This is for the birds!

There is more to bird chirping than you may realize. Officially called birdsong, these natural sounds are used in business and educational settings, and researchers rely on their clarity and consistency to study environmental disturbances.

Is that music to your ears? It is for school children. Studies confirm they are more attentive after lunch when they listen to birdsong, and weary travelers arriving at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport are refreshed listening to bird melodies in the airline’s relaxation lounge. 

What constitutes restorative birdsong? It depends on the type of sound. Generally, bird sounds that are quiet, high frequency or have some kind of melody offer relief from mental fatigue and stress, thus improving mood, alertness and attention.

‘Bird bioacoustics’ are used to analyze the health of California forests after wildfires. In Central and South America, they use this diagnostic tool to monitor the effect of coffee farm pesticides on the bird population, and along the Pacific, they find remedies with bird bioacoustics to prevent birds from crashing into high-tension power lines.

For those who want to simply find out what birds are singing nearby, our favorite is the Merlin Bird ID created by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Check out its Sounds ID feature—it’s  like watching a birdsong bouncing ball. Well, that’s a wrap “for the birds.”

 BIRDSONG RESEARCH CHIRPS PLENTY