Is birding good for your health?
In recent years some researchers have found that people who usually go out for birding have a lower risk for depression, stress, and anxiety compared to people who live in less leafy areas with fewer birds or don’t take trips to the wild occasionally.
We all have different reasons why we enjoy seeing birds. The good news is that go birding brings you enjoyment and in return, provides you with essential health benefits.
Chances are you probably overlook many of them, so let’s take a look at the inherent health benefits.
Greater Appreciation for Nature
Birding inspires us to enjoy a harmonious union with nature, when we spend an incredible amount of time in the great outdoors soaking up vitamin D from the sun, breathing fresh air and enjoying nature and the good benefits of being outside observing birds.
Our love of birds inspires a passion for the love of all nature and wildlife, and we act as stewards of the natural world, ensuring we pass this love onto future generations to enjoy.
Increased Cardiovascular Health
Think about the distances you walk or hike just for the chance of seeing a bird. Check your Apple watch or fitness watch next time you go out, and the distance might surprise you.
Many birds are nestled deep in nature and are inaccessible to most humans. Other bird species live high-up on cliffs and mountain sides, and you need to hike and climb just for a chance to see them.
Part of being a birder means pushing ourselves to the limits and setting our sights on birds that are far off the beaten path. So we get a lot of exercise and when we exercise, levels of serotonin and dopamine rise, making us feel good, and levels of cortisol that make us feel stressed are lowered.
So even if you hike 5 miles for the chance of seeing a rarity and you don’t see it, the bird was the catalyst to get outside in the fresh air and exercising without thinking about it as “exercise.”
Positive Self Esteem
One of the greatest attributes about birding is that you never know what you might see next. Each day is a new discovery and seeing something new, and unexpected restores your optimism and self-esteem and drives you to enjoy a renewed sense of purpose.
Living in the Moment
Everyday life is fast and frantic, and we find ourselves tethered to digital devices that prevent us from shutting off. These tendencies can cause stress, which increases the risk for us to be predisposed to many illnesses. Observing and interacting with them, listening to their songs, and spending time outdoors helps relieve stress and promote well-being.
Everyone needs to take time to unplug, turn off their digital devices, and live in the moment.
Whether you choose to watch birds with your binoculars or scopes or take photos, birding is calming and relaxing and gives you a sense of peace and tranquility.
Those things that cause us stress will still be there, so it’s important to stop thinking about all those things and instead try focusing on the moment.
Increased Mental Alertness
A bird can be here one second and then fly off in the blink of an eye.
Birders need to be mentally alert to decipher clues about birds that might be close by anticipating their movements.
It could be detecting a simple rustle of leaves, or hearing a faint bird call.
The decisions we make can be the difference between taking a photo capturing a once in a lifetime moment or missing it entirely and wondering what could have been.
Test of Patience
The first thing I learned when I got into birds was that this hobby is not for those who want instant gratification.
Becoming a good birder means familiarizing yourself with different types of birds, learning where they’re found and understanding their tendencies out in the wild.
Birding is truly a test of patience. It says that go birding is more challenging than golf because it’s a hobby based entirely on unpredictability.
After taking the time tracking a bird, lining up the perfect shot and then watching the bird fly off in a millisecond, you have nothing to show for it other than a beautiful photo of a branch to share on your Instagram feed and speaking from your memory of the photo that almost was.
More importantly, the simple act of finding and observing birds helps strengthen your attention span and sharpens your patience threshold and powers of observation.
Achieving the State of Zen
Ask any birdwatcher, and they will tell you that birdwatching is a very meditative activity. We spend long bouts of time in the quiet of the great outdoors without the natural indulgence of distractions. It just feels great to be unplugged from the digital world and in touch with your senses.
Go Birding is an excellent opportunity to reflect on your life or to just zone out and think calming thoughts. Sometimes it makes you reflect on the joys you feel birdwatching, then you can achieve a state of Zen.
It’s an incredible feeling to enjoy something you love and knowing it’s a win-win all around. You win because birding has a positive effect on your health.
The birds win because your actions and attentive care help advocate for nature and wildlife to help protect their natural riches for future generations to come.
So grab a pair of binoculars, head to your favorite place to see birds and look up to be transported to this fantastic world leaving your troubles behind.
Now get out and go birding!