{"id":72672,"date":"2026-06-22T15:30:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T19:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/?p=72672"},"modified":"2026-06-22T15:30:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T19:30:29","slug":"birding-influences-brain-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/birding-influences-brain-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Birding Influences Brain Health and Mental Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"670\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Brain-and-Health-e1780494631539-1280x670.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-72845\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Brain-and-Health-e1780494631539-1280x670.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Brain-and-Health-e1780494631539-720x377.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Brain-and-Health-e1780494631539-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Brain-and-Health-e1780494631539-1536x803.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Brain-and-Health-e1780494631539-480x251.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Brain-and-Health-e1780494631539.jpg 1797w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Editorial art by 2025 Bartels Illustrator Joel Popp.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"toc-link wp-block-paragraph\">From the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/living-bird-summer-2026-table-of-contents\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"72660\">Summer 2026 issue<\/a> of <em>Living Bird<\/em> magazine. <a href=\"https:\/\/join.birds.cornell.edu\/page\/14522\/donate\/1\">Subscribe now<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group sidebar-alignright order-bottom\"><div class=\"article-list list-style\"><h2 class=\"article-list-header\">More From Living Bird<\/h2><ul><li class=\"article-item\"><div class=\"article-item-container\"><div class=\"article-item-media  content-living-bird-toc\" data-link-to=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/living-bird-summer-2026-table-of-contents\/\"><figure class=\"article-item-media-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Cover_Living-Bird-Summer-2026-1280x640.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Cover_Living-Bird-Summer-2026-720x360.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Cover_Living-Bird-Summer-2026-1280x640.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Cover_Living-Bird-Summer-2026-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Cover_Living-Bird-Summer-2026-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Cover_Living-Bird-Summer-2026-480x240.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Cover_Living-Bird-Summer-2026.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" alt=\"Cover Living Bird Summer\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"article-item-body\"><a class=\"article-item-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/living-bird-summer-2026-table-of-contents\/\"><span class=\"article-item-header\">Living Bird Summer 2026\u2014Table of Contents<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/li><li class=\"article-item\"><div class=\"article-item-container\"><div class=\"article-item-media  content-living-bird-toc\" data-link-to=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/living-bird-summer-2026-table-of-contents\/\"><figure class=\"article-item-media-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-latest.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-latest.png 720w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-latest-240x180.png 240w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-latest-480x360.png 480w\" sizes=\"\" alt=\"Living Bird-latest issue\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"article-item-body\"><a class=\"article-item-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/living-bird-summer-2026-table-of-contents\/\"><span class=\"article-item-header\">Living Bird Magazine\u2014Latest Issue<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/li><li class=\"article-item\"><div class=\"article-item-container\"><div class=\"article-item-media  content-article\" data-link-to=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/living-bird-magazine-archives\/\"><figure class=\"article-item-media-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-acrhive.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-acrhive.png 720w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-acrhive-240x180.png 240w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-acrhive-480x360.png 480w\" sizes=\"\" alt=\"Living Bird archives\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"article-item-body\"><a class=\"article-item-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/living-bird-magazine-archives\/\"><span class=\"article-item-header\">Living Bird Magazine Archives<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I was 26, thriving in a corporate communications career, flying high. Then, like a bird\u2019s nest in a windstorm, my life collapsed. Suddenly and without warning, I suffered a traumatic brain injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not even a creative writer like me could have scripted a wild plot twist like this. And, little did I know, birds would become a big part of my comeback story.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I rolled my eyes when my neurosurgeon prescribed 90 minutes of walking daily. But walking around my suburban neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona, became my new reality. So, I walked \u2026 and I walked \u2026 and I walked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Behind the scenes, anxiety, stress, and sadness hovered like a cloud. It was hard to control my emotions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, one day on a walk, I spotted a pair of Great Horned Owls and three owlets in a palm tree. Seeing those downy, wide-eyed owlets nestled together stopped me in my tracks. And in that moment, I stopped worrying about my own life and started wondering about theirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Learning about the owl family added another purpose to my prescribed walking. I started visiting them every sunrise and sunset\u2014curious, obsessed, and honestly, it just felt better when I was out there. It quickly became part of my daily routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why do I feel so good? Why did I become so attached to birds? Could this be a form of therapy\u2014owl therapy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"666\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Great-Horned-Owls-Bob-Scheidt-1280x666.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-72847\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Great-Horned-Owls-Bob-Scheidt-1280x666.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Great-Horned-Owls-Bob-Scheidt-720x375.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Great-Horned-Owls-Bob-Scheidt-768x400.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Great-Horned-Owls-Bob-Scheidt-1536x800.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Great-Horned-Owls-Bob-Scheidt-480x250.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Great-Horned-Owls-Bob-Scheidt.jpg 1946w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Great Horned Owls by <a href=\"https:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/asset\/617207123\">Bob Scheidt \/ Macaulay Library<\/a><\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It turns out that birds and birding are emerging as a powerful, nature-based prescription for people\u2019s mental well-being, capable of restoring a sense of purpose and inspiring a sense of connection. A new study suggests that building skills in birding may also yield structural benefits in a person\u2019s brain. Research published in February 2026 in the <em>Journal of Neuroscience<\/em> showed that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jneurosci.org\/content\/46\/12\/e1307252026\">experienced birders had denser brain matter in the frontoparietal cortex<\/a>\u2014a region associated with cognition and working memory\u2014than beginners. Birding, wrote the study authors in their research, \u201cleaves a coherent imprint on the brain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBirding strengthens cognitive function by transforming momentary personal experiences into lasting knowledge,\u201d explains Dr. Erik Wing, lead author on the study and a neuroscientist at the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto, Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His studies and work by other researchers in human psychology and social science are showing that birds do more than spark an interest in people\u2019s lives. In fact, birds may help support a person\u2019s cognitive function and mental health across their lifespan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his studies&nbsp;at the Rotman Research Institute, one of the world\u2019s preeminent centers for understanding aging and human brain function, Wing explores how deep, accumulated knowledge\u2014such as bird knowledge\u2014changes the brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By accumulating sightings and experiences, birders develop complex mental networks as they connect species, behaviors, sounds, and habitats to identify birds. This form of knowledge compounds over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou\u2019re not only learning a new concept\u2014you\u2019re learning something that applies broadly to the entire network,\u201d says Wing. \u201cEverything you learn informs everything else.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the benefits to the brain multiply as birders level up their skills. For the study published in the <em>Journal of Neuroscience<\/em>, Wing and his coauthors conducted MRI brain scans on experienced and beginner birders. The experienced birders\u2014defined primarily by their performance on bird ID tests rather than age alone\u2014had a \u201ctuned cortical network\u201d in their brains, according to the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In other words, interconnected learning associated with birding may lead to structural and functional changes through neuroplasticity\u2014the brain\u2019s capacity to rewire and adapt with experience. Wing says that there are multiple routes through which birding can sharpen perception and calm the mind. Identifying subtle patterns\u2014movement, shape, and sound\u2014requires adaptive thinking and integrating our senses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBirding combines multiple factors we know support cognitive and mental health\u2014like nature exposure, social interaction, and novelty\u2014into one activity,\u201d Wing says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And though it demands high-level thinking, birding is also a form of mental rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBirding helps interrupt cycles of stress and rumination by directing attention outward,\u201d Wing says, referencing a 2022 study by German scientists published in the journal <em>Scientific Reports<\/em> that documented how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-022-20841-0\">listening to birdsong reduces anxiety in people<\/a>. Birding, he says, offers \u201ca moving, engaging focus in the natural world.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large featured\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/433020181-Great-Horned-Owl-Lorenz-Crespo-1280x960.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-72852\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/433020181-Great-Horned-Owl-Lorenz-Crespo-1280x960.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/433020181-Great-Horned-Owl-Lorenz-Crespo-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/433020181-Great-Horned-Owl-Lorenz-Crespo-240x180.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/433020181-Great-Horned-Owl-Lorenz-Crespo-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/433020181-Great-Horned-Owl-Lorenz-Crespo-480x360.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/433020181-Great-Horned-Owl-Lorenz-Crespo.jpg 1422w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Great Horned Owl by <a href=\"https:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/asset\/433020181\">Lorenz Crespo \/ Macaulay Library<\/a><\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In my case, daily walks for owl therapy were just what I needed to calm my anxious mind. Birding distracted me by giving me space to slow down, stay curious, and change my mental state. I began paying closer attention to what was happening outdoors in my neighborhood, with a growing awareness that deepened my connection to the owls and sparked curiosity about other birds nearby. What once felt like background noise now revealed a world I hadn\u2019t noticed before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Wing, this kind of rapid awakening is often most pronounced in the early stages of birding.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou progress really fast because you know so little when you start,\u201d he explains, noting that it\u2019s not necessary to put in hundreds of hours up front to feel a sense of reward. Setting simple goals\u2014like seeing 10 different birds in a week\u2014can be both motivating and gratifying.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The benefits of birding experience may also endure across a person\u2019s lifespan. The research published in the <em>Journal of Neuroscience<\/em> suggests that brain changes associated with birding persist in older experts, who continue to show differences in brain activity and organization compared to their age-matched counterparts. According to Wing, birding engages a variety of brain processes related to memory, attention, and flexible thinking\u2014core components of cognition that are often associated with resilience in aging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scientists are also finding that,&nbsp;beyond possibly strengthening cognitive function, birding helps people experience joy, find meaning, and make connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr. Jenn Lodi-Smith, a professor of psychology at Canisius University in Buffalo, New York, is leading the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spark-bird.org\/\">Spark Bird Project<\/a>, which collects people\u2019s stories and survey data about how birding sparks transformative experiences that grow into lifelong passions. Since launching the project in 2022, Lodi-Smith has collected more than 500 stories from people about the moment they got hooked on birding. She says the Spark Bird stories are emotionally rich and overwhelmingly positive.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPeople describe feelings of joy, curiosity, and pride,\u201d she says. Yet some also reflect on grief or trauma, she says, suggesting that birding can help people process difficult emotions. Stories of recovery, she adds, may highlight the role of birding in emotional healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some days I walked to the owl nest with sadness about my lost career and anxiety about my future. Witnessing the owlets\u2019 wobbly dependence and shaky first flights taught me that recovery is slow and nonlinear\u2014and that accepting support is okay. Their vulnerability and determination helped me let go of rigid expectations, slow down, and find purpose in recovering at my own pace. Gradually, I began to think more positively and see new ways I could be part of the world I shared with the birds\u2014a world bigger than my own struggles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Lodi-Smith\u2019s more than 20-year academic career studying identity development\u2014including the psychological construct of Self-Concept Clarity, which describes how clearly defined, consistent, and stable a person\u2019s self-beliefs are\u2014she has found that human mental health isn\u2019t just the absence of stress or illness. It\u2019s the presence of meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDo people feel a sense of purpose?&nbsp;Do they have a sense of meaning in life?\u201d she says. \u201cOne idea we study is generativity\u2014the desire to give back and contribute to the broader world. Birds make us care about birds, but they also make us care about the world we share.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lodi-Smith says her research has also explored how the communities that people form can nurture a sense of belonging and identity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe birding community offers a space where people can express wonder, awe, and curiosity\u2014emotions that aren\u2019t always encouraged in everyday social roles,\u201d she explains. \u201cWhether a world-renowned ornithologist or a novice, birders share moments of excitement and connection that are deeply meaningful.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And because birds can be found anywhere that people live, they are a great tool for boosting people\u2019s mental health, says Dr. Katie Holland, a research scientist and social scientist at Virginia Tech University. Holland was a member of the science committee for the <a href=\"https:\/\/stateofthebirds.org\/2025\">State of the Birds 2025 report<\/a>, and the lead author on a section in that report about birds and mental health that cited studies on how birds ease symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression in people. According to Holland, those mental health benefits are widely available across every possible demographic group of Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Birding, she says, \u201ccan be adapted to diverse landscapes and participants\u2014from those with minimal time or physical ability, to those seeking more elaborate experiences. This inclusivity means the mental health benefits of birding can reach many.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Holland says the unique flexibility of birding makes it a potentially powerful wellness tool that can be scaled up across communities, at a time of rising need. According to data from the World Health Organization, more than 50% of the world\u2019s population is expected to experience a mental health issue at some point in their lifetime.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cColleagues of mine at Virginia Tech have also been exploring ways to make birding more accessible for diverse participants and those with disabilities,\u201d she says. \u201cThis is important work, and can help make the well-being benefits of this activity available to many more people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I am living proof&nbsp;that birds and birding can be a multidimensional mental health tool\u2014one that strengthens cognitive function, restores a sense of purpose, and inspires connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And I am continuing to recover. Six years after my traumatic brain injury, I feel more at ease, balanced, and emotionally stable as the clouds of anxiety, stress, and sadness begin to lift\u2014clear signs of my improving mental health. With this progress, I am now working as a freelance writer, photographer, and speaker.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"564\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/567137081-Great-Horned-Owl-Buster-Morales.jpeg-1280x564.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-72850\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/567137081-Great-Horned-Owl-Buster-Morales.jpeg-1280x564.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/567137081-Great-Horned-Owl-Buster-Morales.jpeg-720x317.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/567137081-Great-Horned-Owl-Buster-Morales.jpeg-768x338.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/567137081-Great-Horned-Owl-Buster-Morales.jpeg-1536x677.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/567137081-Great-Horned-Owl-Buster-Morales.jpeg-480x211.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/567137081-Great-Horned-Owl-Buster-Morales.jpeg.jpg 1800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Great Horned Owl by <a href=\"https:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/asset\/567137081\">Buster Morales \/ Macaulay Library<\/a><\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hearing the owl parents hooting, watching the male deliver food, smiling at the owlets\u2019 first awkward flights and early hunting attempts, and noticing the patterns on their wings as they preened were a few of my most treasured moments from owl therapy. It\u2019s been a powerful force for good in my personal mental health journey\u2014a force rooted in the simple acts of noticing, presence, reconnecting, rebuilding, recalibrating, and reclaiming power. And now when I go birding, I can feel it give me space when I feel stuck, confidence when I feel shattered, and curiosity when I feel uncertain.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It turns out the wildest plot twist in my story wasn\u2019t the injury. It was the ease of recovery, sparked by owls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I wonder what Great Horned Owls would charge per hour for human therapy? Whatever it is, I\u2019d pay it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group well-gray is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Emily Nichols is a bilingual English and Spanish freelance writer, as well as a photographer and speaker. She is a local captain in Phoenix, Arizona, for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.birdability.org\/\">Birdability<\/a>, a nonprofit organization that makes birding more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities and other health concerns. Nichols holds a master\u2019s degree in mass communications from Arizona State University\u2019s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A writer\u2019s recent experiences with watching owls helped her recover from a traumatic brain injury\u2014and she\u2019s not alone. 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