protomammals split from a common ancestor, our brains are
surprisingly similar to the parts of birds’ brains that hear, process and
make language. Humans share more genes governing speech with
songbirds than we do with other primates. This is because humans and
birds coevolved these language centers, both using the same ancient
neural hardware, specifically an area called the arcopalladium in birds
and the basal ganglia in humans, a region also known for regulating
emotion. It’s well recognized that music triggers emotions, but while
much has been made of the ability of Mozart to make us weep,
tremble and rejoice (largely through the release of dopamine in our
mesolimbic reward pathway), birdsong has received far less attention
from neuroscientists.
Nevertheless, our doppelgänger birdbrain neurons may help
explain our primal affiliation to chirps, trills and tweets. In both birds
and humans, the ability to respond emotionally to linguistic and
musical sounds became mission critical for mating, communication
and survival. The people who named Twitter knew what they were
doing. Psych studies using birdsong consistently show improvements
in mood and mental alertness. An experiment at an elementary school
in Liverpool found that students listening to birdsong were more
attentive after lunch than students who didn’t listen. Amsterdam’s
Schiphol Airport plays birdsong in a relaxation lounge that also
features fake trees. People love it. Treasure, the British consultant,
recommends that everyone listen to birdsong at least five minutes a
day. I’ve been playing it on an app while writing this chapter. There’s
deep snow outside my window, but the spring birds are in full force
on my phone. It does feel leavening. And my cat is certainly more
awake.
“What I’m trying to do is figure out why it makes people feel
better,” said British environmental psychologist Eleanor Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe looked more like a high school student than a scientist. She
had long red hair and wore a jean jacket that partially covered up a