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New Study Confirms: Chirping Works

New Study Confirms: Chirping Works

04.06.2024




A study by the University of Exeter concludes that nature sounds positively impact our mental health. As part of the BBC program "Forest 404," data was collected from over 7,500 people. The result: bird chirping is particularly effective at reducing stress and preventing mental fatigue. Here, we present the most important findings. 


In the current study, participants were played a selection of nature sounds from categories including forests, coastal areas, rural regions, and underwater. Each sound was then rated on its ability to relieve stress and fatigue. The best ratings were given to forest sounds, with bird chirping leading the way. Birdsong is especially effective at intuitively relaxing and refreshing us. 


Bird chirping provides exceptional relaxation
The greatest relaxation potential comes from the chirping of exotic birds from the rainforest. In second place was the song of native songbirds. The researchers played the song of the blackbird, whose chirping was also found to be very relaxing. Following these were nature sounds from the beach, then rural area sounds, and finally underwater sounds. It's important that the animal voices are authentically embedded in their natural environment to be effective. 

Chirping strengthens environmental awareness
Experiencing the positive effects of these sounds contributed to a better understanding of natural sounds. In addition to the positive effects on their well-being, participants were also asked to indicate their motivation to protect the natural environment from which the sounds originated. The stronger the effect, the higher the willingness to protect the environment. Here too, the rainforest led, followed by native forests, the coast, the sea, and rural areas. Thus, the impact of nature sounds not only enhances well-being but also raises environmental awareness. 

Increased use of sound effects
One of the study's recommendations is to better utilize the proven effects of nature sounds. One possibility is the creation of public nature zones where sounds are consciously used to relax and recharge. Biophony, the acoustic properties of a natural environment, should be used as an indicator of the ecosystem's health. The more diverse the natural sounds, the healthier the ecosystem and the greater the positive effects. Thus, biophony could also be used to make urban living spaces more livable for everyone. In addition to visual aspects, more acoustic aspects should be considered in public spaces. 

Reconnecting with nature
The University of Exeter study is part of the award-winning BBC series "Forest 404," which combines factual, fictional, and experimental elements in an interdisciplinary approach. It aims to make scientific knowledge accessible to a broad audience. One goal of the creators is to strengthen people's connection to nature in our highly technological world, for a very human reason: we best protect what we know and love. 

Interested in more natural sounds? Discover the original Relaxound Soudboxen. .