Watching birds, the new formula for happiness

Unusual new research has revealed that the presence of high biodiversity in the area we live in makes us as happy as money

You can be happy in many ways, starting with the value we place on the little things of every day. But unusual new research has revealed that having high biodiversity in the area we live in makes us as happy as money.

This was revealed by an analysis by the German Center for Integrative Research on Biodiversity (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig according to which the level of welfare is associated with the number of bird species present. Numbers in hand, a 10% increase in bird species promotes Europeans' sense of fulfillment and life satisfaction as much as an increase in income.

In other words, biological diversity calls for happiness. During the pandemic, we have rediscovered walking outdoors, in isolated places and out of contact with other people. The beneficial effects on the mental health of people who spend time in nature have already been documented by numerous studies but now scientists from the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, iDiv and the University of Kiel have examined for the first time what they are. the implications for human well-being on a European scale.

To this end, the researchers used data from the "European Quality of Life Survey 2012" to study the connection between the diversity of species in their environment and the satisfaction with their lives of over 26.000 adults living in 26 European countries. . Species diversity was measured in particular on birds.

“Europeans are particularly satisfied with their lives if their immediate surroundings are home to a high diversity of species,” explains lead author of the study, Joel Methorst of the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center, iDiv and Goethe University in Frankfurt. "According to our results, the happiest Europeans are those who can get to know many different bird species in their daily life, or who live in an almost natural environment that is home to many species."

Birds are suitable as indicators of biological diversity, as they are among the most visible elements of animated nature, particularly in urban areas. Furthermore, their chants can often be heard even when they are not visible. Finally, most of the birds are popular and people like to watch them.

But there is also another aspect that affects life satisfaction: the surrounding environment. A particularly large number of bird species can be found in areas with a high percentage of near-natural and varied landscapes that are home to numerous green spaces and bodies of water.

Biodiversity makes you happy as much as income

“We also looked at the socio-economic data of the people who were interviewed and, to our surprise, we found that bird diversity is as important to life satisfaction as income,” added Prof. Dr. Katrin Böhning. -Gaese, director of the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center.

This result becomes especially noticeable when both values increase by 10% percent. According to the study, 14 additional bird species nearby increase life satisfaction levels on par with an increase of € 124 per month in the household account, based on an average income of € 1.237 per month in Europe.

The study therefore has the merit of having quantified how Nature, together with its inhabitants, affect our psychological well-being. At the same time, the researchers drew attention to another aspect:

“The World Biodiversity Council IPBES Global Assessment 2019 and studies on avian species in agricultural landscapes in Europe clearly show that biological diversity is currently undergoing a drastic decline. This poses the risk that human well-being will also have to deal with an impoverished nature. The conservation of nature therefore not only guarantees our material basis of life, but also constitutes an investment in the well-being of all of us, ”concludes Methorst.

Protecting Nature also means investing in our well-being.

Sources of reference: ScienceDaily, Sciencedirect,