Tweet, tweet: The science behind bird song
Picture this. It’s a nice day, and you sit in a comfy chair to listen to the birds and enjoy your morning beverage. I bet you’re calmer just thinking about that.
And it’s not just you. Researchers say bird songs and calls are some of the most restorative sounds in nature, helping our brains and nervous systems get a nice reset. Those sounds can ease anxiety, too.
Here’s a fun twist: Those benefits are even more substantial when we can see the bird we’re hearing. Just glimpsing a feathered friend activates the dopamine system in the brain.
Why is bird song so magical?
Ron Hoy, an acoustics researcher at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, told the Wall Street Journal bird song falls in the sweet spot of human hearing frequency — and unconsciously reminds us of music with its melodies and rhythms.
Yep, there’s an app for that
Merlin Bird ID helps you determine which pretty birdie you can hear or see based on an audio clip or photo. Super cool. Download the free app here for iOS or here for Android, and have fun!
Watch out! No single bird can defeat me. But Toucan.