Have you ever noticed how you stop and listen almost every time a bird sings? Even if you don’t stop, you still listen as you keep going. In fact, it might seem like you can’t help it. The truth is, you can’t. We’re literally genetically hardwired to pick up on the sound of birds. That and a rising or setting sun are things we can’t help but notice whenever we encounter them. Why might that be?
In the case of birds, we can hazard a guess or two. Birds of prey and scavengers let us know that there is likely food in the area. The birds themselves of course would have been a source of food back in the early days of humanity. Not to mention, the presence of a lot of birds means there aren’t a significant amount of predators around, meaning the area is safe. The sound of a bird also lets you know there is probably water nearby. Our ancestors may have also learned to associate the presence of many different kinds of birds with good farmland. A diversity of bird species means there is a diversity of other sorts of life in the area. Plants of different kinds provide homes as well as insects and small mammals to provide food for the birds. And lots of insects and plants means the soil is likely fertile. Those are just educated guesses though. One thing we do know for sure in the modern day is that the presence of birds correlates with human happiness.
How so? Well, on one level, it could be the birds themselves. Who doesn’t enjoy listening to the sound of a robin or nightingale? Or even just watching a hummingbird hovering outside the window? It certainly brings a little smile to my face. Or maybe it’s the fact that where there are birds, there are natural areas. If there are birds around there are trees, streams, flowers, and tons of other beautiful and relaxing things. About the only bird you hear in the city is a pigeon. And even there, people often sit on benches and throw bits of bread to attract the birds. We are literally happier wherever there are birds (except maybe seagulls, nobody likes seagulls). As for whether or not the correlation between happiness and birds is because of the birds themselves or because of the natural areas they tend to be in – it doesn’t matter much. The birds and the natural areas are almost always a package deal anyway.
We tend to create those natural areas wherever we can. For people with discretionary income, one of the things they like to do is get out into nature. Whether it’s camping, rock climbing or backpacking people will spend a lot of money just to go outside and enjoy nature. Even in the cities, wherever there is enough money to do so, parks are a feature, the most famous of them being Central Park which is practically a forest in New York City. We crave to renew our connection with nature, even if only for a little while.
One of the interesting side effects of spending time with the birds and the kinds of places that they like to live in is that it makes us more productive for the rest of our lives. Why? Simply because we are more relaxed, more at peace. After all, we are part of nature too, a fact we often forget. Getting out in it every now and then reminds us of that and recharges us in a way that no amount of modern entertainment can.
Just as data shows us that there is a correlation between happiness and birds, so too can looking at data from birds warn us of problems in the natural world. Even just superficially, birds tend to circle an area where another animal has recently died or is about to. They are amongst the first to flee from a forest fire. And of course, a drop in the diversity of bird species could be an advanced warning for the introduction of a plant disease or a new invasive species. Collecting and analyzing data on bird behavior could help devise better ways of managing and caring for the environment that we both share.
What’s your data worth?
