A Matter of Timing: Can Birds Keep Up With Earlier and Earlier Springs?
ClimateThe seasons are changing as the planet warms. Some migratory species may break under the strain—but others could surprise us.
Highlighted Features
Off the East Coast, a Massive Network of Wind Turbines Is Coming—Along With New Risks for Migrating Birds
ClimateSpecies 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
ScienceRecent 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
From Audubon MagazineRaising 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?
From Audubon MagazineLong 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
From Audubon MagazineEach 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?
Recent Stories
Field Notes
The Great Salt Lake Is Too Big—and Too Important—to Fail
By Alastair Bland
Utah’s leaders and advocates are mobilizing to save the largest saline lake ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere, a haven for people and migrating birds. Time and water are running out.
From Audubon Magazine
This Pioneering Collaboration Will Open a New Window Into Bird Migration
By Alisa Opar
Pooling research from numerous international partners, Audubon's Migratory Bird Initiative promises to paint the fullest picture yet of the awe-inspiring phenomenon.
Science
The Bird Genoscape Project Aims to Unlock the Secrets in Birds’ Feathers
By Barry Yeoman
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.
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.
A Naturalist With a Checkered Past Rediscovered a Long-lost Parrot . . . Then Things Got Interesting
NewsWhen John Young, Australia’s “Wild Detective,” proved that the Night Parrot hadn’t gone extinct, both man and bird got a shot at a comeback.
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 2021 Audubon Photography Awards: Top 100
Take a scroll through these spectacular, artistic, and playful avian images, while reading the story behind each.
Dispatches
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.
In Search of the Stunning—and Possibly Extinct—Edwards's Pheasant
DispatchNo 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
DispatchTo 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
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
How to Start Identifying Birds by Their Songs and Calls
Birding By EarPart one in our new series to help you build your birding skills—and love of birds—by learning how to bird by ear.
How Twitter Can Make You a Better Birder
NewsHarness the power of the tweet and up your rarity-finding success.
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
Meet the Dipper, North America's Only Aquatic Songbird
NewsA photographer spent years on rushing streams in the Rocky Mountains documenting the remarkable American Dipper.
Guardians of the Grebes
From Audubon MagazineTo 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
NewsDespite 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.
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
When Is a Bird a ‘Birb’? An Extremely Important Guide
NewsThe internet meme has been around for seven years now, so it's high time we establish some ground rules.
