Does being outside listening to a Song Sparrow bring you joy? You are not alone!
Proponents of the biophilia hypothesis, popularized by the naturalist E.O. Wilson, believe that humans have a natural and genetically-based tendency to seek nature connections. In turn, spending time in nature offers many health benefits, including boosting the immune system, improving heart and brain health, and offering an engaging way to increase physical activity.
Evidence continues to accumulate that adding birds to your nature experience improves mental health. Slowing down to spend time watching birds and listening to birdsong feels great and can encourage mindfulness, reduce stress, produce memorable moments of wonder, and stimulate your senses in new ways.
Recent studies have focused on how biodiversity, and specifically bird diversity, can have positive impacts on mental health. For example, a Canadian study linked eBird data with self-rated mental health metrics and found that bird diversity is positively associated with mental health, even after taking socio-demographic and health behaviors into account.