I want to firstly thank the publisher and NetGalley for a digital review copy/ARC of this title!

As a lover of birds, I was delighted when Lili Taylor's “Turning to Birds: The Power and Beauty of Noticing” was recommended to me on NetGalley. Part memoir, part love letter to birds, this book contains several moving essays detailing Taylor's experiences with birds and birders alike. I found Taylor's parallels between acting and birding very interesting, as well as found the ways in which she connects with birds and nature absolutely refreshing. I also noted down several locations she mentioned in the book that I'd like to visit myself (as well as learned about a birding festival - who knew!).

From experiencing the majesty of thousands of Sandhill Cranes, the exaltation (and oddness) of the American Woodcock, and the beauty of Cedar Waxwings (just to name a few birds featured in the essays), this book is a short and accessible read for anyone who loves birds or who generally enjoys immersing themselves in nature. If you enjoy this book, I would also highly recommend “The Backyard Bird Chronicles” by Amy Tan!

3.5/5 stars

Thank you Crown Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars rounded down.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Starting with the positives, I appreciated the author's discussion of mindfulness as it relates to birding and acting, and I have similar experiences with birding and meditation. I enjoyed reading about her experiences with different birds, including in some places I'm hoping to visit. It is clear that she takes advocacy for nature, particularly birds, very much to heart.

My main concern is the chapter on House Sparrows and their propensity to take over the nesting sites of bluebirds. Since House Sparrows are an invasive species, they are not under the same legal protections as native species (like the Eastern and Western Bluebird), so the author's actions in boiling the eggs and shooting the birds are not illegal. However, the chapter hardly addresses this and includes no justification from experts beyond the author's emotional attachment to the bluebirds. This strikes me as a risky sort of advocacy - especially since the House Sparrow is declining in its native range, partly due to having been shot for allegedly eating crops.

In addition, the copy I received had extensive punctuation and grammatical errors, including improper capitalization and spelling of bird species and the nonchalant use of a slur (gypsy). Some of these seem to have been corrected in the sample chapter available on Libby.

A delightful collection of 12 essays about birds, birding, and Taylor's connection with them. Each chapter highlights a different bird and blends facts about the bird with something personal to her. Fans of birding and those new to observing these wonderful creatures will both appreciate this slim volume. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Read these one at a time, then look out your window and listen for the songs.

Turning to Birds by Lili Taylor is a very highly recommended collection of twelve essays about her passion for birds and discovering a world of meaning in paying attention everywhere you go. Actress Lili Taylor is an avid birder and a board member of the National Audubon Society, the American Birding Association, and the New York City Bird Alliance. This short book was a pleasure to read.

Chapters/stories include an intro, Bird Festival, Bins (binoculars), Bedouin (birding while on location), Cedar waxwing, Swifts, Tribute in Light (9/11 memorial), Finches, Catbird, Sparrow (house sparrow vs. bluebirds), Cranes, Woodcock, and Godspeed (mass bird migration). Included are black-and-white illustrations by Anna Koska. Opening with the story of the circumstances that awakened her love of birds fifteen years ago in the introduction, Taylor goes on to list and then explains that the skills actors used are also valuable skills for birding. These include: listening, attention, investigation, observation, perception, and specificity.

The essays are delightfully personal while also being educational and interesting, especially for those who enjoy birds. Having experienced the migration of the Sandhill cranes many times while growing up, her wonder watching it is understood. I never knew that the 9/11 memorial lights in NYC are turned off for 20 minutes to help protect migrating birds when enough birds are captured in their light and found this comforting. Although perhaps an essay addressing raptors and other birds versus wind turbines would also be educational for people. Taylor's battle to protect her bluebirds was almost personal. My battle was keeping a neighbor's cat away from them.

Turning to Birds is for those who enjoy birds and beautifully crafted essays. Thanks to Crown Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

I am getting kind of addicted to reading books about birds, birding and conservation of birds. This definitely should be included with Amy Tan's Backyard Bird Chronicles on the subject of birding. Well written and researched, this book is more about differene experiences the author had and how birds related to what she was doing. I like how Taylor's experiences make each bird relevant and necessary to life on the planet for the human experience.

I will definitely be purchasing a copy of this at publishing for my collection of animal and birds book library at home. Highly recommended!

Thanks to Netgalley, Lili Taylor and Crown Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 4/29/25

As a fellow passionate birder, I am besotted with the topic of all things birds. I grew up surrounded by them on a farm but as a child took them for granted. A few decades later, I fell in love with them and now cannot get enough. They are an integral part of my life. Our house in the country is enveloped in nature and on any given day, especially in the spring, I record up to 30 birds on the Merlin ID app in a span of minutes. There are so many I keep a bird journal. Like many, my birding senses and observations were sharpened during the COVID pandemic. My spark bird is the long-eared owl. I will never forget the first day I saw a family of eight line branches of a tree, all only a few meters away, curiously gawking at me. I invested in binoculars and was hooked.

In her book, Lily Taylor describes her new awareness of these marvellous creatures. She explains "wing clapping", the importance of listening with attention, investigating, autotelic activity, nest boxes, and bird migration activity. She goes on to discuss specific birds such as Cooper's hawk, swifts, house sparrows, bluebirds, and sandhill cranes. Her writing is conversational and easy flowing, like a gentle river. Her perspectives and skills as an actor are compared with birding. Interesting stuff! Spending time looking up teaches so much, even in large cities where bird behaviours including the pigeon can be observed. I understand and feel her powerful connection to birds. We learn about nature...and ourselves.

If you are even remotely intrigued by birds, do read this lovely collection of essays for inspiration!

Actress Lili Taylor's "Turning to Birds" invites us into the quiet, absorbing world of birdwatching as a transformative act of presence. With a naturalist’s eye and an actor’s sensitivity, she explores how the simple act of observing birds opened up a vast, intricate universe teeming with life, mystery, and meaning.

Taylor’s journey into birding began not as a pandemic pastime but as a necessary retreat from urban life—a way to recalibrate emotionally and creatively. This collection of intimate and observant essays chronicle how birds became both a balm and a compass, guiding her into deeper connections with nature and herself. She watches birds closely, curiously, and with reverence. What makes this collection sing is the way Taylor blends personal narrative with a broader sense of ecological wonder. Her curiosity is contagious, expanding from birds to bugs, trees, and migration-tracking tech, reminding us how attention can spark transformation and a sincere joy in discovery.

Ultimately, "Turning to Birds" reads as a love letter to looking closely at nature and the beauty around us. Whether you’re an avid birder or someone who’s barely noticed the birds outside your window, Taylor makes a compelling case for slowing down and tuning in. This warm, intelligent, and quietly powerful book might change the way its readers see the world.

What a joy Turning to Birds is—a gentle, heartwarming read by actress and devoted bird enthusiast Lili Taylor. As an active participant in national bird societies, Taylor brings not only knowledge but genuine affection and wonder to every page of this delightful book.

With a warm and accessible voice, she invites readers into the world of birds—sharing both simple joys and profound experiences from across the country. Whether she’s watching chimney swifts swirl through twilight skies, witnessing the first breath of baby bluebirds, or marveling at the secretive presence of a solitary woodcock, Taylor’s reflections are full of curiosity, gratitude, and quiet awe.

One of the most moving moments in the book recounts a powerful intersection of humanity and nature: the lights honoring 9/11 in New York City being turned off for 20 minutes to allow migrating birds safe passage. It’s a poignant reminder of the invisible lives flying above us and the impact we have on them—an especially sobering note when we learn that city lights contribute to the deaths of hundreds of millions of birds each year.

But overall, Turning to Birds is an uplifting celebration—a love letter to the natural world and the joy of paying attention. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to pick up your binoculars (“bins”) and head outside to see what feathered friends are waiting nearby.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the digital review copy. This is my honest and happy review of a book that left me smiling.

A few months ago, I read The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan. It gave me a lot of practical things to think about related to birds. I love biology and science but what I really wanted to be when I "grew up" was a naturalist.

One of the major skills of a naturalist is noticing so I thought Lili Taylor's book Turning to Birds would give me some ideas and tips. I didn't realize that Taylor is an actress. I looked her up because I usually know the characters' names more so than who played the character. I haven't seen anything she is in.

I was a little worried after reading the first chapter because she focused on acting and over-explained things such as what it means to observe. I didn't really care about the former and I've read a number of naturalist books so I know what it means to observe. But when she got into the birds, I really enjoyed the book.

She continues to share thing she's learned in acting classes that have helped her to become a better birder and she tells about some of her time of film sets. But mostly the book is about the birds.

Each chapter focuses on a different bird species and how she first noticed it. I had one of those moments of feeling spied on. The day after I read about Taylor attending her first bird fest, I saw a sponsored post on my Facebook feed about a bird fest in my state. There was a whole two months' worth of events on the schedule, unfortunately, the one event in my town is already full.

I had a lightbulb moment when she described being of a bird tour when another person identified a bird by name and the guide asked the person how did they know it was that bird. I had a similar experience at one of my Naturalist Camp trips. I identified False Solomon's Seal and one of the staff members asked me how I knew that is what it is. After a moment I stumbled out that it looked like Solomon's Seal but the flowers where at the end instead of along the underside. But while reading Turning to Birds, I should think about what I'm identifying in much the same way I use Alt text for images on my website - using words to describe the image for someone who can't see it. In other words, if you saw a Cardinal but told someone who didn't know what a Cardinal looks like, how would you describe it?

It is a short book but great if you are just getting into birding or exploring the world around you. She describes her awkward, nervous feelings about doing something new. I liked that she describes attending these events as I like knowing (and planning) what I'm going to face when attending something new.

My review will be published on Wednesday at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/04/two-new-memoirs-with-science-theme.html

Loved this. I also have turned to birds in recent years. It's humbling to connect with nature and Taylor did a great job of putting this to paper.

I loved everything about this book. Birds have gotten me through some things as well. Thanks for the opportunity to read early!

These are my favorite type of stories. Stories that point out the beauty and greatness of the world around us. I found the writing lovely with several really thoughtful and surprisingly relatable phrases. A cozy, simple (in the best way) book showing you the value of really looking. [An early copy was provided to me from NetGalley and Penguin Publishing House -and thanks very much for that]

During the pandemic, actress Lili Taylor discovered the joy and wonder of birds. This memoir is a series of essays, each devoted to a species of birds, from chimney swifts to bluebirds, jays to woodcocks. Taylor attends a birding festival, builds a nesting box, volunteers as a counter, and joins the board of the National Audubon Society, and her delight in these avian friends is apparent in her writing.

This is a pretty solid, readable memoir. I thought the essays were well written, and I liked the focus on birding that carried throughout the book. A very unusual celebrity memoir.

This was an enjoyable read. There were a variety of essays, some seeming to be from when the author was newer at birding, and some from when she had more experience. Whether she was attempting to help Bluebirds or Finches, observing thousands of Sandhill Cranes, watching birds migrate over the Empire State Building, or looking for Timberdoodles in Brooklyn, I found each account captivating.

I would recommend this to all birders, and to anyone who likes nature.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Crown Publishing for the early read.

Turning to Birds by Lili Taylor is an authentic and transparent accounting of her introduction to birds and birding. I thoroughly enjoyed her ability to bring the world of birds, birding and birders to her readers. Within these pages, are tons of viable resources and descriptions of coveted birding opportunities to experience. Ms. Taylor is a graceful and relatable writer when she brings us into the lives of cranes, swifts, bluebirds and woodcocks to name a few. If you are interested in taking up birding, have family or friends who bird or are an experienced birder, you will be delighted with this thorough book. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Ms. Taylor for the opportunity to review Turning to Birds.

Oh what a delight this was! It seems like there's been a flood of birding memoirs recently as everyone who took to the hobby during 2020 have penned their experiences (Amy Tan's 2024 release, The Backyard Bird Chronicles comes to mind). This year it's Lili Taylor's Turning to Birds.

I'll admit I didn't expect much going in -- and I have never been more delighted to eat my words. What an absolute JOY this was to read. And Lili is no newbie to the birding community, she's on the board of multiple organizations including the National Audubon Society. Her essays were equal parts charming in their curiosity and fascinating: more than once I paused to go off down my own local rabbit hole to uncover if a specific group had a branch near me (imagine my excitement when I discovered my state's ornithology society's conference is the month of my birthday -- is that a sign or what!)

While there were several essays that stood out in this collection, the one that hit the hardest was Lili's volunteer work on 9/11. The memorial lights throw off birds' internal navigation, resulting in confusion, exhausting, even death. Volunteers work throughout the night tallying birds until they reach a specific threshold when the lights are shut down for a period, allowing the birds to reorient themselves. It was a really beautiful, poignant essay, volunteer work that I had no idea existed, but is so important.

Whether it's read cover-to-cover or one essay at a time, Turning to Birds is absolutely one to pick up.

The essays in the book were very calming a peaceful. I felt as if I was walking along with Lili Taylor, as she is so relatable.
Any nature or bird lover will enjoy this sweet book.
Thank you for the ARC.

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/3d4bc8c6-d1aa-49d1-b3c4-5d3dda2c69bc

I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was drawn to the book primarily because Lili Taylor was a favorite of mine from the 80s (picturing her singing “Joe lies,” but also having enjoyed some other recent authors’ writing that meditated on nature. I found the first section of the book a bit of a slog and felt it tried a little too hard to find multiple parallels between acting and birding. But once the essays on the birds started, I was really drawn in to Lili’s descriptions of her experiences and found her thoughts surprisingly relatable. I coincidentally started watching The Residence while I was partway through this book and hope that the popularity of that series will bring more readers to this book.

What a lovely book!

Lili Taylor’s Turning to Birds is such a peaceful read. As the reader accompanies Taylor to each location, the scene is perfectly set: you feel as you’re watching the Chimney Swifts yourself. I loved that each chapter highlights a different bird and so much information on each is given seamlessly in the narrative. Also appreciated are the different birding app suggestions. A must read for any enthusiast of our feathered friends. And given the popularity of California’s eagle darlings, Jackie and Shadow, I know there are a great many of us.

Thanks so much to the publisher for the invitation to read and review this book through NetGalley.