WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Being an expert birdwatcher is not just a hobby; it may actually change how your brain works, according to new research published in the journal JNeurosci, which suggests that birdwatching could improve thinking skills as you grow older.
In a Canadian study of 58 adults, experts in birdwatching showed greater brain density in areas linked to attention and perception compared to beginners. This higher density may mean better communication between brain cells. These brain differences were also linked to more accurate bird identification.
'(Bird watching) combines fine-grain identification, visual search, and attention to the immediate environment and sensitivity to motion, pattern detection, building these elaborate conceptual networks of different related species,' explained lead author Erik Wing. 'Also, you have to remember what you're seeing and compare it to these internal templates,' or the images that are stored in our brains.
In the study, the expert group included 29 people aged 24 to 75, many of whom were part of birdwatching groups like the Toronto Ornithological Club and Ontario Field Ornithologists. The beginner group also had 29 people aged 22 to 79, recruited from the same birding groups as well as outdoor clubs focused on activities like hiking and gardening.
Expertise was measured through tests, not by how many years someone had been birdwatching, although some participants had been doing it for nearly 50 years. Interestingly, in a bird-matching task, experts were better than beginners at identifying both local and foreign bird species.
Scientists explained that when you learn a new skill, your brain adapts and reorganizes itself, a process known as neuroplasticity. As birdwatching requires a keen eye, attention and strong memory, it could significantly impact the attention- and perception-related brain areas.
'Our interests and experiences - especially the ones that we dedicate hours, hundreds of hours or decades to - leave an imprint on brain structure,' Wing said. 'We can figure out how people can use these accumulated areas of knowledge that they've built up to support cognition across the entire lifespan.'
Copyright(c) 2026 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2026 AFX News
