Alexandra Tey

is an environmental journalist.

Alex covers biodiversity and the climate with a particular interest in birds as a writer, fact-checker, and photographer in New York City. Her work has appeared in Slate, Curbed, and The New York Times; she has interned at The Nation, Audubon, and the Center for Biological Diversity. At New York University, Alex served as editor-in-chief of the Washington Square News student newspaper.

As a birdwatcher, Alex leads bird walks for the New York City Bird Alliance, Queer Birders, and the Feminist Bird Club. She is working on a book about the Saltmarsh Sparrow and writes on Substack at Rare Bird.

writing

Selected clips. You can find a full list of Alex’s bylines here.

May 10, 2024 — The New York Times

Bird Flu Is Already Here. Just Look at the Millions Killed.

“We don’t yet know if H5N1 bird flu will spill over from animals to infect a large number of humans. But already it has wrought devastation upon so many lives.”

June 12, 2026 — The Nation

The Bald Eagle Perfectly Embodies America’s Flaws

“Our national bird isn’t what we believe it to be—but it is the perfect bird for an imperfect country.”

March 16, 2024 — Slate

This Shouldn’t Be New York City’s Most Common Tree

“The London planetree is a symbol of European settlement, biodiversity collapse, and Robert Moses.” (Selected as one of JSTOR Daily’s 2024 Best of Suggested Readings.)

July 7, 2025 — DEfector

The Anti-Fascist Power Of Trans Women Wrestling In Nacho Cheese

“In rejecting respectability and embracing vulgar, lowbrow art, Twinks vs. Dolls joins a lineage of gay cultures that made no apologies for their crudest elements.”

photography

Birds, landscapes, cities, and people. A list of Alex’s published photo credits can be found here. She also posts photos on Instagram.

contact

You can reach me by email at a [dot] tey [at] pm [dot] me. If you want to talk about a tip, email me there to get my Signal number.

I used to publish sheet music transcriptions here and on YouTube, but I don’t do much of that anymore. These days, I’m active on Bluesky at @birdmotif and inactive on Twitter at @phoebeposting. My Substack is Rare Bird.