NORFOLK, Va. — File it under pandemic-related silver linings: an old hobby with a new fanbase.
Despite our troubling obsession with screens, there’s one connection with nature that got a lot stronger because of all that time spent in isolation. Bird watching, or birding, is seeing a renaissance, particularly with younger generations.
Ever since the pandemic hit, researchers have seen an increase in millennial and Gen Z birdwatchers.
The hashtags #birdwatching and #birding have over one billion views on the social media app TikTok. According to Cornell University’s Great Backyard Bird Count, which tracks bird lovers worldwide, bird-watching participation jumped 44% in 2023. Bird tracking apps like Birda have also reported a 30% monthly growth rate.
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Why is it becoming so popular with younger generations, though?
For starters, there is strong evidence that younger people are more likely to advocate for their mental health.
And a Scientific Reports study points to the mental health benefits of observing birds.
Just hearing birds chirp was associated with an improved mental state for up to eight hours, according to the study.
Even wilder, a similar study from Ecological Economics found that boosting the number of birds in someone’s vicinity increases their life satisfaction just as much as a salary increase of the same percentage.
Technology has also made the hobby a little more fun and accessible — things like advanced bird feeders with cameras have drawn more people into bird-watching at home.