Birdsong makes us happy

Ever wondered what soundtrack to play when you’re stressed? Turn on the birdsong. Ratcliffe confirms the value of nature soundtracks.  Via a literature review she determined that “nature is broadly characterized by the sounds of birdsong, wind, and water, and these sounds can enhance positive perceptions of natural environments presented through visual means.

Second, isolated from other sensory modalities these sounds are often, although not always, positively affectively appraised and perceived as restorative.

Third, after stress and/or fatigue nature sounds and soundscapes can lead to subjectively and objectively improved mood and cognitive performance, as well as reductions in arousal. . . . not all nature sounds are regarded equally positively. . . . [for example] Bradley and Lang (2007) measured 167 sounds. . . . Some natural sounds, such as water and birds, scored relatively high on pleasure while others, such as growling, were rated as less pleasant. . . . . Hedblom et al. (2014) observed that combinations of bird sounds were rated as more pleasant than the sounds of a single species.”

Eleanor Ratcliffe.  2021. “Sound and Soundscape in Restorative Natural Environments: A Narrative Literature Review.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 12, 570563, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.570563