Best-Selling Author Jeff VanderMeer Finds That Nature Is Stranger Than Fiction
From Audubon MagazineThe novelist attained fame with gripping works of eco-fiction. How hard could it be to rewild his own backyard?
Highlighted Features
This Tiny Brazilian Island Could Hold the Key to the Purple Martin’s Future
NewsVast 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.
A Global Antenna Network Is the Next Frontier of Migration Science
From Audubon MagazineMotus 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.
California Has a Peacock Problem
NewsFeral peafowl have turned neighbor against neighbor in Los Angeles, where they claw up gardens, peck at car fenders, and belt out their songs at all hours. Is a more harmonious coexistence possible?
Rebuilding an Iconic California State Park With Birds and Wildfire In Mind
ClimateIn 2020, a blaze consumed Big Basin Redwoods State Park, incinerating cabins, blackening ancient trees, and imperiling endangered murrelets. Staff now want to reimagine the park to better ensure the seabird’s future.
What's In a Bird Name?
From Audubon MagazineMore than 100 North American birds carry the names of people, some of whom were enslavers, supremacists, or grave robbers. A growing movement aims to do away with honorifics all together and bestow monikers that reflect each species' unique qualities
Recent Stories
Letter From The Editor
Seeing the Birds for the Forest
By Jennifer Bogo
Magazines face unprecedented challenges just getting to press, but we have our eye on the long game.
From Audubon Magazine
Portrait of a Forest on the Climate Edge
By Jessica Leber
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.
From Audubon Magazine
A Global Antenna Network Is the Next Frontier of Migration Science
By Alex Tey
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.
Investigations
The Internet Has a Rat Poison Problem
From Audubon MagazineHow online sales of highly regulated, super-toxic rodenticides exploit gaps in the law and imperil wildlife.
A New Plastic Wave Is Coming to Our Shores
From Audubon MagazineA 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.
This Brutal Pesticide Creates a 'Circle of Death.' So Why Is It Making a Comeback?
NewsCarbofuran, a century-old chemical, is increasingly being weaponized against birds and other wildlife, decimating entire food webs.
Profiles
How an Acclaimed Composer Found His Musical Voice Through Birdsong
CultureDecades 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.
Seventy Never Looked So Good: The Long, Wondrous Life of Wisdom the Albatross
NewsThe 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.
Birds Saved Debi Shearwater. Is She Really Going to Call it Quits?
NewsAfter 40-plus years of leading sold-out pelagic birding tours off the California coast, the trailblazing conservationist says it’s time to retire.
Audubon Magazine
Explore Our Archives
Find new and old issues of Audubon magazine from the past decade.
Essays
How Migrating Snow Geese Helped Stretch My Perspective
From Audubon MagazineThe seasonal movements of birds have captivated humans for millennia. Now we know enough about their flights to make surprising connections.
Seeking Home Aboard the Night Heron
COVID-19The 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.
What a Songbird Lost at Sea Taught Me About Survival
COVID-19Aboard 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.
In Quarantine, I Finally Understood the Magic of Birds
COVID-19It took a pandemic for me to see what my mother had been trying to show me my whole life.
Remembering Toni Morrison, the Bird Whisperer
CultureA 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.
Sheltering in Place in Manhattan—With 18 American Chestnut Saplings
COVID-19Disease 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
It Takes a Helicopter Parent to Rescue a Rare Seabird from Extinction
From Audubon MagazineRaising the world’s entire population of Bermuda Petrels, or Cahows, requires undivided attention—and a relentless drive to see them succeed.
The Grand Dream of an International Park With Mexico Meets a Complicated Reality
From Audubon MagazineMuch 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?
Scientists Race to Uncover the Secrets of Madagascar’s Treasure-Filled Forests
NewsThe 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.
Can the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker Be Found in Cuba?
DispatchA birder, ornithologist, writer, and photographer set off on an extreme adventure through the muck and memories of eastern Cuba.
Land of the Lost Birds: Searching for Life in the Forests of Bioko
DispatchA crew of American scientists is venturing into remote Equatorial Guinea, even as rampant development threatens its bird-filled wilderness.
Can These Seabirds Adapt Fast Enough to Survive a Melting Arctic?
NewsOn 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 More Tips and How-Tos
The Bird Migration Explorer Lets You Interact With Nature’s Most Amazing Feat
NewsWith this revolutionary new tool, anyone can follow hundreds of species on their epic journeys and discover challenges they face along the way.
The Big Tern Cheat Sheet: How to ID Four Common Species
BirdingIn summer, North America’s four largest terns are near look-alikes. With a keen eye for detail you can tell them apart.
Why You Should Experience a Hawkwatch
BirdingLaurie 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
Portrait of a Forest on the Climate Edge
From Audubon MagazineIn 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.
A Photographer Considers the Northwest’s Cormorant Quandary
NewsIn Morgan Heim’s images, the Columbia River’s colonies of trouble-making waterbirds become as fascinating as they can be frustrating.
Behind the Mystery of Armenia's Oil-Covered White Storks
From Audubon MagazineIn 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
Some of Music’s Biggest Names Create a Trove of New Tunes to Help Birds
NewsThe 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.