Audubon Magazine

Discover Audubon 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

Audubon 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 Audubon.org daily, including science and conservation news, birding tips, photo galleries, and interactive reader experiences. In print and digital, through stories and visuals, Audubon 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 Audubon Society.  For our full editorial statement, masthead, pitch guidelines, and pay rates, please visit here

Read the Entire Winter 2024 Issue
The head of a White-tailed Ptarmigan framed against a snowy background.
Read the Entire Winter 2024 Issue

Inside: How AI threatens climate progress. Can White-tailed Ptarmigan adapt to a warming world? The Christmas Bird Count at 125 years old. First Nations push to protect crucial coastline. Inside one man’s Bald Eagle obsession. Get to know your local crows. 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’s 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

A large flock of shorebirds sit in muddy vegetation in a lagoon.
As Coastal Habitat Shrinks, Scientists Take Inspiration from Surfing Shorebirds
April 19, 2024 — Birds rest on rafts of eelgrass when they can't find a safe space to roost onshore. Now conservationists are mimicking the behavior to give them more places of respite.
A flock of pigeons eating seeds on a sidewalk.
Cities Are Testing Birth Control to Solve Pigeon Problems
April 16, 2024 — Booming populations of these familiar urban birds are causing complaints. Can contraception help?
Illustration of people watching birds next to a lake.
A New Birding Club Wants to Help COVID Long-Haulers Safely Enjoy Nature Together
April 12, 2024 — Ed Yong, an award-winning science journalist who widely covered the pandemic, recently launched The Spoonbill Club to provide community—and an accessible hobby—for folks with long COVID.
A brown bird perched in green leaves, looking up.
How Extreme Weather Tests Facilities Housing the Last of a Species
March 29, 2024 — Natural disasters fueled by climate change imperil critically endangered species under human care. Breeding centers must be more ready than ever to swing into action in an emergency.

Find a Read

Audubon magazine publishes a variety of story types in print and online. Peruse—and enjoy—just 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’s first forensic ornithologist cracked cases, busted criminals, and changed the course of aviation—making the skies safer for us all.

Essays
The Day We Didn’t 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’t 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.

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

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

The Audubon Guide to Climate Action
The Audubon Guide to Climate Action

Feeling like you can’t make a difference? That couldn’t be further from the truth. Our award-winning guide shows you where to begin and how to ­amplify your efforts to make lasting change in the world.

Dispatches

The 2023 Audubon Photo Awards: Top 100

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

Photo Essays
Portrait of a Forest on the Climate Edge
A bird's eye view of a winter scene of a forest with some green pine trees and bare aspen, paper birch, and red maple trees.
Portrait of a Forest on the Climate Edge

In Minnesota, a boreal forest ecosystem could shift north over the Canada border this century. Local photographers, scientists, and land managers are grappling with what that means—and how to respond.

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 “pest” is more about humans’ view of unwanted animals than the critters themselves.

The Audubon Bird Guide
Bridled Tern
Gulls and Terns
Hoary Redpoll
Finches
Yellow-eyed Junco
New World Sparrows
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Nightjars