How just 30 minutes' birdwatching every week can send your spirits soaring trends now
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Spending just 30 minutes a week watching sparrows and starlings could benefit mental health, a study suggests.
Researchers found that people who were randomly assigned to a birdwatching group saw greater improvements in their wellbeing than those assigned to a nature-walking group, or a control group.
The academics, from North Carolina State University in the U.S., said the results support 'a causal relationship between birdwatching and mental health and well-being, and it supports previous research suggesting exposure to birds may be more influential than other forms of nature'.
For the study, 120 participants were randomly allocated to either go birdwatching for 30 minutes once a week for five weeks or to walk for the same amount of time each week, or to carry on with their usual routine (the control group).
Their mental wellbeing and distress levels were monitored before and after the five-week experiment using psychological surveys.
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The experiment found that going birdwatching was better than taking walks in nature or doing nothing at all
