Audubon Magazine

Audubon is the official magazine of the National Audubon Society. Get Audubon Magazine digital magazine subscription today for news coverage of the natural world. We help our readers appreciate, understand, and protect the environment with a particular focus on birds, other wildlife and their habitats

Night Life

Migration Season • There’s much to celebrate, and still much we need to understand.

Where Do the Birds Go? • Audubon’s Migratory Bird Initiative has already started to find out.

Audubon Magazine

INBOX

A Flurry of Insight • Migratory birds have captivated humans since ancient times. Now we know enough about their flights to expand our own perspective.

A Brief History of Discovery • The evolution of migration research is almost as captivating as the birds’ own journeys. Rebecca Heisman, author of the forthcoming book Flight Paths, shares a selection of key milestones.

It’s the Journey, Not the Destination • At least 40 percent of bird species migrate in some form. But it’s simplistic to think of these trips as only annual flights south in fall and north in spring. Migration spans a spectrum from a weeks-long pilgrimage to a short meander. A bird might depart on the same day every year to a specific destination or follow irregular cycles. Most birds fly, but some walk, swim, or even stomach-slide. Understanding migration means embracing a range of unique, astounding, and downright weird strategies.

Enduring Mysteries • Migrating birds employ skills far beyond human abilities. They depart on time without the use of a calendar and navigate long distances sans smartphone. They fly for days with few, if any, pit stops. Scientists can explain a lot about these arduous journeys, but the quest to fully understand them continues.

HAVE WINGS WILL TRAVEL • Migration is essential to survival for hundreds of bird species in the Western Hemisphere. To help safeguard these endurance athletes, Audubon’s Migratory Bird Initiative is teaming up with hundreds of partners to paint a complete picture of the awe-inspiring phenomenon.

A MATTER OF TIMING • Spring is arriving earlier as the planet warms. Can migratory birds keep up?

HOW TO HELP BIRDS SPRING FORWARD

A NEW MIGRATION GAUNTLET • Birds making daring journeys over the Atlantic Ocean will soon have to navigate threats posed by wind farms. But without clean energy, their futures are more imperiled.

THE PATHS WE TAKE • Migration offers a shared connection between people and birds, a tie that echoes through generations.

TEACHING KIDS TO SOAR

PUTTING DOWN ROOTS

CONNECTING ACROSS CONTINENTS

FINDING A PLACE OF REFUGE

BIRDS OF A FEATHER • Avian DNA holds secrets that reveal where birds migrate and their resilience to mounting pressures. The Bird Genoscape Project aims to unlock them.

FIELD GUIDE • We’ve got the tips and tools you need to enjoy migration birding to its fullest.

Join the Festivities • Joyous crowds and oodles of migrants make birding festivals a perfect way to celebrate the wonders of the season.

Essential Starters • Even if you value birding as an escape from screen time, some apps are too handy to leave tucked away. Here are three that can enrich your time afield.

The Art of Patience • How a photographer captures images of elusive species without using playback.

Pack Your Bag • Migration birding can be so good that it’s hard to leave, so gear up for a big day out.

Never Stop Birding • Most migration happens at night, but you don’t have to miss it. Use nocturnal flight calls, or NFCs, to identify the birds flying overhead as you sleep.

Band Camp • Bird banding plays a clutch role in avian conservation—and you can help.

Bottoms Up •...