• Learning to recognise birds may strengthen your cognitive reservesteve young/Alamy Learning to recognise birds may strengthen your cognitive reserve steve young/Alamy Expert birdwatchers have brain differences that may underlie their remarkable ability to identify unfamiliar birds and suggest that birdwatching can reshape the brain in much the same way as learning a language or a musical instrument does. • Such activities may bolstercognitive reserve, the brain’s ability to defend itself against ageing and adapt to damage. • When learning or practising a skill, the brain reorganises itself, strengthening and streamlining relevant pathways. • This ability, known as neuroplasticity, underpins the development of expertise. • It is why professional musicians show structural changes in brain regions involved in hearing, and athletes exhibit similar adaptations in motor areas. • Read moreWhy you should slow down your brain’s ageing - and how to do it Read more Why you should slow down your brain’s ageing - and how to do it Advertisement To understand whether birding also shapes the brain,Erik Wingat York University in Canada and his colleagues analysed brain structure and function in 48 hobbyist birders, half experts and half novices, as judged on a screening test.

Article Summaries:

  • A study by York University researchers examined 48 hobbyist birders-half experts, half novices-to see if birdwatching shapes the brain. Participants aged 22‑79 were scanned while identifying highly similar bird images. Experts identified 83 % of local and 61 % of non‑local species, far above novices’ 44 %. Brain activity and structural complexity were greater in experts in regions linked to visual processing, attention and working memory. Both groups showed age‑related decline, but it was less pronounced in experts, suggesting birdwatching may build cognitive reserve and slow age‑related brain changes. The findings support the idea that engaging in complex hobbies can enhance neuroplasticity and protect against cognitive decline.
  • Expert birdwatchers have brain differences that may underlie their remarkable ability to identify unfamiliar birds and suggest that birdwatching can reshape the brain in much the same way as learning a language or a musical instrument does. Such activities may bolster cognitive reserve, the brain’s ability to defend itself against ageing and adapt to damage. When learning or practising a skill, the brain reorganises itself, strengthening and streamlining relevant pathways. This ability, known as neuroplasticity, underpins the development of expertise. It is why professional musicians show stru

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