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.

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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
Ayana Johnson on a stage in front of a video wall featuring colorful fish and coral.
Meet the Climate Leader Who Wants You to Abandon Hope鈥攁nd Get to Work
March 24, 2025 — Marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, 鈥渁 breath of fresh air鈥 for the climate movement, is helping people envision and build a brighter future.
Aerial view of ships on a river next to a sprawling natural gas export terminal.
Soaring Gas Exports Are Putting the Squeeze on Gulf Coast Habitat
March 24, 2025 — Local residents have formed unlikely alliances to rein in the booming LNG industry, which they say is devouring land for sensitive species while putting communities at risk.
Ask Kenn: How Do Birds Keep Themselves Clean?
March 24, 2025 — Staying fresh is a matter of survival in a bird鈥檚 life鈥攁nd a treat for birders to observe.
Three watercolor paintings depicting close ups of the wings of a Blue Jay, Northern Flicker, and Northern Cardinal.
A Close-Up Look at the Beauty of Backyard Birds
March 24, 2025 — In her watercolor triptych, Rosalie Haizlett celebrates the vibrant colors and details found in the feathers of common鈥攁nd commonly overlooked鈥攕pecies.
11 Berry-Bearing Native Plants to Keep Birds Full and Happy
March 19, 2025 — From the depths of winter to the dog days of summer, these native bushes, trees, and vines can help support a variety of species across all seasons.
Two Snowy Plovers sitting in the sand.
A Nest-Protecting Program Pays Off for Alabama鈥檚 Snowy Plovers
March 17, 2025 — After five years in which almost no chicks survived, more of the shorebirds are fledging since Alabama 探花精选 and volunteers adopted some simple but effective measures to help them.
A bright yellow meadowlark perched in a sagebrush plant.
A Sweeping New Report Shows U.S. Birds Declining Sharply Across a Range of Habitats
March 13, 2025 — Scientists checked in on species all over the country for the latest State of the Birds report. Nearly everywhere they looked, birds were struggling鈥攊ncluding some that have been resilient in the past.
A Vermilion Flycatcher splashes the surface of water with a fish in its beak.
鈥極h, Wow!鈥欌擲tunning Photos Offer First Known Proof of Vermilion Flycatchers Fishing
March 12, 2025 — An Arizona photographer鈥檚 images of Vermilion Flycatchers and Black Phoebes catching and eating fish鈥攁nd one unlucky lizard鈥攑rovide a rare glimpse into a little-known side of both birds.
Three bird-of-paradise specimens appearing to glow green under UV light on a black background.
Birds-of-Paradise Feathers Are More Than Flashy鈥擳hey Glow
March 07, 2025 — Researchers recently discovered that dozens of species in the flamboyant family are biofluorescent, emitting a gleaming light that could enhance their mating displays.
A chickadee perches on a sunflower extracting a seed with its beak.
How Plant Seeds Reshaped the Lives鈥攁nd Evolution鈥攐f Birds
March 04, 2025 — Plants didn't always use seeds to reproduce, but once they did, early avians were more than happy to indulge in the nutrient-rich morsels, kicking off a symbiotic relationship that persists today.

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
La Sagra's Flycatcher
Tyrant Flycatchers
Aztec Thrush
Thrushes
American Flamingo
Flamingos
Swainson's Thrush
Thrushes