Birds and Our Hedonic Adaptation
“You don’t know what you have until it is gone” is something that all are aware of. That is a characteristic of humans to fail to appreciate what they have while they have it. Humans become insensitive to stimuli and environmental factors with repeat exposure. Birders are not immune to this factor and take for granted the birds they see around them. Yes, you may have been excited about having a bird in your yard the first time but as time wears on, this becomes a common place, and the excitement diminishes just as buying a new object from the store. The hedonic adaptation is a psychological process where people tend to return to a relatively stable baseline level after having positive or negative life events. When something good happens like seeing a new bird or adding a bird to your life lists, you have a boost of happiness, but the feeling fades as your brain adjusts to the experience. This natural and often unconscious process helps keep life stable but can cause you to ignore or become complacent to the treasures and the birds that you have around you. I have been on birding trips with some birders referring to a species seen so often that they call them “trash birds”. There are no trash birds regardless of how often they are seen. You need to regain a gratitude and appreciation for what you have. Find joy in seeing your American Robins, Northern Cardinals, Blue jays, Eastern Bluebirds, and others that you see so often that you ignore their presence and the beauty they hold. By understanding the hedonic adaptation process that is at work in your crinkled cranium you can focus on strategies that promote sustainable well-being, cultivate gratitude, meaningful engagement, and mindful awareness, rather than relying solely on new external circumstances and birds to provide a lasting happiness.
You need to remember that we have lost 3 billion birds since 1970 and four percent (4%) fewer birds are crossing the Gulf each year. In just one decade, we have 40% fewer birds crossing the Gulf. Even what we call our common birds is in steep decline. You need to find a mental way of renewed and sustainable joy and appreciation for our birds and see and experience each one while we still have them.
