Bird Brain: New study finds birdwatching may boost brain health and slow cognitive aging

A group of birdwatchers met in Florida to learn how to count a Wood Stork colony. (WFTS via CNN Newsource)

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Florida -- A simple look out the window at your favourite bird could do more than brighten the day. In fact, it may help keep the brain sharp.

A recent study published in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests the complexity of birdwatching, combined with the social interaction often found in birding groups, may improve cognition and help protect brain health as people age. Researchers found the hobby’s mental demands can help reorganize the brain, strengthen cognitive function, and ward off some effects of aging.

Dr. Siyun Peng, an assistant professor in the School of Aging Studies at the University of South Florida who was not involved in the study, said the findings align with what scientists know about neuroplasticity and aging.

“Neuroplasticity is referred to the idea of your brain can grow,” Dr. Peng said.

“If you exercise your brain, your brain will get better, just like your muscles,” Dr. Peng said.

“You can make it better, even at age 60, at age 80,” Dr. Peng said.

On a sunny, cool morning in Hillsborough County, more than a dozen birdwatchers gathered at a wood stork colony. Binoculars, cameras, and spotting scopes were all trained in one direction as the group learned to count colonies like scientists. Members of Tampa Audubon and Audubon Florida were there too to give expert advice.

“It is a joyful activity,” Allie O’Connor said. ”It feeds your soul.”

In addition to cognitive benefits, Dr. Peng said the social side of birdwatching may be one of its biggest advantages.

“From my perspective, what’s like, additionally beneficial bird watching is you usually go with a group, so you engage in, like, social interaction with people too,” Dr. Peng said. “Like you interacting with strangers, acquaintances, or the people you don’t know that well, it’s especially beneficial for your brain’s cognitive health.”

“As long as you’re meeting strangers, your brain’s gonna fire?” Tampa Bay 28 reporter Michael Paluska asked Dr. Peng.

“Yeah! Exactly, and this actually has some roots in evolution, too, because, like, humans’ brains have evolved to adapt to, maybe, large social groups. So our brain is really, like, evolved to process social information, like, who’s my enemy, who’s my friend, who I can trust, like, who’s friends with, who like, what’s the relationship with? So those are very complex, like the information our human beings need to, like, pause to survive in large social groups. So that’s why we think like interaction with people is fire your like brain neurons like that much.”

For many on the outing, meeting new people is part of the experience.

“I’m not an Audubon member. I just came today to be part of the group to start counting,” Sheila Plant said.

“I am with them, and I’ve just been identifying birds just for fun,” Plant said.

“Bird watching gets me out in nature and an opportunity to see and experience different things,” Ann Paul, president of the Tampa Audubon Society, said. “You meet a lot of different people, and what’s really fun about bird people is they are fun, and they have something to say.”

Beyond its social elements, the hobby also challenges the brain through identification and observation.

“It’s tricky sometimes to be able to identify all the different species, whether they are on nests or just on the islands, so there is a learning curve to it,” Jeff Liechty, Audubon Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries manager, said.

“There are so many different parts of your brain that are exercised,” Dr. Peng said.

“So you are like recognizing emotions, you have been engaging in facial recognition, also remembering the language,” Dr. Peng said. “So if you do like MRI of it, you will see like, different parts of brain, basically, like, your brain gonna light up, like a Christmas tree, just like so many different parts of brain that, like, light up to try to, like, process the information,” Peng said.

With these benefits in mind, for birdwatchers, the advantages are already clear.

“Yeah, I think it is good for your mental health and your physical health too. It’s bound to be helping my blood pressure to be here admiring the birds,” Sherry Keller said.

“What’s your favorite bird?” Paluska asked.

“Usually it’s the next one I see,” Keller said.

By Michael Paluska