Bird-watching enters care homes amid studies on its effects on the brain and well-being

Bird-watching groups have been set up in care homes in Britain, Germany and the United States, with older adults and people with dementia taking part, according to BBC News Arabic.

Jenny Bodinger, dementia adviser at Age UK, said of one participant: “He was fully present in that moment. He was not worried about his memory or his self-confidence. It is very powerful, and very gentle.”

In a separate study, researcher Eric Wing of the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education in Toronto compared magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brains of expert bird-watchers with those of beginners, according to the report. He found differences in neural connectivity in areas linked to attention, visual perception and visual recognition, with greater activity among the experts, especially when identifying species unfamiliar to them.

According to BBC News Arabic, the brains of experts contain areas with a higher level of organisation and connectivity than those of beginners in the same age group. Wing says this indicates a form of preserved organisation as people age. Wing said of the implications of his findings: “Acquiring this skill at an early age may bring benefits that last into advanced stages of life.”

However, according to the report, the findings do not settle whether differences in brain structure are a cause or a result of expertise, and more research is needed.

On psychological well-being, a study of 388 bird-watching enthusiasts in Poland found that those who were most enthusiastic about the hobby were more likely to achieve psychological recovery than people with high skills who were less enthusiastic, according to the report. This sample consists of bird-watching enthusiasts in general.

In Germany, Elisabeth Kals’ team set up bird-feeding stations outside 65 care homes, according to the report. A month later, bird-watching was, according to the team’s findings as reported, a more precise indicator of the well-being of residents of their age group, or of the level of care they receive. Kals said of the bird-feeding study’s findings: “The results were clearly positive.” The article did not provide sufficient methodological detail about the German study, such as whether it had a control group.

Kals says participants became more cognitively flexible and better able to follow conversations and recall birds, and that improvements in memory and concentration appeared after about three to four weeks. This is a claim attributed to Kals.

According to the report, German health insurers, which were funders of the research project at its outset, invested in feeding stations and bird-watching areas in more than 400 care homes in Bavaria. Kals alone says this helped reduce costs.

In the United States, the “Bird Tales” initiative was launched in 2013 at four care centres in Connecticut, according to BBC News Arabic, and later expanded to Texas and Colorado. It is a therapy programme for people with dementia that uses bird feeders and stuffed models that emit sounds. Participants reported that it stimulates their cognitive abilities and helps them recall the past.

According to the report, the intensive and comprehensive aphasia programme at the University of Montana began in 2021 with an owl-watching activity for stroke survivors. It later expanded to guided observation of a variety of birds and recognition of their calls in Montana.

A UK survey cited in the report ranked bird-watching and wildlife watching second, after walking in nature, among the favourite outdoor activities of people with dementia and their care providers. The survey revealed that difficulty getting around is a significant challenge for them.