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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
Summer 2026 Issue
Ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay Are Starving to Death at Disastrous Rates. What Will It Take to Save Them?
June 25, 2026 — After a spectacular comeback from DDT, the Osprey population has plummeted within the watershed and is showing signs of trouble elsewhere. The birds鈥 fate may once more rest on collective action.
Are Crows Really Our Friends?
June 23, 2026 — An investigation into the state of corvid鈥揾uman relations.
Two men kneel in a forest-like setting surrounded by dense tropical plants and trees, wearing dark clothing with colorful embroidered panels and bead necklaces and holding instruments made from natural materials.
Meet the Metalhead Turned Anthropologist Who Plays Ancient Instruments Inspired by Birds
June 17, 2026 — In concerts, YouTube videos, and books, Esteban Valdivia shares how musical artifacts can reveal long-lost knowledge of avian species.
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
Permanence Is Just an Illusion
December 19, 2017 — In the wake of an especially destructive hurricane season, conservationists and urban planners are grappling with how to protect coastlines鈥攁nd are increasingly looking to nature for inspiration.
The United State of Birding
December 19, 2017 — After a racist encounter in the field, a birder reflects on the disturbing incident and the community that helped lift him back up.
In Search of the Stunning鈥攁nd Possibly Extinct鈥擡dwards's Pheasant
December 18, 2017 — No one has seen the elusive bird in the wild in nearly two decades, but it might still inhabit Vietnam's war-ravaged mountain valleys.
In Belize, Finding a Balance Between Conservation and Community Needs
December 15, 2017 — After an apparent arson at Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, there's a new push to quell decades-old disagreements over fishing and logging.
We Now Know the Real Range of the Extinct Carolina Parakeet
December 15, 2017 — After sifting through historic records鈥攁nd forgeries鈥攁 researcher created a much more accurate map of where the bird lived.
The Amazing Story of the Cold War Space-Egg Race
December 15, 2017 — You鈥檝e probably heard of Laika, the space dog, and Ham, the space chimp. But what about Kentucky, the space chicken?
How Birds Bind Us
December 15, 2017 — In such a divisive age, those things with feathers bring people together in so many inspiring鈥攁nd creative鈥攚ays.
Get Ready for the Year of the Bird
December 15, 2017 — A broad and timely alliance between 糖心传媒, National Geographic, BirdLife, and Cornell steps up to protect birds and the places they need.
The Christmas Bird Count Is a Window to a Changing World
December 14, 2017 — A veteran counter reflects on shifts in New Jersey's birds during the past 40 Decembers, for better and for worse.
Fossils Buried Deep in Lava Tubes Hold Secrets to Hawaii's Avian History
December 14, 2017 — Helen James mixes spelunking and paleontology to piece together the lives of the island's extinct and endangered birds.
Bird and Conservation News
More News
Aerial of Lake Powell at its lowest level since 1964.
As Water-Sharing Negotiations Heat Up, Wildlife Habitats Along the Shrinking Colorado River Are at Risk
June 25, 2026 — Extremely low snowpack has raised the stakes for Western states debating how to cut back water use. A new agreement could offer a lifeline to ecosystems or leave them out to dry.
Ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay Are Starving to Death at Disastrous Rates. What Will It Take to Save Them?
June 25, 2026 — After a spectacular comeback from DDT, the Osprey population has plummeted within the watershed and is showing signs of trouble elsewhere. The birds鈥 fate may once more rest on collective action.
A gray and yellow Kirtland's Warbler perches in a young pine tree, framed by the green branches.
Kirtland鈥檚 Warblers Are Declining Fast. Can We Turn Their Fate Around Again?
June 25, 2026 — In Michigan, conservationists are experimenting with new ways to manage forest habitats for this heralded comeback species.

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
Greater Pewee
Contopus pertinax
Tyrant Flycatchers
Marbled Godwit
Limosa fedoa
Sandpipers
Pinyon Jay
Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus
Crows, Magpies, Jays
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Dryobates scalaris
Woodpeckers