Wild birds make a person happy
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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For a man in an urbanized society - with his constant rush, continuous flow of machines, asphalt, iron, concrete - several hours spent in nature, certainly become a breath of fresh air. Many of us do not often manage to get out of the city in order to fully enjoy the beauty of untouched nature, but even a short walk through the city park can lift the mood, add strength and energy.
Recently, British scientists are increasingly interested in the influence of parks and other green areas on the well-being of a person. Now they have reached a separate component of these ecosystems - birds. This week, at the annual meeting of the British Ecological Community, a question was raised about the impact of wild birds that live in urban green areas on the health and well-being of a person.
Natalie Clark, a graduate student at the University of Reading, who leads the research team, explains the purpose of her research: "Most of us, when seeing the birds in our usual habitat, experience exceptionally positive emotions; we are always happy to see bullfinches on New Year's Eve or Christmas, and with benevolent curiosity we observe wild duck in a local pond. But we know practically nothing about how important these birds are to us, how they affect our mood and overall health. "
"Any positive impact of birds on people's lives can soon be threatened, since the number of wild birds in the UK has decreased significantly compared to, for example, the 1970s," Clark emphasizes.
If researchers can prove the positive value of birds for humans, this discovery can become an additional trump card in the hands of organizations that are struggling to conserve wild bird populations in urban conditions.
"We can argue that the fate of wild birds is not indifferent to a significant part of the UK population, since more than 60 percent of people who have their own gardens are fed birds. Now we need to find out and understand how great is the positive impact of birds on people in the UK. Based on the results of the study, we can work on preserving the number of birds, so that their beneficial influence is felt on themselves and subsequent generations. This is especially important at a time when many of us are generally happy with the economic standard of living, which allows us to look for ways to improve the overall standard of living in other areas, including environmental, "Clark notes.
In the course of the study, representatives of the University of Reading, as well as of the University of East Anglia and the University of Chicago, polled the population of the UK using specially prepared questionnaires. Scientists are interested in how often urban residents visit green areas and for what purpose. Also, researchers find out how important it is for people who visit green areas, the presence of a feathered brotherhood in these places.
"A beautiful bullfinch, flying over your lawn, may be more important than you can imagine," - emphasizes Natalie Clarke.
The full results of the study should be available next spring.