5 minutes of birdsong 'can make you feel chirpy'

Peter Brash, an ecologist with the National Trust in the UK, said: “Birdsong is one of the most distinctive sounds from the natural world and gives us a warm glow inside when we hear it. We are all attuned to the need to eat five fruit and vegetables a day or take a 30-minute walk. Taking time out to listen to five minutes of birdsong everyday could be as beneficial to our wellbeing.”

This year, British researchers found that recordings of the dawn chorus eased needle phobia and tension among young patients at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.
The real dawn chorus is muted at this time of year, and often dominated by the winter song of the robin determined to protect its territory. Other noisy birds in late December include song thrushes, starlings, great tits and wrens.