One of the great joys of spring is the return of the birds. Whether in the middle of the forest or in large urban parks, we take pleasure in hearing new trills and great melodic flights, in glimpsing the sudden burst of a colored wing.
Would contact with a bird make you happy? According to a British study published in the scientific journal Nature, Yes. The very title of the article is categorical: Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment reveals mental health benefits of birdlife (“Spot smart phone assessments show mental health benefits of wildlife”).
The authors, who are mainly from King’s College London, note that there are a growing number of studies reporting the benefits of contact with nature for mental health. Some focus on regular contact with green spaces, such as forests and large parks, other studies focus on “blue spaces”, such as the sea, lakes or rivers.
There have been works on the impact of winged fauna on mental health, but according to the authors of the British study, they are not fully satisfactory. Most use questionnaires that participants complete after the fact, which can lead to errors. Other work is done in an artificial context: participants sit in front of a computer and are shown pictures of birds or have them hear their songs.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, ARCHIVES LA PRESSE
Hearing or seeing a bird, like this waxwing, is good for morale.
The British team instead concocted an application that communicates three times a day with participants to ask them how they are feeling at that particular moment, with around ten targeted questions. Then the app asks them if they see or hear birds.
Statistical analysis of all the responses showed that the level of well-being was higher when the participants were in the presence of birds. This effect was somewhat persistent and held for both healthy participants and those diagnosed with depression.
The authors recognize that their study has limitations (participants were recruited from a few social networks, they are mostly white university-level people, etc.), but they believe that these results still argue for greater exposure. to winged fauna. Some doctors already prescribe exposure to nature. They could specifically add bird-rich habitats.
“What is essential is the adoption of environmental policies to preserve and improve a mosaic of habitats in rural and urban areas,” they conclude.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, ARCHIVES LA PRESSE
The famous red-winged blackbird trillium, one of the signs of spring
push the song
Sometimes it seems like the birds are just expressing their happiness when they sing. This is not really the case, says Jean-Sébastien Guénette, general manager of QuébecOiseaux. In fact, it takes serious reasons for them to push the song.
“Singing is a major energy expenditure,” he recalls. Plus, it attracts predators. »
Birds (mainly males) sing for two main reasons: to proclaim their territory and to attract females.
“The benefit is worth the risk associated with saying, ‘I’m here, come and eat me,’” says Mr. Guénette.
Still, birdwatchers rejoice like everyone else when spring comes and the songs break out in the early morning.
The red-winged blackbird is one of the first signs of spring. As well as the Song Sparrow. When ornithologists hear that, they say to themselves, that’s it, spring has arrived.
Jean-Sébastien Guénette, General Manager of QuébecOiseaux
Some birds are not content with the morning, such as the red-eyed vireo and the melodious vireo. “These are two species that will even sing at noon sharp, they don’t let go. »
Mr. Guénette also mentions the starling, which imitates other birds, but he has a weakness for the forest wren. “He’s a very small bird, but he can sing for a minute non-stop, without taking his breath away. It always impressed me. »
There are birds that have a slightly less melodious song, such as crows and blue jays. “When you hear the blue jay, you think: what? Is it that beautiful bird that sings like that? »
And the one that makes ornithologists laugh is the noble bald eagle, which sounds like a common seagull. ” It’s disappointing. So much so that when you see an eagle in a movie, they give it the red-tailed hawk call, which is really more of a bird of prey. »
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Number of the week: 2.6%
This is the proportion of Quebec’s territory covered by the province’s network of national parks.