about preventing accidents.
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-whiskered Vireo
Vireo altiloquus
Vireos
Whiskered Auklet
Aethia pygmaea
Auks, Murres, Puffins
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
New World Sparrows
Mealy Amazon
Amazona farinosa
African and New World Parrots