Bird watching may build better brains, study says

Expert birdwatchers have some fascinating brain changes that may help protect against aging and cognitive decline later in life, a new study by Canadian researchers has found.

This study, published on Monday in the Journal of Neuroscience, used MRI scans to compare the brains of 29 expert birders with 29 beginner birdwatchers. They found in the senior group, the parts of the brain related to perception, attention and memory were denser and better able to process information. 

What this means is the brains of the experts were structurally more efficient, allowing them to retain details and absorb new information better than the non-experts. And the researchers found that this change stayed persistent as the birdwatchers grew older.

The sample size is fairly small but the results track with what we know about how to keep our brains sharp as we age. Studies have shown that remaining mentally active by learning a new skill, musical instrument, language or having a complicated hobby causes our brains to grow new neural connections and avoid mental decline.

And there is a growing body of research demonstrating that time spent in nature is good for the brain. In 2022, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at data from 62 million Medicare recipients in the U.S. and found that those who lived among more green spaces were much less likely to be hospitalized for Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Another study out this week co-led by researchers at McGill University and published in the journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews found that it takes just three minutes in nature to trigger measurable changes in the brain.

Birdwatching is one of those skills that demands deep knowledge of the many bird species, along with their sounds and appearances. The greater the memory, the quicker the identification on the spot.

One of my most memorable experiences with bird watching was many years ago during the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. It’s a worldwide citizen science event that takes place every February to take stock of the number of bird species worldwide. In addition to being a fun, relaxing family activity, it is actually an exercise for the brain. 

It requires observational skills and deep knowledge of the sounds, patterns and colourations of the more than 1,000 bird species found in North America. 

Serious bird watching is harder than it looks, as I discovered during a bird count at Long Point Bird Observatory on Lake Erie.

Having never been among seasoned birders, I began chatting with the group and telling jokes, to which no one was laughing. At first I thought these people had no sense of humour, before it finally dawned on me that they weren’t interested in listening to my chatter. 

They were listening for birds.

Once I was politely told to keep quiet, it became obvious how good the birdwatchers were at identifying a species by a single tweet. 

Everyone’s attention would swing around to the appropriate tree, and binoculars and spotting scopes would be quickly focused to a spot where a colourful songbird hid among the branches. Everyone would agree on the type of bird it was — whether a warbler, chickadee or some rare exotic bird — verify it in their bird guidebooks and make an entry in their personal log.

Their acute sense of hearing and broad knowledge of birdsong and identification of species was astounding. 

The brain is definitely a use it or lose it organ. Research shows that staying mentally active later in life delays the onset of dementia. Earlier research by this same group concluded that having expertise in anything, such as motorcycles or rare coins, creates a sort of scaffolding in the brain that helps retain new information. 

So birdwatching itself isn’t a cure, but it helps to build a well-connected brain, because the same skills developed to recognize bird species by the smallest of details can be used to better recognize faces and names in senior years. 

There are many other suggestions for maintaining a healthy brain, such as exercise, a good diet, socializing, and solving puzzles. Birdwatching includes many of those in one activity. 

In addition, becoming a citizen scientist like those participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count helps identify the many bird species that are at risk, which is important for conservation. If you decide to join the effort to save our feathered friends, you could also be saving your brain function at the same time.