Birdwatching keeps the aging brain flexible, scientists found

Expert birdwatchers show greater structural complexity across several brain regions than novices, according to a study from the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education in Toronto that used MRI scans to track what happens during a birding session. The faculties that lit up most were attention and visual recognition, especially when participants were unsure which bird they were squinting at. Some veteran birders, grey among the feathers, showed better brain organization than the beginners brought along as a control group. Lead author Erik Wing, a man whose surname did him no favors here, told the BBC's Becca Warner that curiosity does most of the work, since novelty forces the brain to reorganize and stay flexible with age. A separate study of 388 birdwatchers in Poland found that those who valued the hobby most felt the greatest psychological restoration. "I think there's a lot of benefit to incorporating more novelty in our lives," Wing said.