Significant 10-fold increase in 16 to 29-year-olds regularly birdwatching since 2018, and numbers are still on the rise
By
Almost 750,000 Gen Z-ers (16 to 29-year-olds) across Great Britain now regularly enjoying birdwatching – an uptick of 1,088 per cent since 2018. Now, birdwatching is one of Gen-Z’s fastest growing hobbies, second only to jewellery making, new research published by the RSPB has found.
More widely, there has been a 47 per cent increase across the past eight years in numbers across Great Britain who regularly birdwatch, equating to more than four million people. There has also been a 216 per cent increase in the number of Millennials and a 66 per cent increase in Gen X birdwatchers.
Enjoying this article? Check out our related reads…
These new findings come ahead of International Dawn Chorus Day, which takes place on the first Sunday in May. This marks the moment each spring when early morning bird song reaches its peak.
‘As a GP, I talk to many of my patients about what can happen when we go outside, into our gardens, local green spaces, parks or nature reserves,’ said president of the RSPB, Amir Khan. ‘It helps lift our mood, actively stimulating serotonin, a brain chemical which makes us feel happier. Hearing birdsong, especially during the dawn chorus when they’re at their loudest and most beautiful, can produce more serotonin and make us feel good.’
Bird song is not only pleasurable to listen to, but comes with tangible benefits to mental and physical health, according to research. The reasons why humans find birdsong so appealing are multifaceted: hearing birdsong can signal life is already present in an area, implying safety. Secondly, experts say birdsong can give us a break from other cognitive challenges in the environment, allowing us to replenish energy levels.
Interacting with nature also reduces depressive symptoms, enhances creative abilities and may even slow age-related cognitive decline.
This International Dawn Chorus Day, the RSPB is encouraging people to set their alarms 45 minutes before dawn and step outside or open a window to soak up the sounds of birdsong.
‘Most of us are asleep when the dawn chorus happens, but it’s truly a sound worth waking up for,’ said wildlife expert at the RSPB, Molly Brown. ‘There’s no right way to experience it, whether you listen from your bedroom window, walk along a riverbank or through a woodland, or visit a nature reserve. The most important thing is that you’re ready to hear it around 45 minutes before dawn, when the air is still and the light is low.’
