APP Magazine

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.

To receive our award-winning print publication, become a member of the National APP Society.  For our full editorial statement, masthead, pitch guidelines, and pay rates, please visit here.

Read the Entire Summer 2024 Issue
Read the Entire Summer 2024 Issue

Inside: Celebrate the magazine’s 125th anniversary, and check out the winners of the 2024 APP Photography Awards—now in even more categories. Why overabundant deer are a serious threat to birds. The brave few taking on the mafia to protect birds in a poaching hotspot. Read all 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 wind turbine with one black blade in a field against a bright blue sky.
A Surprisingly Simple Solution to Protect Birds From Wind Turbines Gets its Biggest Test Yet
May 21, 2024 — Painting one turbine blade black has shown promise for preventing collisions. Now researchers are seeing if it can work in Wyoming.
A Golden Eagle standing on a frozen river looks back over its shoulder at the camera.
The East Has Its Own Golden Eagles, and Advocates Say They Need Help
May 16, 2024 — Though apparently stable, the eastern population faces evolving threats, experts say. One group is asking the federal government to list the birds as threatened.
A loon sits among plants at the edge of a pond.
Heavy Downpours Are a Growing Threat to Common Loons
May 15, 2024 — Last summer’s record rainfall flooded nests across the Northeast, an increasingly common hazard that is hampering loon reproduction. Protecting healthy habitat and providing artificial nest rafts can help, researchers say.
A black and white collage of photos of people, birds, Bambi, and a wolf.
A Tour of 125 Years of History Through the Bird Lens
May 14, 2024 — Since its founding in 1899, ‘APP’ magazine’s coverage responded to wars, economic crises, innovations, novel threats, and much more.

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.

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 2023 APP 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
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-legged Gull
Gulls and Terns
Tufted Puffin
Auks, Murres, Puffins
! Priority Bird
Short-billed Dowitcher
Sandpipers
Garganey
Ducks and Geese