Why Birdwatching Is Suddenly Cool – And Where to Go Birding in Scotland
By Anna Deacon
Could the simple act of looking up and listening be good for us? From calming birdsong to nature prescriptions, there’s more to our new-found fascination with birds than meets the eye.
Once the mainstay of khaki dressed retirees or twitchers, birding is suddenly trending. A recent report by the RSPB showed there has been a huge growth in birdwatching since 2018, with it being the second fastest growing hobby amongst Gen Z, a 1,008% increase, with Millennials and Gen X-ers also flocking to the trend with 216% and 66% growth respectively.
A yellowhammer provides a flash of colour on the Moray coast. Its distinctive song makes it a rewarding one for new birdwatchers to learn.
Social birding
Tiktok recently recorded over 500,000 birdwatching tags, and there has been a steady influx of influencers on social media sharing their enthusiasm with short form films, quizzes, bird ID games and also group bird watching get togethers. Caitlin Moran’s new podcast ‘Outsiding’ features a Bird of the Week section, and many people have fallen in love with ‘Clarksons Farm’ bird lady Hannah Bourne Taylor and her contagious joy over swifts.
Gamifying birding
One possible reason is the incredibly popular app Merlin which was created by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The free app allows you to record birdsong then offers an ID on what bird you might be hearing, a bit like Shazam for birds. It also provides a visual image of the bird too so you can connect the song with the bird, and you can also add birds to your life list. This has had a real appeal to the Pokemon generation who have likened spotting birds to finding a Pokemon, and have enjoyed the gamification of bird watching and finding new ‘lifers’.
Even the NHS is prescribing it..
Getting out into nature has so many incredible benefits to our mind, body and soul, with the NHS and the RSPB in Scotland issuing ‘Nature Prescriptions’ with over 10,000 leaflets suggesting ways to benefit from being in nature (including birdwatching) distributed by health care professionals to patients. A trial of these prescriptions showed that 74% of patients felt the benefit of them, and 91% of health professionals wanted to continue issuing them.
A coal tit among the pine branches in the Cairngorms – proof you don’t have to venture far to start spotting Scotland’s birdlife.
Why is listening to birdsong so calming?
One theory is, that as humans we evolved in nature and until relatively recent times we would have had a much closer connection with the natural world around us. Birdsong is one of the sounds that has a calming effect on our primal nervous system, perhaps because hearing birdsong was a once safety signal that there were no predators nearby, and if they stopped singing or started alarm calls then it was a signal to be alert and looking for potential danger.
What effect does it have?
Research has shown the measurable effects that focused listening to bird song has on the body with a reduction in blood pressure, cortisol (the stress hormone), and heart rate, but also helped with mental fatigue and attention restoration.
A willow warbler perched among the trees in the Cairngorms.
How do I get started?
Just step outside and start looking and listening or even just open your window! The Merlin app is a great way to identify what you are hearing or seeing in real time, but you can always research online or one of the many bird ID books available. It might help to have binoculars but they aren’t vital, many beautiful birds in Scotland are easily visible to the naked eye and once you start noticing them, understanding more about their characters and their habitats you will start spotting them much more. There are so many places to spot birds in Scotland, starting with your own garden or local park, but you can also visit one of the 77 RSPB reserves like Loch Leven or Loch Garten, most of them are free and many have accessible paths, interpretation centres and hides as well as staff who are really helpful. It is addictive though.. you have been warned!
Anna Deacon
The Wild Fix Scotland is a new book by author and photographer Anna Deacon, which is full of easily accessible, free and science backed ways that you can use the power of nature to help you feel more calm, creative and connected, as well as featuring beautiful photography from all over Scotland because research shows even looking at images of nature has a measurable effect on your wellbeing.
Anna is doing a series of author talks across Scotland, this autumn including a book launch event at Toppings Edinburgh on September 3rd where she will be sharing all her findings from researching the incredible connection between nature and wellbeing. Keep an eye on her social media for more dates @thewildfix
The Wild Fix Scotland: Feel-good Living Inspired by Nature by Anna Deacon is published by Black & White Publishing (Edinburgh) and is out in hardback on 3rd September 2026.