Jessica McKenzie

Reporter, Audubon Magazine

Jessica McKenzie is an associate editor at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Her work has been published in The New York Times, National Geographic, Backpacker, The Counter, and Grist, among other publications.

Articles by Jessica McKenzie

A painting of the Black-crowned Night Heron, surrounded by greens and blues with collaged buildings.
The Black-crowned Night-Heron’s Unlikely Refuge
July 16, 2024 — Artist Lauren Levato Coyne’s painted collage is a pointed commentary on how vulnerable the endangered bird is to habitat destruction.
A black and white print of a Hooded Merganser illustration next to awls on a printed table cloth.
A Printmaker Dives Into the Aquatic Domain of a Regal Duck
March 25, 2024 — Artist Meg T. Justice provides a fresh perspective on the habitat that sustains the Hooded Merganser.
The Aviary
A whimsical, surreal oil painting of a towhee perched on a branch in a snowy, mountainous landscape with a bright blue sky filled with swirling clouds.
A Surreal Spin on An Abundant Sparrow
November 16, 2023 — In "Spotted Towhee" artist Phyllis Shafer depicts a widespread bird of the West in a rapidly changing landscape.
The Aviary
Drawing of two black birds with yellow and white patches perched, mirroring each other, on grass blades against a star-spangled black backdrop and abstract lines.
A Celebration of the Bobolink’s Star-Guided Migration
September 29, 2023 — In her piece “I’ll See You When I Get There,” artist Kirsten Furlong uses ink and acrylic to capture the birds’ seemingly magical journeys.
The Aviary
A life-size sculpture of Black-necked Stilts in a cracked, dried up landscape.
A Sculpture Captures the Dry Reality for Black-necked Stilts
July 11, 2023 — Artist Sarah Conti situates life-size versions of the shorebirds in a disappearing habitat.
The Aviary
A painting of a flock of robins in flight.
An Abundance of American Robins
December 13, 2022 — Mayuko Fujino’s flock in flight celebrates a common species threatened by climate change.
The Aviary
An oil painting of rocky expanse, a blue sky in the background. A barren branch extends from the top left to bottom right side of the image. In the center is a creature with gray legs and a red and yellow head with a beak, carrying a smaller bird whose head, with a splash of yellow, points directly to the right.
The Western Tanager of Tomorrow
September 19, 2022 — George Boorujy’s evocative artwork depicts a colorful songbird in a climate-devastated future.
The Aviary
An artistic rendition of a Wood Thrush lays flat against tea-soaked paper. Made entirely out of foraged materials found in nature.
The Foraged Wood Thrush
July 07, 2022 — Jessica Maffia merges her artistic talents with her enthusiasm for nature in a plant-based representation of the Wood Thrush.
The Aviary
Four photos, from left: A dead juvenile American Robin with an orange-mottled chest; a hand holds the glistening stomach of a Mourning Dove; against a red background seeds of different colors are arranged in concentric circles; two slender green plants grow in a brown, white, and black ceramic pot.
Flying Gardens of Maybe
April 13, 2022 — Artist Andrew S. Yang coaxes new life from seeds that bird-strike victims consumed, turning dead ends into second chances.
The Aviary
How the Flights of Birds Inspired a Unique Elementary Education Program
March 18, 2021 — Musicians, artists, and innovators learn from avian flight. A new learn-from-home concert and curriculum brings three together to teach children during challenging times.
From Audubon Magazine