“Once upon a time, when women were birds, there was the simple understanding that to sing at dawn and to sing at dusk was to heal the world through joy. The birds still remember what we have forgotten, that the world is meant to be celebrated.” ~ Terry Tempest Williams, When Women Were Birds: Fifty-Four Variations on Voice
What were the first sounds that you heard in the womb, besides the rhythmic drumbeat of your mother’s heart and, later on, her voice? Was it car horns and city sounds, or was it waves and wind and birds singing? None of us remember, but whatever it was, it’s probably deeply woven into who we are now.
It’s been argued that beyond these nostalgic associations that sound can have with our infancy and childhood, it’s also connected with something evolutionarily much deeper inside of us. There are sounds that we’ve evolved to over the span of human history: rain, the crackling of a fire, wind, water and birds. They were the soundtrack of our ancestors’ lives, and some argue that it’s for that reason that they still have such a soothing effect on us.
Julian Treasure, an expert on sound and communication skills, as well as a TED speaker, says that “birdsong, for example, is a sound which most people find reassuring. There is a reason for that. Over hundreds of thousands of years we’ve learned that when the birds are singing, things are safe. It’s when they stop you need to be worried.” https://youtu.be/yEWdx0xhbx8
I’m not a bird expert and honestly I’m not very good at differentiating the various bird songs around me, but I am very aware of their effect on me. Whether it’s the early-dawn chorus of songbirds outside my window, the clucking of chickens on a farm or the evening serenade of different waterfowl on a quiet lake in summer, these sounds all make me feel profoundly relaxed. Walking in the boreal forest would be a completely different experience without the chirping and singing of chickadees and warblers and their many other feathered friends—one that would possibly be a lot less restorative.
A study titled Birdsongs Alleviate Anxiety And Paranoia In Healthy Participants was released in October of last year and published in Scientific Reports. It found that bird song decreased depressive states, significantly alleviated anxiety and lowered paranoia. It stated that “birdsongs might be implicitly associated with a vital natural environment, divert attention away from (internal and external) stressors, or could signal the absence of acute threat.” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-20841-0
Sounds affect our physical body, our emotions, our brains and even our behaviours. Some people find that bird song helps them feel relaxed yet alert; maybe that’s because we subconsciously link it to early morning, almost as if it were nature’s alarm clock. Recordings of birds singing are often used in sound therapy as a technique to improve health and well being. It seems like such a simple thing but maybe it’s exactly that simplicity which holds the key to its vast healing potential. Andrea Mechelli, professor of Early Intervention in Mental Health at King’s College London, says “we know exercise makes everyone feel better. But it’s incredibly challenging to motivate someone with depression to exercise. Whereas contact with bird life is something that, perhaps, is feasible.” https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/bird-and-birdsong-encounters-improve-mental-health-study-finds/
Here in the Yukon we’re surrounded by bird song, even in urban areas like downtown Whitehorse. Whether it’s a sparrow’s simple singing on Main Street, a raven’s throaty croaking in the Superstore parking lot or a seagull squawking near the Yukon River, we don’t have to go far to realize that there are bird sounds all around us. Actively listening and being aware of them is said to even further increase their benefits on our mental health. With time it can become a habit. As Treasure says in his TED Talk The 4 Ways Sound Affects Us “if you’re listening consciously, you can take control of the sound around you. It’s good for your health. It’s good for your productivity.” https://youtu.be/rRepnhXq33s
We’re in the midst of the longest days of the summer right now and the Yukon’s midnight sun seems to affect the birds much like it does us: long hours of daylight means shorter nights and less sleep. What better time to enjoy their songs and their potential healing benefits than now, the summer solstice? May their melodies remind us to celebrate not only this special window of time but every day that we’re lucky enough to wake up once more to birds singing.If you’re interested in learning more about local bird and wildlife conservation, check out Yukon Bird Club (yukonbirds.ca), CPAWS Yukon (cpawsyukon.org), Yukon Wildlife Preserve (yukonwildlife.ca), Yukon Conservation Society (yukonconservation.ca) and Wildlife Conservation Society Canada. https://www.wcscanada.org/
