May is Mental Health Awareness Month and as bird migration season hits its peak in Ohio, several HPIO staff members can attest to the mental health benefits of birding.

From mid-April to mid-May, Ohio experiences a sharp increase in birding activity as hundreds of species, including warblers, orioles, shorebirds, and more, complete their annual migration north across the continental United States. According to data from the Cornell Lab Birdcast, more than 8.1 million birds were in flight in Ohio on May 12 alone, as illustrated above.

Northwest Ohio is often called the “warbler capital of the world,” serving as a key stopover point for millions of migrating birds as they prepare to fly over Lake Erie. However, the high volume of birds flying over the whole state means that even backyards can have many tropical visitors, like the bright scarlet tanager or loud-calling Tennessee warbler.

Studies have shown that birdwatching is linked to increased psychological well-being on college campuses, that expert birdwatching can protect against cognitive decline and that experiencing regular encounters with birdlife is associated with improvements in mental well-being.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources estimates that there are 4.1 million wildlife watchers in Ohio, with bird enthusiasts comprising 91% of that total. In 2022, wildlife watchers in Ohio spent about $1.6 billion, according to ODNR. The Biggest Week in American Birding Festival, held in Oak Harbor, Ohio, attracts around 90,000 visitors from around the world each May.

HPIO’s recently released 2026 Health Value Dashboard found that Ohioans with disabilities are 3.4 times more likely than other Ohioans to report 14 or more mentally distressed days in a month. To promote access, the Audobon Society has created a Birdability Map, a crowdsourced tool that provides information on accessibility features of birding locations.

(Editor’s note: Avid HPIO birders Amy Rohling McGee and Brian O’Rourke contributed to this story)