Discover APP 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

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
One person unspools wire while another holds several metal stakes. Cattle graze behind them.
To Grow Grassland Habitat, Conservationists Try a New Incentive: Cash for Birds
December 12, 2024 — APP and partners hope the novel approach will yield more bird-friendly grazing on livestock farms in the Midwest.
A sign at the entrance of Muir Woods National Monument asks visitors to remain quiet during their stay.
For Wildlife, Human Noise Is the Downside of Outdoor Fun
December 11, 2024 — As more people explore wild places, researchers aim to understand and minimize the impacts recreation has on birds and other animals.
A white oak in its full fall foliage display of reds and oranges.
Why Wildlife Groups and Whiskey Makers Are Rallying to Save This Vital Eastern Tree
December 10, 2024 — White oaks remain abundant, but experts say the prized species needs help regenerating to sustain businesses, birds—and booze supplies.
Hundreds of crows roosting in trees are silhouetted against a dark blue sky.
Winter Is the Perfect Time to Take Up Crow Watching
December 10, 2024 — 'Tis the season to tune into the drama-filled lives of your local corvids.
Illustration of robot hands typing on a laptop, the screen showing elements of a power plant, with a bird perched on the screen.
How the AI Boom Threatens to Short-Circuit Climate Action
December 10, 2024 — The energy-devouring technology is giving new life to fossil fuels.
Two female blackbirds in flight next to a male perched on a branch.
10 Fun Facts About the Red-winged Blackbird
December 10, 2024 — One you’ll want to remember: They really, really like their personal space.
A downy seabird chick sits nestled between rocks in front of a ceramic tunnel.
As the World Heats Up, Can Ceramic Nests Help Birds Stay Safe and Cool?
December 06, 2024 — Extreme heat, vicious storms, and habitat loss are adding precarity for many species. A hunk of clay and some creativity could help them remain where they are.
An aerial view of an all-terrain vehicle driving through a landscape
First Nations Are On the Cusp of a Big Marine Conservation Win in Canada—and They Have Even Bigger Plans
December 02, 2024 — Indigenous communities in Ontario are leading a campaign to protect critical portions of a vast inland sea that people, migratory birds, and other wildlife all rely upon. Can they conserve the coastline and carbon-storing peatlands, too?
A group of people stand on a boat holding binoculars and cameras, a flock of gulls flying in the background.
For Fantastic Seabird Spotting, Head to ... the Great Lakes?
November 27, 2024 — Midwest birders don't need an ocean to see pelagic species, and some birding groups now offer opportunities to glimpse rare seabirds along with other good gets.
A gang of menacing turkeys in a city park.
When Wild Turkeys Attack: How to Survive and Thrive In a Great Gobbler World
November 22, 2024 — Just remember: Don't turn around.

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
Horned Lark
Larks
Common Pauraque
Nightjars
Marbled Godwit
Sandpipers
Cordilleran Flycatcher
Tyrant Flycatchers