In this spare, poetic memoir, Kyo Maclear luminously recounts a year in which, after her father fell ill and she became creatively stymied by existential anxiety, she searched for solace by taking up birding. Through the streets of Toronto, Maclear shadowed a veteran urban birder in search of ducks and swans, grebes and finches, owls and hawks. In some of the city's most desolate spots, Maclear found "something undeniably uplifting in catching glints of life, sharing sightings with strangers." The intimate little encounters with the natural world offered both refuge from the rush of modern life and profound insight into meaningful living. An elegant and contemplative ode to stillness and small moments, Birds Art Life may inspire you to experience your own surroundings from a fresh perspective.