Scientists Discover Why Birdsong Pleases Human Ears

When birds chirp, people can feel a little peace. But some bird sounds are particularly pleasing to the human ear, and scientists have begun to understand why . For most of our evolutionary history, the sounds made by birds while they were busy with their own affairs may have been a reassuring signal that our environment was free of danger. A small new study has helped clarify why some birds' songs are more pleasing to humans than others. According to researchers at the University of Tübingen in Germany, humans tend to prefer gentle sounds with a narrow frequency range. They also found more complex sounds to be more pleasing. Scientists found that such a choice did not depend on how much listeners knew about birds. Dr. Nadine Kahlb, lead author of the study published on September 1 in the journal 'Frontiers', said in a statement, 'This shows that enjoying birdsong is linked to something more fundamental than knowing what you are listening to.' Kahlb, a biologist at the University of Tübingen, added via email, 'Our results show that how much we like birdsong depends on a combination of different acoustic characteristics, and that different combinations of these acoustic characteristics can produce very pleasing sounds.' According to the researchers, these findings can help to better understand how birds shape our environment. And, ultimately, can also help in designing parks, urban green spaces, and other places where people go to relax. Dr. Christoph Randler, a senior author of the study, said, 'Perhaps the most important thing is that paying attention to birds can change the way we experience the natural world. Even without understanding what the bird is communicating, its song can capture our attention, evoke positive emotions, and make us more aware of the biodiversity around us.'

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