探花精选 Magazine

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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

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 Fall 2024 Issue
Read the Entire Fall 2024 Issue

Inside: Where have all the grackles gone? Limpkins on the loose. A funny story about cartoonist Rosemary Mosco. The naturalist opening doors for blind birders. A homecoming for Hawaiian birds. Farmers grow the native plants birds need. Read these stories and more.

Highlighted Feature Stories
Why Is it So Hard to Keep Cats Indoors?
Why Is it So Hard to Keep Cats Indoors?

When a neighbor鈥檚 pet entered her life, our writer devised a plan: Put a GPS tracker on it and delve into why we let our beloved felines wander outside despite the risks they pose to birds and themselves.

Latest News and Articles

People with binoculars walking in an urban park.
Science Is Revealing the Social Disparities at the Root of Urban Ecosystems
November 22, 2024 — When it comes to biodiversity, research shows not all neighborhoods are created equal. They鈥檙e defined by injustices past and present.
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
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.
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.

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.

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
The Day We Didn鈥檛 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 Didn鈥檛 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.

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 2023 探花精选 Photo Awards: Top 100

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

Photo Essays
Birding Advice and News
How Rare Is That Rare Bird?
A Red-flanked Bluetail perches on a thin branch against a green background.
How Rare Is That Rare Bird?

When you consider all the factors that go into the unlikeliest vagrant sightings, it makes you wonder.

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
Eastern Phoebe
Tyrant Flycatchers
! Priority Bird
Wood Stork
Storks
Buff-breasted Flycatcher
Tyrant Flycatchers
Neotropic Cormorant
Cormorants