“The Surprising Health Benefits of Birdwatching: A Walk in Nature”

A walk through the woods, in the park or on the beach reduces stress, sharpens our concentration and has many more health benefits. Enough reasons to walk a little more, so. But birdwatching goes a step further on top of all those benefits.

Birdwatching is healthy

According to research by, among others, the University of Kiel spotting at least fourteen different species of birds in your area is enough to find happiness. In fact, it would make you as happy as getting a pay rise. And that just for free! The happiest Europeans are those who live in an environment with many different species of birds. Who would have thought that nature could make us as happy as money?

Hearing bird sounds is good for your brain. According to another study reduces psychological stress and attention fatigue. So a walk through an environment with some whistling can calm you down and give you renewed energy to get through the rest of the day. Win win.

Even more benefits

Bird watching also has many other advantages. Because you walk you get more exercise, you train your brain because you continuously learn to recognize and remember new species of birds and sounds, you get another dose of vitamin D and it’s the perfect way to be in the now. Because you are looking for birds, you have an activity during your walk that keeps you focused and ensures that you have less time to worry.

Dragonfly listening walk

Do you also want to start bird watching? In Libelle’s latest podcast Libelle Listening Walk, actor and presenter Patrick Martens takes you on walks every week that make you look at your surroundings with new eyes. By walking with nature lovers and experts, you learn something about nature and yourself every week during your walk. This week he goes out with bird watcher Adriaan Sleeuwenhoek, who takes you on a woodpecker safari and bird watching walk. Walk and listen along!

Bron: De Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, de iDiv & de University of Kiel, New York Times.