Birds improve our mental health

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• Several studies show that birdsong reduces stress and promotes positive feelings.
• Even a half-hour walk accompanied by birdsong can lower cortisol levels and blood pressure.
• According to researchers, people who live in areas with a high diversity of birds are more satisfied with their lives.

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A walk accompanied by birdsong is good for mental health. Studies show that birdwatching can help you relax and make you feel happy.

Scientific studies demonstrate the positive impact of birds on human mental health, the Swiss Ornithological Institute in Sempach announced on Tuesday. This highlights how important it is to support birdlife in the city and its surroundings.

According to the Swiss Ornithological Institute, a study published in May by the University of Tübingen showed that during a half-hour walk through the city park accompanied by birdsong, levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop significantly. Blood pressure also decreases. Positive emotions clearly increase.

The Senckenberg and Kiel universities have also investigated the link between well-being and birdwatching. Based on a sample of more than 26,000 adults from 26 European countries, they demonstrated that people living in environments with a high diversity of birds are significantly happier than others. The sense of happiness induced by bird diversity is said to be as intense as that experienced after a pay raise.