Bird and birdcall encounters boost mental health: Study

Researchers have recently found that hearing or seeing birds improves mental health. The study, which was conducted by academics at King's College London, also discovered that regular exposure to birds improved the moods of both the general public and depressed individuals.

The findings, according to the researchers, could lead to doctors recommending trips to areas with a variety of birds, like parks and canals, to treat mental health issues. 

In order to preserve bird habitats, they continued, researchers must improve biodiversity in urban, suburban, and rural areas and protect the environment as a whole.

Through the use of a smartphone app called Urban Mind, the study, which was published in the journal Scientific Reports, monitored 1,292 participants' daily interactions with birds in 2016.

The participants, who were from the UK, Europe, the US, China, and Australia, were asked to record their feelings over the course of two weeks at random intervals. They were asked to note their mood, including whether they were happy or stressed, whether they could see trees and whether they could hear or see birds.

When participants saw or heard birds, their average mental health scores improved, and this was true even for those who disclosed having been diagnosed with depression. This positive effect persisted even after the participants encountered birds; participants who did not see or hear birds the following time they recorded their mood reported higher levels of mental well-being.