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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

APP 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 APP.org daily, including science and conservation news, birding tips, photo galleries, and interactive reader experiences. In print and digital, through stories and visuals, APP 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—and 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 ‘Forever Chemical’ Hotspot—What Does That Mean for Its Birds and People?
North Carolina's Cape Fear River Is a ‘Forever Chemical’ Hotspot—What 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’s even harder with wild animals.

Latest News and Articles
A chickadee perches on a sunflower extracting a seed with its beak.
How Plant Seeds Reshaped the Lives—and Evolution—of 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.
Old photo of a gull in flight over water.
Remembering "The Bird of the Century," a Half-Century Later
March 03, 2025 — In March of 1975, an extremely rare Ross's Gull was confirmed for the first time in the Lower 48. The sighting and the frenzy that ensued was a watershed moment for a burgeoning birding community.
An adult Eared Grebe swimming with two chicks on her back, turns her head around with food in her beak to feed one of the chicks reaching to take it from her.
Get Ready to Melt Over These Sweet Photos of Baby Birds
February 28, 2025 — From fluffy penguins to gawky cranes, here are some of our favorite baby bird pics from the 2024 APP Photography Awards.
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.
Four sparrows eat seed at a feeder.
What Does the Avian Flu Surge Mean for Your Bird Feeders?
February 24, 2025 — As H5N1 spreads rapidly, wild birds remain at risk. Here’s what to know about the outbreak and how to keep your feathered visitors safe.
A large flock of gulls stand in a parking lot.
Why Do Gulls Like Hanging Out in Parking Lots?
February 24, 2025 — A question we've all wondered. An answer that might surprise you.
Birding Is a Booming Hobby—and a Big Business
February 20, 2025 — More than 1 in 3 U.S. adults enjoy birding, and the money they spend contributes billions of dollars to the economy.
Black and white photo of two woodpeckers, one perched on a tree and the other in flight.
These eBird Checklists Document Some of the Last Sightings of Extinct U.S. Species
February 10, 2025 — As more and more "historical" checklists are added to the platform, birds we've lost now mingle with those still hanging on.
A gull flies over blue ocean waves.
These Are the Greatest eBird Checklists for the United States
February 10, 2025 — From mega migrant counts to strange species pairings, prepare to be both inspired and humbled.
Cityscape seen through dotted glass in the foreground.
LEED’s Green Building Rules Are Becoming More Bird-Friendly—Do They Go Far Enough?
February 03, 2025 — The world’s top system for certifying environmentally conscious design is putting more emphasis on preventing bird-building collisions, but critics say it’s still too easy for builders to skip measures that could save avian lives.

Find a Read

APP 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
Can a Scientist and an Owl Be Friends?
A photo of author, Carl Safina, looking to the top right of the frame
Can a Scientist and an Owl Be Friends?

Best-selling author and ecologist Carl Safina has made a career out of his deep explorations of the animal world. But his recent relationship with a rescued owl caused him to go even deeper.

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 APP Guide to Climate Action
The APP 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 2024 APP 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/APP Photography Awards
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
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 APP Bird Guide
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Wood Warblers
Eyebrowed Thrush
Thrushes
Bay-breasted Warbler
Wood Warblers
Red-masked Parakeet
African and New World Parrots