Discover Audubon Magazine
Audubon magazine delivers essential news, advice, and reporting on birds and bird conservation, 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. Audubon also emphasizes, through stories and visuals, the importance of a diverse and inclusive science and conservation effort to help meet the challenges facing both birds and people today. To receive our award-winning print publication, become a member of the National Audubon Society. Our editorial team also reports and publishes stories on Audubon.org daily, including science and conservation news, birding tips, photo galleries, and interactive reader experiences.
For our full editorial statement, masthead, and pitch guidelines, please visit here.
Highlighted Features
Climate
At Last, a Real Possibility to Avoid Catastrophic Climate Change
After decades of minimal action, Congress passed the largest and most comprehensive piece of climate legislation in U.S. history. Will we make the most of this opportunity?
From Audubon Magazine
How Tribes Are Reclaiming and Protecting Their Ancestral Lands From Coast to Coast
Three recent examples address historic wrongs and showcase a conservation vision guided by Indigenous values.
News
The Weedkiller Dicamba Is Poisoning Wildlife Habitat. Will the EPA Finally Act?
Blamed for destroying crops and fraying community ties, the widely used herbicide also poses a threat to the plants birds need, experts say.
News
It’s the Moment of Truth for Saving the Northern Spotted Owl
Preventing the Pacific Northwest icon’s extinction calls for aggressive intervention, including killing another owl species. Will we act fast enough?
News
This Tiny Brazilian Island Could Hold the Key to the Purple Martin’s Future
Vast numbers of the swallows pass through one roost in the heart of the Amazon before winging their way to North American birdhouses. Studying it could provide clues to the species’ decades-long decline.
From Audubon Magazine
A Global Antenna Network Is the Next Frontier of Migration Science
Motus stations across the landscape pick up ‘pings’ from any radio-tagged birds that fly past. The data, open to everyone, are painting a fuller picture of the journeys the creatures make.
Recent Stories
Letter From the Editor
Lost and Found
March 31, 2023 — Going in search of unfamiliar birds can be thrilling, but so can discovering the ones there all along.
Audubon View
A Roadmap for the Future
March 31, 2023 — Our bold strategic plan will achieve new levels of impact for birds, people, and the planet.
Field Notes
Yes, Birding Does Change Your Brain
March 29, 2023 — Neuroscientists puzzling over how human memory and learning function often turn to birdwatchers to connect the dots.
Investigations
From Audubon Magazine
The Internet Has a Rat Poison Problem
How online sales of highly regulated, super-toxic rodenticides exploit gaps in the law and imperil wildlife.
From Audubon Magazine
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.
News
This Brutal Pesticide Creates a 'Circle of Death.' So Why Is It Making a Comeback?
Carbofuran, a century-old chemical, is increasingly being weaponized against birds and other wildlife, decimating entire food webs.
Profiles
From Audubon Magazine
Best-Selling Author Jeff VanderMeer Finds That Nature Is Stranger Than Fiction
The novelist attained fame with gripping works of eco-fiction. How hard could it be to rewild his own backyard?
News
Seventy Never Looked So Good: The Long, Wondrous Life of Wisdom the Albatross
The Laysan Albatross is the oldest known wild bird on the planet, an international icon, and still hatching eggs. This year she had her 39th chick.
Culture
How an Acclaimed Composer Found His Musical Voice Through Birdsong
Decades after a songbird's whirling melody set him on a new artistic path, John Luther Adams is more determined than ever to help us hear the planet's power and wild beauty—and fight to protect it.
Audubon Magazine
Explore Our Archives
Find new and old issues of Audubon magazine from the past decade.
Essays
From Audubon Magazine
How Migrating Snow Geese Helped Stretch My Perspective
The seasonal movements of birds have captivated humans for millennia. Now we know enough about their flights to make surprising connections.
COVID-19
Seeking Home Aboard the Night Heron
The pandemic prodded me to fulfill a lifelong dream of living on a boat. I’m learning the ropes surrounded by the birds of my North Carolina childhood.
COVID-19
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—one that has felt poignant this past year.
COVID-19
In Quarantine, I Finally Understood the Magic of Birds
It took a pandemic for me to see what my mother had been trying to show me my whole life.
Culture
Remembering Toni Morrison, the Bird Whisperer
A year after Morrison’s passing, a journalist and birder reflects on how her time with the cherished author changed her relationship with birds—and with herself.
COVID-19
Sheltering in Place in Manhattan—With 18 American Chestnut Saplings
Disease and logging nearly wiped out the towering trees in the early 20th century. Now the pandemic endangers a one-man operation trying to help the species endure.
The 2022 Audubon Photography Awards: Top 100
Take a scroll through these spectacular, artistic, and playful avian images, while reading the story behind each.
Dispatches
From Audubon Magazine
It Takes a Helicopter Parent to Rescue a Rare Seabird from Extinction
Raising the world’s entire population of Bermuda Petrels, or Cahows, requires undivided attention—and a relentless drive to see them succeed.
From Audubon Magazine
The Grand Dream of an International Park With Mexico Meets a Complicated Reality
Much has changed since F.D.R. called for a great transboundary conservation area spanning the Rio Grande, but the vision lives on. Is it an idea whose time has come—or come and gone?
News
Scientists Race to Uncover the Secrets of Madagascar’s Treasure-Filled Forests
The rediscovery of a long-lost duck spurred the creation of two protected areas in the country. Now researchers are scouring these spots for other endemic species before it's too late.
Dispatch
Can the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker Be Found in Cuba?
A birder, ornithologist, writer, and photographer set off on an extreme adventure through the muck and memories of eastern Cuba.
Dispatch
Land of the Lost Birds: Searching for Life in the Forests of Bioko
A crew of American scientists is venturing into remote Equatorial Guinea, even as rampant development threatens its bird-filled wilderness.
News
Can These Seabirds Adapt Fast Enough to Survive a Melting Arctic?
On a remote Alaskan sandbar, under the watchful eye of a devoted scientist for more than four decades, climate change is forcing a colony of seabirds into a real-time race: evolve or go extinct.
Climate
The Audubon Guide to Climate Action
Feeling like you can’t make a difference? That couldn’t be further from the truth. Our award-winning guide shows you where to begin and how to amplify your efforts to make lasting change in the world.
Birding
News
The Bird Migration Explorer Lets You Interact With Nature’s Most Amazing Feat
With this revolutionary new tool, anyone can follow hundreds of species on their epic journeys and discover challenges they face along the way.
Birding
The Big Tern Cheat Sheet: How to ID Four Common Species
In summer, North America’s four largest terns are near look-alikes. With a keen eye for detail you can tell them apart.
Birding
Why You Should Experience a Hawkwatch
Laurie Goodrich has witnessed 35 fall raptor migrations. She shares why hawkwatching still excites her today.
Binocular Guide
The Audubon Guide to Buying Binoculars
Seeking your first set of bins, or just looking for an upgrade? Our guide features excellent options for every budget.
Photo Essays
From Audubon Magazine
Portrait of a Forest on the Climate Edge
In Minnesota, a boreal forest ecosystem could shift north over the Canada border this century. Local photographers, scientists, and land managers are grappling with what that means—and how to respond.
News
A Photographer Considers the Northwest’s Cormorant Quandary
In Morgan Heim’s images, the Columbia River’s colonies of trouble-making waterbirds become as fascinating as they can be frustrating.
From Audubon Magazine
Behind the Mystery of Armenia's Oil-Covered White Storks
In the half decade since oiled birds were first spotted, volunteers and conservationists have raced to care for the iconic animals—and pushed the government to address pollution sources.
Photography
Windows Into Another World: Take a Tour of Bird Blinds Across the Country
What compels birders to hunker down in dark, often cramped structures? An intimate view of avian lives. But as with birds, every blind has its own character—and story.
The Future of North American Birds
Audubon’s new climate report warns of massive avian losses if we don’t change course and stabilize global carbon emissions.
Birding Culture
News
Some of Music’s Biggest Names Create a Trove of New Tunes to Help Birds
The man behind your favorite film soundtracks wants to build a joyful movement around bird conservation. On ‘For the Birds: The Birdsong Project,’ he’s enlisted musical legends and silver-screen icons to help.
Culture
A Ludicrously Deep Dive Into the Birds of Spelling Bee, Wordle, Scrabble, and More
It’s only a game. It’s only a game.
News
What’s the Difference Between a ‘Borb’ and a ‘Floof’?
Now that we know what constitutes a birb, it's time to break down the internet's other two nicknames for birds.
Books
Books
Ziggy Marley Is Here to Teach Kids About ‘Vulture Culture’
A new children’s book by the musician and his wife, Orly, aims to educate youth on the threats the birds face and the vital ecological role they play.
Books
Master Falconer Rodney Stotts Extols the 'Healing Power of Wildlife'
Stotts' new memoir details his unlikely journey to the ancient art. Now, his dream is to inspire more people like him to discover a love for raptors.
Books
This New Field Guide Aims to Change Your Mind About Pigeons
Cartoonist and author Rosemary Mosco shines a witty and compassionate spotlight on what she calls "the world's most misunderstood bird."
Books
5 New Climate Books to Empower Teens and Help Turn Anxiety into Action
Climate change is happening—and it's scary. But these nonfiction reads prove people all over can come together for a brighter future.
Books
Take a Trip to the 'Eighth Continent'
Pioneering scientist Meg Lowman’s new memoir, "The Arbornaut," details her career studying biodiversity in the tree canopy.
Books
Unraveling the Mystery of the Caracara
In “A Most Remarkable Creature,” musician Jonathan Meiburg seeks to understand one of the world’s most peculiar birds.
The Aviary
Where Birds Inspire Art, Awe, and Action
In this series we ask artists to explore the intersection of birds and art as a catalyst for shifting perspectives and perceptions.
The Audubon Bird Guide
Yellow-throated Warbler
Latin:
Setophaga dominica
Wood Thrush
Latin:
Hylocichla mustelina
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel
Latin:
Hydrobates furcatus
Colima Warbler
Latin:
Leiothlypis crissalis
