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Where the latest news about birds and conservation takes flight.
On Florida's Marco Island, families of Burrowing Owls live among the locals. Photo: Karine Aigner
Summer 2026 Issue
Ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay Are Starving to Death at Disastrous Rates. What Will It Take to Save Them?
June 25, 2026 — After a spectacular comeback from DDT, the Osprey population has plummeted within the watershed and is showing signs of trouble elsewhere. The birds fate may once more rest on collective action.
Are Crows Really Our Friends?
June 23, 2026 — An investigation into the state of corvidhuman relations.
Two men kneel in a forest-like setting surrounded by dense tropical plants and trees, wearing dark clothing with colorful embroidered panels and bead necklaces and holding instruments made from natural materials.
Meet the Metalhead Turned Anthropologist Who Plays Ancient Instruments Inspired by Birds
June 17, 2026 — In concerts, YouTube videos, and books, Esteban Valdivia shares how musical artifacts can reveal long-lost knowledge of avian species.
Editors' Picks
Magazine
Essential reporting on birds and bird conservation delivered to your door.
Pairing compelling journalism with stunning photography and design, each quarterly issue helps readers grow their appreciation of birds and learn how to help them thrive. Our editorial team also reports and publishes stories on 91做厙.org daily, including science and conservation news, birding tips, photo galleries, and interactive reader experiences. In print and digital, through stories and visuals, 91做厙 emphasizes the importance of a diverse and inclusive science and conservation effort to help meet the challenges facing both birds and people today.
Latest Stories
A black and white American Oystercatcher, with its distinct skinny orange bill, stretches its wings atop a bed of oysters.
Inside the All-Out, 16-State Mission to Save the American Oystercatcher
June 20, 2025 — A massive network of conservation groups bet big on a business plan to reverse the striking shorebirds declineand won.
An aerial view of a concrete wall in a mangrove-surrounded bay.
Oysters Are Natures Architectsand Coastal Conservations Secret Weapon
June 20, 2025 — To give new life to shoreline habitats, a growing number of projects are harnessing the reef-building power of oysters.
Hundreds of little glowing lights float around a dark, forest floor.
Love Fireflies? Here's How You Can Help Scientists Save Them.
June 20, 2025 — Despite their luminescent glow, lightning bugs have remained a conservation mystery until relatively recently. Now researchers are relying on community science to track the beloved beetles.
A bright metallic green hummingbird drinks nectar from an orange flower.
Where and When to See the Biggest Variety of Western Hummingbirds
June 20, 2025 — To witness dazzling displays of migrating hummers on the move, the western United States is the place to be from spring through late summer.
A pi簽ata with three Ivory-billed Woodpeckers perched on a branch, photographed outside under a flowering tree.
Layers of Paperand Meaningin Roberto Benavidezs Ivory-billed Woodpecker Pi簽ata
June 20, 2025 — With Woodpecker Trinity, the artist reimagines a famous 91做厙 watercolor to pay tribute to the long-debated woodpecker, while adding his own symbolic twists.
Two people stand on an unpaved road through a forest with mountains in the background, looking through binoculars.
Arizona Surveys Find a Record-Low Number of Elegant Trogons, Raising Concerns About Drought Impacts
June 18, 2025 — For more than a decade Tucson Bird Alliance and volunteers have counted the stunning birds each spring in their only U.S. breeding stronghold.
A person holding a female cardinal affixes a metal band around her leg.
Looming Federal Cuts Threaten the Bird Banding Lab, a Cornerstone of Avian Science
June 12, 2025 — For more than a century, the USGS program has revealed crucial insights about where birds go, how theyre faring, and what we can do to help them. Its budget and staff are now on the chopping block.
Two American Oystercatchers walk on the beach with people in bathing suits by the ocean in the background.
Help Protect Beachesand the Birds That Need ThemWith a Smartphone and a Coin
June 12, 2025 — A community science project is building a sand-grain database to understand how and why coastlines change.
A person looks up at a tree with binoculars while the person next to her points up at it.
How to Help Others Quickly Locate a Bird in a Tree
June 10, 2025 — Follow these simple steps to avoid a miscommunication meltdown and ensure everyone gets a look.
A woman stands outside with her eyes closed holding her phone up to her ear.
A First-of-Its-Kind Event Helps Blind Birders Build Community
June 05, 2025 — We spoke with some of the more than 150 blind and visually impaired birders who participated in the celebration to learn about the challenges they face and the joy they find in the outdoors.
Bird and Conservation News
More News
Flocks of Purple Martins fly over an urban scene at dusk.
Nearly Half of U.S. Bird Migration Hotspots Are in CitiesHere's Why That Matters
September 16, 2026 — A surprising number of migrating birds are choosing to stop in metropolitan areas, researchers found, raising the stakes for urban conservation efforts.
Smoke from Wildfires Is a Growing Health Threat to Both People and Birds
September 15, 2026 — Catastrophic wildfires are stalling decades of clean air progress. Now scientists are asking: How can we help birds navigate a hazier future?
Moss hangs from old-growth trees in a dense forest.
A Plan to Repeal the Roadless Rule Threatens Prime Habitat in National Forests
September 09, 2026 — Public lands advocates urge Americans to speak out against a proposal to open millions of acres to new roads and logging.

Find a Read

91做厙 magazine publishes a variety of story types in print and online. Peruseand enjoyjust a sampling of our work below. 

Highlighted Feature Stories
Investigations
A New Plastic Wave Is Coming to Our Shores
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.

Profiles
The Long, Exceptional Life of Frank Graham
A man sitting at a desk with a microscope looks up and smiles.
The Long, Exceptional Life of Frank Graham

As 91做厙 magazines Field Editor for 45 years, Frank Graham, Jr. brought the beauty and resilience of nature into focusas well as the tenacity of those striving to save it.

The Remarkable Life of Roxie Laybourne
The Remarkable Life of Roxie Laybourne

From deep within the Smithsonian, the worlds first forensic ornithologist cracked cases, busted criminals, and changed the course of aviationmaking the skies safer for us all.

Essays
The Day We Didnt Save the Starling
An illustration of a woman and young girl crouching down looking at something in a driveway next to a house.
The Day We Didnt Save the Starling

In our rescue attempt, I thought I was giving my young daughters a lesson in compassion. It ended up being the reminder that I needed.

Remembering Toni Morrison, the Bird Whisperer
Remembering Toni Morrison, the Bird Whisperer

A year after Morrisons passing, a journalist and birder reflects on how her time with the cherished author changed her relationship with birdsand with herself.

The 91做厙 Guide to Climate Action
The 91做厙 Guide to Climate Action

Feeling like you cant make a difference? That couldnt be further from the truth. Our award-winning guide shows you where to begin and how to 簫amplify your efforts to make lasting change in the world.

Dispatches
An Anna's Hummingbird perches on a twig in the center of the frame against a blurred background of blue, yellow, and green.

The 2025 91做厙 Photo Awards: Top 100

Revel in the staggering beauty and surprising behaviors featured in this gallery of our favorite images.

More Photo Essays
Portrait of a Forest on the Climate Edge
A bird's eye view of a winter scene of a forest with some green pine trees and bare aspen, paper birch, and red maple trees.
Portrait of a Forest on the Climate Edge

In Minnesota, a boreal forest ecosystem could shift north over the Canada border this century. Local photographers, scientists, and land managers are grappling with what that meansand how to respond.

Birding Advice and News
Arts and Culture
Feather Detective Roxie Laybournes Career in Six Objects
A metal instrument called a cloacascope on a black background.
Feather Detective Roxie Laybournes Career in Six Objects

From a gynandromorphic grosbeak to feathers collected at a murder investigation in Florida, biographer Chris Sweeney shares six unusual artifacts he found while researching his new book about the worlds first forensic ornithologist.

The 91做厙 Bird Guide
Brown Shrike
Lanius cristatus
Shrikes
American Goshawk
Astur atricapillus
Hawks and Eagles
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Swallows
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Contopus cooperi
Tyrant Flycatchers