Can Birdsong Make You Happier?

Do you like listening to birds? Two studies say that hearing many kinds of birds may make people happier.

The first study took place in a park in Boulder, Colorado, in the United States. A student named Danielle Ferraro led it. Her team played recorded songs of local birds on walking paths in the park. At some times they played the songs, and at other times they did not. Then they talked to the people who walked past.

The walkers who heard the recorded birdsong said they felt better than the others. Ferraro thinks birdsong may tell people that they are safe. It can also mean that spring and nice weather are coming, and many kinds of birds can mean that nature is healthy.

The team did the study in summer, not in spring. Spring is when most birds have their young, and the team did not want to disturb them.

The second study was by scientists in Germany. They looked at more than 26,000 adults in 26 European countries. They found that people who live near many kinds of birds are happier with their lives.

So how can we hear more birds? Ferraro says we should plant trees and flowers that come from our own area. Many plants in cities look nice, but birds cannot always use them.