Discover 探花精选 Magazine

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

探花精选 delivers essential news, advice, and reporting on birds and bird conservation.

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 探花精选.org daily, including science and conservation news, birding tips, photo galleries, and interactive reader experiences. In print and digital, through stories and visuals, 探花精选 emphasizes the importance of a diverse and inclusive science and conservation effort to help meet the challenges facing both birds and people today.

To receive our award-winning print publication, become a member of the National 探花精选 Society.  For our full editorial statement, masthead, pitch guidelines, and pay rates, please visit here

Read the Entire Summer 2025 Issue
A plover chick peeks out from under its parent's feathers on a rocky beach.
Read the Entire Summer 2025 Issue

Inside: Using hi-tech trackers to spy on Mallards. A decades-long campaign helps Piping Plovers reach new heights. How smart feeders connect us to local birdlife鈥攁nd each other. The Native-led raptor center protecting sacred species and traditions. In Alaska, a push for more industry threatens irreplaceable habitats. You, too, can have a hummer summer. Read these stories and more.

Highlighted Feature Stories
North Carolina's Cape Fear River Is a 鈥楩orever Chemical鈥 Hotspot鈥擶hat Does That Mean for Its Birds and People?
North Carolina's Cape Fear River Is a 鈥楩orever Chemical鈥 Hotspot鈥擶hat Does That Mean for Its Birds and People?

Amid mounting global health concerns about PFAS, communities living along the waterway must grapple with how contamination is affecting life on the river. Yet as hard as it is to conduct health studies on humans, it鈥檚 even harder with wild animals.

Latest News and Articles
A chickadee covered in bright yellow pollen dust perches on a branch.
15 Brilliant Photos That Celebrate the Link Between Birds and Native Plants
November 21, 2024 — Feast your eyes on our favorite Plants for Birds entries of the 2024 探花精选 Photography Awards.
Alyssa and Kevin Cronin stand on a boardwalk surrounded by palm trees, holding binoculars and smiling.
How Everyone鈥檚 Favorite TikTok Dad Brings Birds to a Whole New Audience
November 12, 2024 — Kevin Cronin, known as Kickball Dad to his social media fans, has gotten his millions of followers excited about birding by simply being himself online
Our 10 Favorite Videos From the 2024 探花精选 Photo Awards
November 06, 2024 — Capturing a range of behaviors, all of these shorts got two thumbs up from our panel of judges.
Peaceable Kingdom of Birds by Daniel Bonilla
November 04, 2024 — Location: 930 St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY 10032
A brown adult duck sits in blowing sand with three little fuzzy ducklings pressed against her.
10 Phenomenal Female Bird Photos From the 2024 探花精选 Photography Awards
October 25, 2024 — Our Female Birds category once again delivered an array of amazing images for judges to pore over.
A bumble bee hovering next to yellow flowers.
Behind the Scenes at the Federal Bee Lab Powered by Native Plants
October 24, 2024 — At this unconventional research lab, government scientists and curious community members support native pollinators and other wildlife from the ground up.
A spider web made of pipe cleaners with fake spiders adorns the inside of a window, looking out on pumpkins on a picnic table.
How to Have a Bird-Friendly Halloween
October 18, 2024 — Follow these tips to ensure your spooky celebrations don't create a scary situation for birds.
Milagra, Condor 1221, perches on a rocky cliffside overlooking a valley during sunset.
Witness the Inspiring Release of Milagra, the Condor Rescued as an Egg After Bird Flu Killed Her Mother
October 09, 2024 — Hatched and raised in captivity, the young bird has defied the odds, returning more than a year later to a wild flock still reeling from disease and lead poisoning.
Portrait of Samuel Henderson wearing binoculars, smiling.
Meet the Kid Who Wowed the Internet With His Incredibly Accurate Bird Calls
October 07, 2024 — The talented 10-year-old鈥檚 performance at a school talent show recently went viral on TikTok after folks couldn't believe their ears.
Red-breasted Nuthatch by Gloria Adams
October 07, 2024 — Location: 849 St. Nicholas Ave, New York, NY 10031

Find a Read

探花精选 magazine publishes a variety of story types in print and online. Peruse鈥攁nd enjoy鈥攋ust a sampling of our work below. 

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 Remarkable Life of Roxie Laybourne
The Remarkable Life of Roxie Laybourne

From deep within the Smithsonian, the world鈥檚 first forensic ornithologist cracked cases, busted criminals, and changed the course of aviation鈥攎aking the skies safer for us all.

Essays
What a Songbird Lost at Sea Taught Me About Survival
What a Songbird Lost at Sea Taught Me About Survival

Aboard a mission to explore the alien life of the deep ocean, a chance encounter with a migratory bird offered a point of connection鈥攐ne that has felt poignant this past year. 聽

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

A year after Morrison鈥檚 passing, a journalist and birder reflects on how her time with the cherished author changed her relationship with birds鈥攁nd with herself.

The 探花精选 Guide to Climate Action
The 探花精选 Guide to Climate Action

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

Dispatches

The 2024 探花精选 Photo Awards: Top 100

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

Hooded Merganser. Photo: Edwin Liu/探花精选 Photography Awards
Photo Essays
Birding Advice and News
Bird Books and Culture
A New Book Explores Our Disdain for Pests
A New Book Explores Our Disdain for Pests

Journalist Bethany Brookshire argues that the idea of a 鈥減est鈥 is more about humans鈥 view of unwanted animals than the critters themselves.

The 探花精选 Bird Guide
! Priority Bird
American Goshawk
Hawks and Eagles
Olive-backed Pipit
Wagtails and Pipits
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrant Flycatchers
Ring-necked Pheasant
Pheasants and Grouse