McGrain has created and installed large-scale bronze memorials at locations significant to the natural history and decline of six iconic North American bird species including the Carolina Parakeet, Eskimo Curlew, Great Auk, Heath Hen, Labrador Duck, and Passenger Pigeon.
Additionally, McGrain created a traveling exhibition of the editioned bronze castings of the Lost Bird Memorials.
Since its inaugural exhibition at the Cornell lab of Ornithology in 2008 the Lost Birds have been presented at a wide range of venues including the gardens of the Smithsonian Institution.
In addition to his environmentally focused work, McGrain has created several large-scale sculpture installations reflecting Buddhist values, most notable for the Rochester Zen Center in Rochester, New York and the Chapin Mill Zen Retreat Center in Batavia, New York.
McGrain is also a Founding member of Smartfin, a community science initiative that enlists paddle sport enthusiasts to collect data for oceanographic research.