I never expected that an app for identifying birds would help me with mindfulness more than my meditation apps.

Claudio Mello was conducting research in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest about 20 years ago when he heard a curious sound. It was high-pitched and reedy, like a pin scratching metal. A cricket? A tree frog?

Birds don't just sing for beauty, their voices carry messages, warnings, and even regional dialects that reveal a hidden ...