Birdwatching Can Lower Stress and Anxiety

Need an easy way to reduce stress in your life? Consider putting up a birdfeeder. 

Just 30 minutes spent observing birds in your yard or a nearby green space can lower anxiety and improve wellbeing, according to a study of 156 adults with a mean age of 55 published in Urban Ecosystems in 2023. 

“Feeding and watching garden birds is an activity that is easy, popular and accessible to anyone with access to a garden or outside space,” the researchers note. 

In fact, just hearing birdsong may alleviate stress. An environment alive with nature sounds — like bird calls — is more effective at lowering people’s blood pressure and breathing rates than a quiet environment, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of nine studies, involving a total of 616 adults, published in Stress in 2024.

To enhance the calming effect of birdwatching, try incorporating mindfulness techniques into a practice known as Mindful Birding. You’ll intentionally slow down, engage your senses and focus your attention on the present moment while opening yourself up to “curiosity and wonder,” says Holly Merker, a birding educator and cohost of the Mindful Birding Podcast.

Both mindfulness and birdwatching promote mental well-being, Merker says, and “pairing these two practices together amplifies the power of both.”

Here’s how to do it:

• Find a comfortable spot. Choose a location where you can sit quietly and observe your surroundings, like a bench, log or rock. If you can be still for 10 to 20 minutes, you may find that birds become more comfortable with your presence and come nearer, so you’ll be able to get a closer look. 
• Tune in to the bird sounds around you. Soften your gaze or close your eyes and engage your hearing, Merker suggests. How many different calls do you hear? Do you notice birds communicating with each other? Focusing on what you can hear helps you be more present.
• Keep a journal. Jot down, sketch or paint what you observe, like the colors of the birds or their behaviors. Make note of any thoughts or feelings that come up. Journaling as part of Mindful Birding can help you be “reflective and introspective, while deepening your understanding of birds,” Merker says.