The Joys and Benefits of Birding

Ever think, “This job/task is for the birds?” Then it just might be a good time to take a break and go outside to improve your mental and physical well-being.

When you step outside, scan the sky, shrubs, and trees for birds. Why? Well, they’re super cool. Science has shown that birding improves your mental and physical health.

Birds also provide pest control for both insects and rodents, along with weed control, carcass cleanup, pollination, seed dispersal, and other ecological services.

Birds are great at connecting us—with nature and with other people. They provide cultural and spiritual benefits that connect us with art, poetry, and literature, along with oral traditions of passing down knowledge about our world.

The economic benefits are surprisingly high. Birding is the most rapidly growing segment of ecotourism in the United States. In 2022, 3 of 10 Americans watched birds, with wildlife watchers spending more than $250 billion (US Fish and Wildlife Services).

A 2025 review found that a variety of positive benefits accrue from birding, including reduced anxiety and stress, increased memory and attention, and opportunities for social and community engagement. The healing power of nature and birdwatching has spurred “nature prescriptions” in Canada, the United Kingdom, and here in the US. For example, ParkRX America (parkrx.org) brings together park agencies, healthcare providers, and community organizations for the purpose of encouraging people to spend more time in nature in order to improve their health and well-being.

The words “The Joy of Birds” begin a 2023 report that corroborated a slew of studies touting the benefits of nature. In this study, some participants rated their feeling of joy on seeing each species, while others counted the number of birds of each species they saw. A mere 30 minutes in the garden watching birds improved well-being, anxiety, and nature connection in both groups. Those in the “joy group” experienced the greatest decreases in anxiety. In another study, when people just heard the sounds of birdsong they reported feeling less depressed, anxious, and paranoid.

The effect is striking and important for young people. Exposure to nature affected students’ attention, levels of stress, self-discipline, and their interest and enjoyment in learning, along with physical activity and fitness. Birding even reduces children’s risk of developing myopia!

College students are taking an interest in birds as well. At the UO, members of the relatively new bird club join one another for bird outings, habitat restoration, and other fun events. Up at OSU, the long-standing OSU Bird Nerds Club is going strong at 700 members.

In several of Colin Phifer’s biology classes at Lane Community College, students counted birds colliding with windows—a major problem. Globally, studies show that more than a billion birds die annually due to window collisions. There are solutions. For example, McCormick Place in Chicago reduced collisions by more than 95 percent with special window treatments. For solutions that reduce window collisions, check out this website: stopbirdcollisions.org/

Get outside and improve your well-being. Get fit. Get connected. Spark your creativity and curiosity. Develop your powers of observation, your memory, attention to detail, patience, and exploration. Watch birds. Listen to birds. Experience the joy of birds. It’s not just fun—it’s good for you!

Additional resources:

• Need help identifying a bird? To download a free app for that: merlin.allaboutbirds.org
• Learn how you can create native habitat for birds
• Join us for our monthly guided bird outings. See the monthly event calendar.

By CCBA Board member Tammie Stark and President Debbie Schlenoff