Photo Portraiture Enhances Empathy for Birds with Potential Benefits for Conservation and Sustainability

Cameron T. Whitley (), Linda Kalof, L. C. Urquhart, Nate Tatem, Melissa Mair, Katya Ankoudinova, Ingrid Haight, Eva Meglathery, Matthew Worden, Daniella Wilkinson, Megan Schulz, Kathryn Neville and Tim Flach
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Cameron T. Whitley: Department of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
Linda Kalof: Department of Sociology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
L. C. Urquhart: Department of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
Nate Tatem: Department of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
Melissa Mair: Houston Zoo, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Katya Ankoudinova: Department of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
Ingrid Haight: Department of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
Eva Meglathery: Department of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
Matthew Worden: Department of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
Daniella Wilkinson: Department of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
Megan Schulz: Butterfly Pavilion, Westminster, CO 80020, USA
Kathryn Neville: Milwaukee County Zoo, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
Tim Flach: Tim Flach Productions, London EC2A 3QR, UK

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-16

Abstract: Since the 1970s, avian populations have decreased by about 29% in North America, sparking concerns about their continued survival. Birds are essential to ecosystems for seed dispersal and fertilization, insect and rodent control, and as a food source, yet people often under-value them. Research increasingly shows that human empathy is essential to the sustainability of species. Past work indicates that animal photo portraiture can activate empathy, but researchers have primarily focused on charismatic mammals and have poorly measured empathy for others, especially birds. We extend this research by creating the Empathy for Animals Scale (EAS) and conducting an online survey experiment with 793 people from the United States to examine whether bird photo portraiture activates empathy for birds in the same way it does for mammals. We find that bird photo portraiture, compared to traditional wildlife images, more effectively activates empathy for birds and enhances people’s perception of animals in general. Our findings have important implications for avian conservation and sustainability, potentially helping photographers, organizations, and scholars address public perceptions in promoting the sustainability of birds.

Keywords: animal photo portraiture; bird sustainability; bird conservation; empathy for animals; animal empathy scale; strategic anthropomorphism; critical anthropomorphism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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