Jillian Mock

Reporter, Audubon Magazine

Jillian Mock is a freelancer based out of New York City. She is a former editorial fellow at Audubon and a current contributor to Audubon magazine. 

Articles by Jillian Mock

An American Kestrel with green ink on its' left shoulder to help scientists identify it.

What Is Causing the American Kestrel’s Perplexing Decline?

March 29, 2023 — Although still common, these much-loved falcons continue to disappear from North American skies. Scientists are racing to understand why.

How and Why Did Bird Migration Evolve?

April 19, 2022 — The drive for birds to migrate is at least partially genetic. How those genes developed—and how they function in modern birds—isn't fully known.
A nocturnal European Nightjar may time its migration to the lunar cycle, as data from a bird tagged in 2017 helped reveal. Photo: Aron Hejdstrom/Centre for Animal Movement Research at Lund University

How Birds Perform Amazing Migratory Feats—and the Mysteries That Remain

April 08, 2022 — We tackle some of your most frequently asked questions about migration.
Professor Trish O'Kane, a woman wearing glasses and a pink and green jacket, stands in a wooded grove in Burlington, Vermont, where she taught an outdoor class during the COVID-19 pandemic.

One Professor’s Quest to Build Community Through Birding Takes Flight

October 04, 2021 — A University of Vermont class that combines ecology, social justice, and mentorship is having ripple effects through local schools—and beyond.

These Student-Led Audubon College Clubs Are About Much More than Birding

July 07, 2021 — When the pandemic upended college life, the resilient young people leading a new network of on-campus Audubon chapters didn’t let canceled plans and remote learning derail their mission.

‘Black Birders Week’ Promotes Diversity and Takes on Racism in the Outdoors

June 01, 2020 — Sparked by a racist incident last week in Central Park, the new initiative aims to boost recognition and representation of Black people enjoying and studying the natural world.

After Hurricane Dorian, a Survey Shows Hope and Concern For Bahamas' Birds

December 18, 2019 — In the weeks after the storm, park managers and scientists went to assess habitat and avian losses—a mission that's becoming all too familiar.

Hurricane Maria Almost Wiped Out These Hawks. Can We Save Them Before the Next Big Storm?

October 09, 2019 — Scientists are in a race to bring the Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk back from the edge of extinction, one hand-reared chick at a time.

North America Has Lost More Than 1 in 4 Birds in Last 50 Years, New Study Says

September 19, 2019 — For the first time, researchers have estimated the volume of total avian loss in the Western Hemisphere—and it’s not just threatened species that are declining. Many backyard favorites are also losing ground.

Seabird Experts Turn to Algorithms to Help Keep Fishing Boats in Line

July 15, 2019 — A new machine-learning system for tracking vessel activity could provide relief for albatrosses in harm's way.