_{^{Lili Taylor in her birding element. Her new book Turning to Birds captures what it is to be a birder today. Photo: Mike Fernandez/Audubon}}

Ned Boyajian, Publications Committee | May 29, 2025

Back in the ‘90s, one of my birding mentors, an old-timer from Queens who’d moved upstate, once grumbled, “Birding is like sex. I’d rather do it than read about it.” No argument. So, it was with a little resignation that I approached reviewing Turning to Birds by Lili Taylor—actress, activist, and board member for NYC Bird Alliance. Quickly, though, I was won over.

Observant, inquiring, Taylor captures what it is to be a birder today, in these troubled and pivotal times. She does this with a sensitivity that never descends into sentiment. Future generations, bereft of the species and numbers we enjoy today, wondering, “What was it like back then?” will read this work with joy and tears. They will get a true picture.

 

In 12 deftly written, thoughtful essays—often profound, never heavy—Taylor reflects on her journey as a birder. The reader happily accompanies Taylor as she turns from being barely aware of the birds around her, self-conscious when someone sees her watching a Catbird in Bryant Park, to an active birder, talking to anyone who will listen, fighting for bird species to survive and thrive. In these tales, often with sly wit, she deftly weaves ornithology, psychology, acting techniques, news about apps, etymology, technical information about binoculars, philosophy, and much more. 

From her own experiences, she offers practical ways for the new and bird-curious to steep themselves ever more deeply in birding. She quotes a neurologist who published a study on the health benefits of “a stroll during which you intentionally shift your attention outward instead of inward.” The neurologist called these awe walks. Taylor notes, “I’ve been taking awe walks for years except I call it birding.”

 

Turning to Birds is a future classic, worthy of being on the shelf with The Falconer of Central Park and the works of Loren Eiseley.