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

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.
A Red Crossbill looks down from its perch in a pine tree, holding a seed in its beak.
Fancy Finches? This Extensive New Field Guide Is For You
October 04, 2024 — Co-authored by a finch expert and veteran guide writer, the book covers everything from House Finches to honeycreepers. (Yep, they're finches, too.)
A Killdeer standing in grass with its beak wide open.
10 Fun Facts About the Killdeer
September 30, 2024 — Even if you haven鈥檛 seen one, chances are good you鈥檝e heard this notoriously noisy shorebird.

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
Harris's Hawk
Hawks and Eagles
Blue Bunting
Cardinals, Grosbeaks and Buntings
Bushtit
Bushtits
Bell's Sparrow
New World Sparrows