Culture

Still from an animated film of three ducks flying over tree-covered hills.

The New Animated Film ‘Migration’ Draws Inspiration From Birds' Real Journeys

December 21, 2023 — Here’s what the Universal Pictures film got right (and wrong) about one Mallard family’s epic adventure.

Native Americans Domesticated Turkeys Long Before the Pilgrims Arrived

November 15, 2023 — Indigenous societies in the Americas valued the birds so highly that they tamed them at least twice, including in the U.S. Southwest. Turkey feathers still have abundant uses to tribes there today.

We Dare You to Watch These Frighteningly Bad Bird Horror Movies

October 18, 2023 — You know, good-bad.
Two young siblings with red hair stand outside on a boardwalk smiling and laughing.

These Twins Hope to Become Their Own Duck Stamp Dynasty

August 28, 2023 — Kira Sabin went viral in 2021 after making a TikTok video about their entry for the annual art competition. Two years later, they're still going for a win—and hoping partnering with their sibling helps.
A young woman outside near a river holds a tripod and spotting scope and looks at the camera.

Mya-Rose Craig’s Search for Family Amid an Extraordinary Life of World Birding

August 15, 2023 — Birdgirl, a memoir by the 21-year-old birder and activist, is an affecting story of a daughter seeking her parents as they, together, seek birds.
Waterfowl on a pond seen through tall grass, the end of a gun visible in the foreground.

Two New Books By Unlikely Advocates Make the Conservation Case for Hunting

May 09, 2023 — A birder and a Brooklynite examine their opposition to hunting, give it a try, and—finding a deeper sense of stewardship—urge others to reconsider.
An illustration of a robot reaching up with one arm towards a hovering red bird.

Can New AI Chatbots Like ChatGPT Help You Identify Birds?

April 04, 2023 — ‘Audubon’ magazine’s intrepid AI expert pushed the cutting-edge technology to its limits on field marks, native plants, and ... Mr. Bean?

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.
A flock of Sandhill Cranes fly in a line against a blue sky, the moon in the background.

‘Flight Paths’ Unfurls the Wondrous History of Migration Science

March 10, 2023 — A new book details how amateur birders and bird-loving scientists pieced together the true story of avian migration.

A New Book Explores Our Disdain for Pests

February 09, 2023 — Journalist Bethany Brookshire argues that the idea of a “pest” is more about humans’ view of unwanted animals than the critters themselves.