What’s in your mental wellness toolkit? Maybe it looks like luxuriating in a bubble bath with a good book. Or wailing on a 100-pound heavyweight bag after a trying day, throwing elbows and knees to obliterate obsessive thoughts. What it takes to treat our overtaxed minds (and souls) is as individual as we are.
For Dan DeBaun, returning to a state of equilibrium means taking scrupulous notes of our feathery, little-winged neighbors. During the ups and downs of 2020 and 2021, a time that tested our collective resolve, it was birds that kept him upright (literally)—and buoyed up his spirits.
“It was the thick of the pandemic when I was spending nearly all my time indoors,” DeBaun says. “I loved cracking the window and listening to the birds outside while I worked. I started by identifying bird calls using an app on my phone.” His interest in birding was a gradual embrace; something that really took hold when he started engaging with birds in his yard.
“In 2021, my wife, Lillia, and I moved into a bigger apartment with an outdoor patio space,” he continues. “I noticed there was a hook on the top for hanging plants … I was always curious about bird feeding, so I bought the cheapest feeder I could find on Amazon.” Though the container arrived in shambles (“I had to piece it together with duct tape!”), it increasingly proved a safe haven for house finches who fed on the seed, day to night. “I’ve been hooked ever since,” he says.
The Awe of Avian Therapy
For DeBaun, 31, and a growing number of others in his generation, birding is a means to better understand our connection to nature and how, ecologically speaking, we are all interconnected—from the tiniest songster to our towering sentinels.
“I’ve dealt with general anxiety for much of my life and birding has been most helpful for my mental health—especially during the pandemic years,” DeBaun says. “Taking time to appreciate birds gave me something to focus on while feeling closer to nature. I find that if I spend just a couple of minutes each day appreciating birds, it reduces my anxiety—much like exercise!” (He would know; DeBaun is a senior public relations specialist for Life Time and has completed a fair share of marathons over the years.)
And he’s on to something: Recent studies point to a correlation between bird watching and an improved quality of life. A study published in Scientific Reports last October found that everyday encounters with birds are associated with a higher mental wellbeing. That’s because experiencing awe, which produces “little earthquakes in the mind,” is a type of mindfulness technique that can enhance our resilience, creativity, humility, gratitude, and optimism. When we’re outside and immersed in the natural world, we’re often met with waves of wonder and joy—that’s because nature is a (pretty major) elicitor of awe.
“Feeding the birds is especially positive for me in the winter because I take part in Project Feedwatcher,” DeBaun says. Project Feedwatcher is an annual winter-bird survey activity that anyone can sign up for to help scientists analyze bird populations. “So, a couple days every week through the winter, I’ll be tallying birds while sitting on the couch drinking coffee and reading or working on my bird blog. It’s tough to beat that!”
What’s Old Is New Again
Birding organizations are endeavoring to reach diversified generations to help carry the torch of conservation and habitat protection and restoration for birds. The National Audubon Society launched an Audubon on Campus program to engage students in learning and action to make conservation an attractive career path for student leaders across the country. The Three Rivers Park District welcomes avian enthusiasts as young as nine in its Young Birders Club. And there’s the Urban Bird Collective, founded in 2018 to create a safe space for BIPOC and LGBTQ birdwatchers.
While birding is often thought of as your grandpa’s favorite pastime, social media is giving it a shiny and new coat—just type “bird watching” in TikTok to understand the impact the hobby is having on a userbase that inherently skews younger. In his blog, DeBaun argues that it’s possible for something old-fashioned to be “new” again—just look at pickleball, formerly synonymous with seniors and retirees, and its explosion in popularity. “[Birding] is a hobby, much like pickleball, that’s easy to start doing and requires no previous experience,” he writes. “All you need to do is jump in.”
Since birding has become a welcome addition to his self-care routine, DeBaun says the hobby has resulted in a cascade effect of other healthy habits and environmentally-friendly aspirations, like recycling and responsible lawn care. “I don’t have a home of my own yet but when I do, I’ll be fully participating in No Mow May and reducing pesticide use,” he says. “I’m also starting to familiarize myself with helpful landscaping and native plants … I can’t wait to have a full yard and create a sustainable habitat for wildlife.”
The great thing about bird watching is that the barrier to entry is low. You don’t need the fanciest, most showboaty equipment around to draw in your (future) feathered friends. Hang up a cheap feeder with sunflower seed or buy a $15 nectar feeder for hummingbirds in the summer and you’re kosher, says DeBaun. (Important to note: bird watching is a game of patience. But it’ll pay off in spades once you see the birds arrive to your banquet.)
“Put it out and when the birds arrive, I guarantee it will bring joy to your life.”
Bird’s the Word: Lightning Round with Dan DeBaun
Q: What’s your favorite birdsong?
I love the sound of Northern Cardinals “pew-pewing” during the spring and summer. They sound like fun lasers.
Q: What’s the ultimate birding destination?
I had a field day in Hawaii spotting birds during my honeymoon. I was blown away to spot a group of Nene (their state bird) on the last day. I’ll never forget that.
Q: Of all the birds you’ve catalogued, which one do you appreciate the most? Why?
Due to recency bias, I have to say the Belted Kingfisher. I went on a guys’ cabin trip to Park Rapids this summer and we saw one hanging out on the lake near us hunting for bugs and fish. Northern Minnesota is a great spot for birds.