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Jess Leber

@jessleber.bsky.social
588 followers 299 following 15 posts

Deputy Editor, Audubon magazine. Pitch me features, profiles, and news about conservation, climate change, and all things birds. jleber@audubon.org (She/her). New Yorker.

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Reposted by Jess Leber
Elizabeth Kolbert @elizkolbert.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The Endangered Species Act is now endangered:
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Moves to Gut a Core Endangered Species Protection (Gift Article)
An internal memo reinterprets the law so that only the intentional killing of animals, not collateral harm, is illegal.
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Morgan Tingley @mwtingley.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
With all the wildfires this year, it was great speaking with @audubon.org about our ongoing work studying the impacts of smoke on birds. Read it in print in the current issue, or here: www.audubon.org/magazine/smo...
audubon.org
Smoke from Wildfires Is a Growing Health Threat to Both People and Birds
Catastrophic wildfires are stalling decades of clean air progress. Now scientists are asking: How can we help birds navigate a hazier future?
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Andy McGlashen @amcglashen.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
The Trump administration plans to open up 45 million acres of the best remaining habitat in our national forests—an area bigger than Oklahoma—to industrial logging and road building. Americans have until Sept. 21 to speak up. www.audubon.org/magazine/pla...
audubon.org
A Plan to Repeal the Roadless Rule Threatens Prime Habitat in National Forests
Public lands advocates urge Americans to speak out against a proposal to open millions of acres to new roads and logging.
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Jess Leber @jessleber.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Enjoy these beauties...
audubon.org
The 2026 Audubon Photography Awards: Winners
We invite you to enjoy the winners of Audubon’s annual photo awards—featuring stunning moments with birds across the hemisphere.
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Ryan Goldberg @ryangoldberg.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
In the latest Audubon magazine, I wrote about a new chapter in the life of Buteo Books, the country's largest bookseller focused on birds.
audubon.org
An Indie Bookstore for Birders Is a Dream Come True
Buteo Books has sold titles for bird and nature lovers since 1971. Recently Lyzy Lusterman took a risk in opening its first brick-and-mortar location.
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Elizabeth Preston @inkfish.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
It was SUCH a treat to write this story for Audubon, which includes my sister @akpresto.bsky.social's crow friends Sal and Pal, @carlbergstrom.com sneaking across campus in a tunnel, philosopher @thomvandooren.bsky.social, and me meeting thousands of crows at once: www.audubon.org/magazine/are... 🧪
audubon.org
Are Crows Really Our Friends?
An investigation into the state of corvid–human relations.
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Stan Alcorn @stan-alcorn.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
For Audubon Magazine, I profiled Esteban Valdivia, a musician and archaeomusicologist with a bold theory about ancient American instruments that raises questions about the origins of music and the knowability of the past. www.audubon.org/magazine/mee...
audubon.org
Meet the Metalhead Turned Anthropologist Who Plays Ancient Instruments Inspired by Birds
In concerts, YouTube videos, and books, Esteban Valdivia shares how musical artifacts can reveal long-lost knowledge of avian species.
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Andy McGlashen @amcglashen.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
It sure was fun speaking with Owen and Quentin Reiser about “Listers,” the most entertaining birding media I’ve encountered. www.audubon.org/magazine/get...
audubon.org
Get to Know the Brothers Behind the Buzziest Birding Film in Years
Owen and Quentin Reiser take us behind the scenes of “Listers” and preview their next project.
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Andy McGlashen @amcglashen.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
We just published pretty much the greatest collection of bird photos you could ask for. 🪶https://www.audubon.org/magazine/2025-audubon-photography-awards-top-100
audubon.org
The 2025 Audubon Photography Awards: The Top 100
Marvel at the beauty of birds and learn the stories behind our favorite images from this year’s contests—featuring, for the first time, photographers from Chile and Colombia.
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Jess Leber @jessleber.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
One of my favorite projects every year. I'm a sucker for urban wildlife so I'm partial to the parrot shot. www.audubon.org/magazine/202...
audubon.org
The 2025 Audubon Photography Awards: Winners
Enjoy our annual celebration of outstanding bird visuals—now featuring new prizes and winners from across the Western Hemisphere.
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Andy McGlashen @amcglashen.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
📣 Attention early career journalists: Audubon magazine is now accepting applications for our summer editorial internship. Join a wonderful team, build your clip portfolio, and make a real contribution to our award-winning print and digital coverage. audubon.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Audubo...
audubon.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com
Editorial Intern, Audubon Magazine
Position Summary Audubon magazine, the editorially independent publication of the National Audubon Society, uses explanatory and advocacy journalism, as well as stunning original photography, to infor...
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David Sacerdote @davidsacerdote.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
This is a great example of active resistance www.nytimes.com/2025/02/10/c...
nytimes.com
Trump Killed a Major Report on Nature. They’re Trying to Publish It Anyway. (Gift Article)
The first full draft of the assessment, on the state of America’s land, water and wildlife, was weeks from completion. The project leader called the study “too important to die.”
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Krista Langlois @cestmoilanglois.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
Tired: "editor" (connotes adding commas and ensuring that words are spelled right) Wired: "story developer" (I conceived this baby from a single comment made by a scientist and/or turned a pile of disconnected notes into a cohesive narrative with gripping stakes and a lasting takeaway)
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Lisa Song @lisalsong.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
I spent years covering industrial air pollution and the incremental EPA reforms to clean up the air in places like Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi. Some of those changes were anticipated to make a real difference soon. Here's what's at stake under Trump's EPA: www.propublica.org/article/dona...
propublica.org
How Trump’s EPA Threatens Efforts to Clean Up Areas Affected Most by Dangerous Air Pollution
In just two weeks, Donald Trump has made drastic changes to the Environmental Protection Agency. Here’s how they could impact efforts to reform toxic hot spots across the U.S. and who will be left to ...
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Jess Leber @jessleber.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
Great wildlife tech story by Claudia Geib, plus check out the infrared aerial camera footage of cute nesting grouse. www.audubon.org/magazine/fol...
audubon.org
Follow that Bird! How Drones Are Helping Scientists Track Wildlife
A research project to keep tabs on Sharp-tailed Grouse shows the potential benefits of a promising but elusive technology.
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Jess Leber @jessleber.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
the vibes we need (excellent review by @pocketsquar.es) www.audubon.org/magazine/new...
audubon.org
A New Documentary About a Hummingbird Rehabber Peeks At Life on a Different Scale
Terry Masear’s dedication to nursing hummingbirds back to health offers tidbits of wisdom about practicing empathy and living each moment to the fullest.
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Rachel Holliday Smith @rachelholliday.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
reminder: my newsroom runs on funding from readers if you're a reader with disposable income, chip in!
donorbox.org
Donate to THE CITY | thecity.nyc (Powered by Donorbox)
Local problems don’t get solved without local journalism. We cover New York's uncovered neighborhoods, hold the powerful to account, and make sense of the greatest city in the world. Your support toda...
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Maddie Burakoff @maddieburakoff.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
Pantone's color of the year is "Mocha Mousse." Ornithologist Robert Ridgway might have called it "Walnut Brown." Learn more about Ridgway, and the massive dictionary he created to describe birds' hues, in this delightful read from @alicesunreports.bsky.social! www.audubon.org/magazine/lon...
audubon.org
Long Before Pantone, This Bird-Based System for Describing Color Was a Hit
In the early 20th century, ornithologist Robert Ridgway published a massive dictionary to categorize birds’ hues, from Peacock Blue to Duck Green. His work still resonates for artists and designers...
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Andy McGlashen @amcglashen.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
Scientists previously thought a 2015 marine heatwave killed 1 million Common Murres. In a new @science.org paper they find that it was actually much worse: 4 million murres died—the worst recorded wildlife mortality event in the modern era, Anna Gibbs reports. www.audubon.org/magazine/sin...
audubon.org
A Single Heatwave Killed Half of Alaska’s Common Murres, a Shocking New Study Reveals
Nearly a decade later, the seabirds still aren’t rebounding from what researchers say was the largest animal die-off in modern history—and a stark warning about climate change.
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Jess Leber @jessleber.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
It was a pleasure working with Sarah on her fantastic feature— and after seeing the photography and learning they encountered a dozen polar bears in just a few days, i definitely regret not tagging along :)
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Ferris Jabr @ferrisjabr.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
I was deeply disappointed by the lack of nature/science/climate/enviro on many major end-of-year book lists—so I decided to make my own! Introducing: ✨🎁📚 The 2024 Holiday Gift Guide to Nature & Science Books ✨🎁📚 Please share: Let's make this go viral in time for Black Friday / holiday shopping!
A collage of book covers of new nature & science books. Featured here are Atlas Obscura Wild Life, Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party, Every Living Thing, Alien Earths, Becoming Earth, and Deep WaterA collage of book covers of new nature & science books. Featured here are Frostbite, The Inner Clock, How to Kill an Asteroid, The Great River, The Last Fire Season, and Hoof BeatsA collage of book covers of new nature & science books. Featured here are The Serviceberry, Not the End of the World, Nature's Ghosts, Meet the Neighbors, The Light Eaters, and Our MoonA collage of book covers of new nature & science books. Featured here are Turning to Stone, The Weight of Nature, What If We Get It Right?, Waves in An Impossible Sea, The Tree Collectors, and Why We Remember
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Andy McGlashen @amcglashen.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
Don’t become a statistic this Thanksgiving. Follow @jessleber.bsky.social’s advice. www.audubon.org/magazine/whe...
audubon.org
When Wild Turkeys Attack: How to Survive and Thrive In a Great Gobbler World
Just remember: Don't turn around.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 25/11/2024
NEW: Porsha Ngumezi is the fifth case we've reported on in which a woman died after not receiving a D&C or its second-trimester equivalent in time, or at all. Her case raises questions about how abortion bans are pressuring doctors to avoid standard care even in straightforward miscarriages.
propublica.org
A Third Woman Died Under Texas’ Abortion Ban. Doctors Are Avoiding D&Cs and Reaching for Riskier Miscarriage Treatments.
Thirty-five-year-old Porsha Ngumezi’s case raises questions about how abortion bans are pressuring doctors to avoid standard care even in straightforward miscarriages.
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Jess Leber @jessleber.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
Don't ever turn your back on a Wild Turkey...and other tips i've gathered on how to survive out there when turkeys come to town.
audubon.org
When Wild Turkeys Attack: How to Survive and Thrive In a Great Gobbler World
Just remember: Don't turn around.
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Jess Leber @jessleber.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Great story by @maddieburakoff.bsky.social from our upcoming Audubon mag issue. “The injustices that have shaped what we are today—as a nation, as a society—are shaping the entirety of the planet."
audubon.org
Science Is Revealing the Social Disparities at the Root of Urban Ecosystems
When it comes to biodiversity, research shows not all neighborhoods are created equal. They’re defined by injustices past and present.
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Jess Leber @jessleber.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Interesting reflections on Hannah's and our team's climate coverage during Trump's first term that definitely still feel relevant.
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Andy McGlashen @amcglashen.bsky.social · 08/11/2024
“Brat Summer is over. It’s time for Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Fall.” greatlakesecho.org/2024/11/07/h...
greatlakesecho.org
How an infamous Great Lakes shipwreck became trendy on TikTok | Great Lakes Echo
By Clara Lincolnhol As the gales of November approach, social media users are channeling an infamous Great Lakes shipwreck as tongue-in-cheek inspiration for a new fall aesthetic. It began with a video comedian Django Gold posted to TikTok in September. “Brat Summer is over. It’s time for Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Fall,” Gold says
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Jess Leber @jessleber.bsky.social · 19/09/2024
We did a really fun graphic on all birds + other animals of Audubon magazine's covers over our 125 year history. Guess which bird was featured most often + then check it out! www.audubon.org/magazine/div...
audubon.org
Dive Into 125 Years of Audubon Magazine Covers, Bird by Bird
We catalogued more than 700 covers dating back to 1899 to discover what their subjects reveal about our publication’s enduring interests.
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Steven Rich @datab.ae · 05/12/2023
a note to Washington Post readers: On Dec. 7, we ask you to respect our walkout by not crossing the picket line: For 24 hours, please do not engage with any Post content. That includes our print + online news stories, podcasts, videos, games and recipes.
docs.google.com
A letter to our readers
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Jess Leber @jessleber.bsky.social · 30/11/2023
My sister is an amazing journalist, so snatch her up!
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April Reese @aprilreese.bsky.social · 21/11/2023
An early victim of fake news, bearded vultures in Europe were persecuted for decades by people who believed they attack sheep & even children. Now, the unusual raptors — the only bird that eats mostly bones — are once again soaring over the Alps’ snowy peaks. #birds www.audubon.org/news/bone-ea...
audubon.org
The Bone-eating Bearded Vulture Is Reclaiming Europe’s Skies
Once widely persecuted, the majestic scavenger is making a remarkable rebound in Europe, but new threats could undermine a full recovery.
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Asher HELLbein @asherelbein.bsky.social · 15/11/2023
Domesticated turkeys are a millennia-old American tradition, a species so nice that native nations tamed them (at least!) twice. I wrote your seasonal reminder about it for Audubon. 🪶🦃🦉🧪
audubon.org
Native Americans Domesticated Turkeys Long Before the Pilgrims Arrived
Indigenous societies in the Americas valued the birds so highly that they tamed them at least twice, including in the U.S. Southwest. Turkey feathers still have abundant uses to tribes there today.
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Rebecca Heisman @rheisman.bsky.social · 06/11/2023
So amidst all the excitement last week, Audubon asked lil' old me to write them a news story on the bird names announcement. (I gather they were caught by surprise and their staff writers were busy.) 🪶 www.audubon.org/news/all-nor...
audubon.org
All North American Birds Named After People Will Soon Get New Names
After years of consideration and little news, this week's announcement by the American Ornithological Society caught many birders by surprise.
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Jess Leber @jessleber.bsky.social · 01/11/2023
Nice to see it!
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The Uproot Project @uprootproject.bsky.social · 31/10/2023
"Beech leaf disease is bad news for birds, which also may be spreading it." Uprooter Paige Curtis for Audubon Magazine www.audubon.org/news/fast-sp...
audubon.org
A Fast-Spreading Disease Threatens a Foundational Tree of Eastern Forests
Beech leaf disease is bad news for birds, which also may be spreading it.
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Jess Leber @jessleber.bsky.social · 18/10/2023
Important journalism content for spooky season www.audubon.org/news/we-dare...
audubon.org
We Dare You to Watch These Frighteningly Bad Bird Horror Movies
You know, good-bad.
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Jess Leber @jessleber.bsky.social · 01/09/2023
My new-fangled attempt at old fashioned time tracking (image of 30-minute hourglass)
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