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Birds and History

A small group gather in a forest all looking up. Some are looking through binoculars.
How Florence Merriam Bailey Helped Shape Modern Birding—and Remains an Inspiration 140 Years Later
June 02, 2026 — As a student at Smith College, Bailey founded one of the first ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ societies in 1886. A recent graduate who led the school’s modern-day ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ on Campus chapter explores Bailey's pathbreaking work.
Essays
Red-winged Blackbird
History of the Land
December 18, 2025 — Trinity River ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Center History
TEXAS Trinity River
Great Kiskadee
The Importance of Birding for the Eco-Tourism Economy in San Antonio
December 17, 2025 — Nature tourism in San Antonio is an economic opportunity in which we are finally investing.
TEXAS
Brown Pelican
Brown Pelican Removed from Endangered Species List
December 17, 2025 — Nearly 40 years after it was pushed to the edge of extinction by pesticide use, habitat loss and hunting, the brown pelican was taken off the endangered species list.
TEXAS Coastal Resilience
A linocut depicting a lapwing, a map, an old book, and some tools on a wooden surface.
When People Dined On Robins and Other Avian Oddities From America's Past
February 27, 2025 — In his richly researched newsletter, amateur historian Robert Francis takes deep dives into the country's complicated and ever-changing relationship with birds.
Time Flies: Celebrating 125 Years of ‘̽»¨¾«Ñ¡' Magazine
July 22, 2024 — Our publication's look and even its name have changed over time, but for more than a century, some things have remained constant: our delight with birds and our focus on helping readers enjoy and protect them.
Editor’s Note
‘The Birds That ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Missed' Provides New Insights Into the Age of Avian Discovery in America
May 09, 2024 — In his latest book, bird expert Kenn Kaufman focuses on the species that evaded John James ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ and his peers to explore an exhilarating yet knotty era in ornithology. Read on to learn more about the book and for a Q&A with the author.
Books
A group of male and female Wild Turkeys foraging close together.
Native Americans Domesticated Turkeys Long Before the Pilgrims Arrived
November 15, 2023 — Indigenous societies in the Americas valued the birds so highly that they tamed them at least twice, including in the U.S. Southwest. Turkey feathers still have abundant uses to tribes there today.
What This Gruesome Stork Taught Us About Bird Migration
October 30, 2023 — Long before tracking technology, the most concrete testament to bird migration was a stork impaled by a spear.
Bird Migration