A Matter of Timing: Can Birds Keep Up With Earlier and Earlier Springs?

The seasons are changing as the planet warms. Some migratory species may break under the strain—but others could surprise us.

Off the East Coast, a Massive Network of Wind Turbines Is Coming—Along With New Risks for Migrating Birds

Species journeying over the Atlantic Ocean will soon have to navigate wind farms. But without clean energy, their futures are more imperiled.

The Bird Genoscape Project Aims to Unlock the Secrets in Birds’ Feathers

Recent breakthroughs have allowed researchers from across the Western Hemisphere to begin building a library of avian DNA filled with insights about where birds migrate and their resilience to mounting pressures.

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.

Where Have All the Rare Bird Alerts Gone?

Long before eBird, birders simply called up an avian hotline to learn where to chase unusual birds. Today these phone services are themselves sliding toward extinction—with one notable exception.

The Violent Cost of Conservation

Each year more people die while attempting to protect the world’s most biodiverse places. It’s a trend poised to devastate the planet itself. How can we stem the rising tide of attacks to ensure a safer future for us all?

The Internet Has a Rat Poison Problem

How 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In Search of the Stunning—and Possibly Extinct—Edwards's Pheasant

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.

Meet the Brave Bodyguards Protecting Belize’s Scarlet Macaws From Poachers

To keep macaw chicks safe, a team of rangers spends night and day watching over the birds’ nests and homes.

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.

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.

Meet the Dipper, North America's Only Aquatic Songbird

A photographer spent years on rushing streams in the Rocky Mountains documenting the remarkable American Dipper.

Guardians of the Grebes

To protect climate-threatened Hooded Grebes, volunteers camp out at remote, high-elevation lakes in Patagonia for the entire breeding season.

These Photos Reveal the Pollination Secrets of Florida’s Most Elusive Flower

Despite extensive efforts, nobody had ever definitively documented the pollination of the ghost orchid, a mysterious plant that grows in the towering trees of the Everglades—until now.

When Is a Bird a ‘Birb’? An Extremely Important Guide

The internet meme has been around for seven years now, so it's high time we establish some ground rules.

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