by Jay Watson, Co-Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation
Birding is generally a low-key activity, but it can have competitive aspects.
Many birders keep “life lists” of the species they’ve spotted, and some travel far and wide to add new birds to their tallies. During a “Big Day” of birding, participants race the clock by trying to identify as many species as possible in a given time frame. New Jersey Audubon even hosts a “World Series of Birding,” in which teams compete to find the most species in 24 hours.
In contrast, there’s “ornitherapy” – the practice of mindful birding – which emphasizes nature observation, relaxation, and rejuvenation over identifying and counting species. With this style of birding, it doesn’t matter whether you find common or rare species, or encounter a bird you’ve never seen before.
“The overall intention is to slow down and notice, using birds as our guides,” explains Holly Merker of The Mindful Birding Network, a group of people seeking wellness through birding.
Why birds? Merker considers them “the perfect gateway into deeper experiences.” Over 30% of the American population reports finding joy in observing birds, she notes, even if it’s nothing more than watching a backyard feeder. Birds distract us and redirect our mental energy away from the things causing stress in our lives.
It’s already well established that being in nature is good for us, both physically and mentally. When we enter green spaces, our levels of cortisol – often called the “stress hormone” – go down.
In 2019, a study by University of Michigan researchers showed that even relatively short urban nature experiences, integrated within the context of everyday life, can be effective in reducing stress. For the greatest payoff in lowering cortisol levels, the study noted, people in urban environments should spend 20 to 30 minutes sitting or walking in a place that provides them with a sense of nature.
According to Merker, the first mention of the term ornitherapy came in a 1979 British medical journal article, which described the practice as having a tranquilizing, calming effect. Since then, numerous studies have underscored the benefits of birding.
A 2017 study by researchers from the University of Exeter in England found that people living in neighborhoods with more birds, shrubs and trees are less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and stress. Conversely, study subjects who spent less time outdoors than usual in the previous week were more likely to report they felt anxious or depressed.
Research published in 2023 by the Royal Geographical Society of Canada suggests significant links between bird diversity and human mental health. The study combined data estimating bird diversity across Michigan with records of hospitalizations for anxiety and mood disorders. The relationship was assessed over an 11-year period. Findings revealed that lower bird diversity is a significant predictor of higher numbers of hospitalizations for anxiety and mood disorders, suggesting that land use development patterns that remove biological diversity may also result in more stressful human surroundings.
A study by King’s College London in 2022 found that seeing – or even just hearing – birds is associated with mental well-being that can last up to eight hours. The study used a smartphone app called Urban Mind to collect people’s real-time reports of mental well-being, alongside their reports of seeing birds or hearing birdsong.
It makes evolutionary sense that birdsong has a calming effect on people. When birds sing, they are engaged in courtship or teaching their young, and not alarmed or threatened. Since humans and songbirds evolved together, the presence of birdsong may be a subconscious signal to us that the immediate environment is safe, allowing for a relaxed (but still alert) state of mind.
Merker believes that regular ornitherapy sessions helped save her life after a breast cancer diagnosis. “Birds, for me, were wellness companions in a way I never could have imagined,” she said.
Merker added that after undergoing surgery and losing her hair to chemotherapy, birds provided her with inspiration and a will to live. She remembers feeling lifted by hearing the song of a cerulean warbler, and by watching a titmouse take a strand of her shed hair (which she had placed in a wire suet cage) to use in building a nest. “It gave me so much hope and inspiration,” she said.
The principles of mindful birding include:
- Nurturing an awareness of being in the present moment, without thinking of the past or future;
- Slowing down and engaging all your senses. Close your eyes and listen, and be mindful of breathing. Consider activities like mindful walking or nature journaling using words and/or sketches;
- Being without judgment in order to allow an experience to be what it will be. Don’t be disappointed by what happens, or doesn’t. For instance, don’t worry about identifying the birds you’ve seen or heard; just enjoy the experience;
- Feeding an attitude of curiosity, childlike wonder, and awe for nature.
Autumn is the perfect time to practice all forms of birding in New Jersey, as 361 neotropical migrants will be leaving or making their way through the state during their migration south. From hawks and herons to sparrows and songbirds, there’s always something to see and admire – whether you’re spending an afternoon at a hawk-watch or simply taking a morning stroll with your coffee.
To learn more about ornitherapy and how it can boost wellness, visit the Mindful Birding Network website at www.themindfulbirdingnetwork.com/mindful-birding.
And for information about preserving New Jersey’s land and natural resources – including great spots for birding – visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.
