Is birdsong a true indicator of having 'quality of life'?
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Is birdsong a true indicator of having 'quality of life'?
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Researchers at the University of Surrey are taking a scientific look at the benefits of hearing birdsong. Birdsong has often been promoted as a indicator of a good quality of life. But what does it me
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Forums » Off duty » News & media » Is birdsong a true indicator of having 'quality of life'?
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Is birdsong a true indicator of having 'quality of life'?
posted at 8/2/2012 10:48 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 623
First: 7/4/2011 Last: 16/5/2012 |
Researchers at the University of Surrey are taking a scientific look at the benefits of hearing birdsong. Birdsong has often been promoted as a indicator of a good quality of life. But what does it mean? Does it mean the more rural you get, the better your wellbeing? From Telegraph news story: Eleanor Ratcliffe, a postgraduate student in the department of psychology, who is carrying out the research, said: “A great deal of anecdotal evidence suggests that we respond positively to birdsong. However, currently there is a lack of scientific research on the psychological effects of listening to birds. “What we’re looking at is the restorative effect of natural sounds like birdsongs on peoples moods. It’s building on existing literature that shows that spending time in nature can be beneficial to people in terms of how they feel and how they act. “What’ hasn’t been looked at is the effect natural sounds like birdsong has on people’s mood and attention. That’s something we’re really trying to address in the project.” What do you think is an quality of life indicator? Should we even dare to define this? Or should each person be able to define it for themselves? |
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Re: Is birdsong a true indicator of having 'quality of life'?
posted at 8/2/2012 8:59 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 2072
First: 10/3/2009 Last: 16/5/2012 |
More than that, they reflect the complexity of the environment. There is a marked difference between the suburban bird noises I hear and those at our place in the country. One bird dominating eg Currawongs and crows = sick. We grow trees in our garden to attract certain birds. It works. Most cities I see in Asia and Europe are dead to a complex bird life.
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Re: Is birdsong a true indicator of having 'quality of life'?
posted at 8/2/2012 10:59 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 838
First: 12/3/2010 Last: 15/5/2012 |
You can never have visited Trafalgar Square, Odysseus! I think you have got the wrong end of the stick, Mr.B. The investigation is about the effect of birdsong on one's feeling of well-being, not as an indicator of QoL. "I know why the caged bird sings" NOT Maya Angelou, but Paul Lawrence Dunbar:
http://www.dunbarsite.org/gallery/Sympathy.asp And bird song is far more interesting than as a romantic allegory for love or bucolic pursuits. Few species have a tuneful song, yet the syrinx, the avian analogue of the larynx, is enormously more capable. Sited at the carina, it has a sound making organ in either main bronchus, which work independently, and a bird's respiratory anatomy allows continuous sound making, not just on exhalation. BIrds can sing two songs at the same time, and have a wide range of sounds that we can barely interpret. For instance, this is the sonogram of a dunnock, an archetypal 'small brown bird'  Compare with a normal human sonogram:  Boring, isn't it? JOhn |
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Re: Is birdsong a true indicator of having 'quality of life'?
posted at 9/2/2012 12:43 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 2072
First: 10/3/2009 Last: 16/5/2012 |
Nelson presides over monotony; pigeons. I prefer the screech of gallahs, budgerigars, cockatoos, and innumerable other birds and the sound of nocturnal birds and fruit bats. Lyrebird is the ultimate mimic; even the chain saw is in his repertoire. The ecological degradation of the planet means fewer habitats for diverse bird species. We will end up with only pigeons and crows. The sedge has withered from the lake, and no birds sing. The lake is sick and the birds its gauge.
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