Morning birdsong and roaring lions are among Brits' favourite natural sounds

26 March 2024 , 12:21

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Morning birdsong, the trumpeting of elephants in the wild, and the roar of lions in the African bush, are among Brits' favourite sounds that can be heard in nature, a study has found.

The haunting sound of whale song came third on the top 10 list of best natural sounds, behind water gently flowing through a stream – and the crashing of waves on the shore, which took the top spot.

Meanwhile, the rustling of leaves and branches in the wind, and the gentle sound of snowfall, also ranked as some of the most calming sounds to hear in the great outdoors.

A survey of 2,000 adults found that almost all (93%) agree they feel relaxed among the symphonies of nature – although just 49% often take the time to go out and enjoy those nearby to them.

More than one in four (27%) claim they are too busy to take in the sounds around them while out and about – with 26% of those blaming noisy traffic.

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But almost half (44%) worry that climate change may soon mean they will no longer have the chance to enjoy their favourite natural sounds.

The study was commissioned by Dolby to mark its launch of “Seven Sonic Wonders of the World”. The immersive album was created by wildlife sound recordist, Chris Watson, and award-winning composer, Nainita Desai, and allows listeners to enjoy rare sounds from around the world.

Morning birdsong and roaring lions are among Brits' favourite natural sounds

Almost all Brits agree they feel relaxed among the sounds of nature - with waves crashing against the shore voted as their favourite (Dolby)

Chris Watson, who worked on David Attenborough’s “Life” series, and the BBC series “Frozen Planet”, said: “I’ve been fortunate enough to travel around the world and hear nature at its very best.

“We often neglect the joys the sounds of the Earth bring us, over the sights it brings us – but they really do go hand in hand. It brings me great pleasure to work on this project, to reveal some of the most inspiring sounds I’ve heard on my travels.

“I hope the tracks transport listeners to the heart of these natural wonders, to where I originally placed my microphones – Dolby Atmos helps take them there.”

It emerged that Gen Z and Millennials are 178% more likely than Gen X and older to book a trip to hear a natural sound in person – and 150% more likely to take a long trip to immersive themselves in sound.

They are also keen to relive the moment, as Gen Z are 75% more likely to take a video to capture a sound during a trip.

The survey, which was carried out by OnePoll, also found 39% of adults have booked a trip specifically to see a natural landmark – but just 16% have done so to hear a sound in nature.

But nearly half worry they soon won't be able to enjoy these sounds, due to climate change (Dolby)

During a typical week-long trip, the number of pictures taken by the average traveller to remember the sights is four times higher than the number of videos they capture to remember the sounds.

Consequently, while 58% of Brits can recollect a natural landmark that “wows” visually, just 41% can recall a natural landmark which has the same impact with sound.

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Those polled reckon Africa has the most unique sounds on Earth (22%), followed by Australasia (19%), and South America (18%).

Daniela Bischof, from Dolby Laboratories, added: “We all dream of seeing the Seven Wonders of the World, but how often do we dream of hearing them?

“We wanted to curate the Seven Sonic Wonders of the World to transport listeners to the home of some of the world’s most awe-inspiring sounds – many of which may not be around for much longer.

“We hope listeners love immersing themselves in the best of what nature has to offer with the Seven Sonic Wonders album, all whilst giving a little back to Mother Earth.”

BRITS’ TOP 10 FAVOURITE NATURAL SOUNDS: