City birds appear to like men more than women, but experts have no idea why
A study of 37 urban bird species across five European countries found that birds tend to flee sooner when approached by women than by men, suggesting they can distinguish between human sexes. Researchers measured flight initiation distance as an indicator of fear, but the reason behind birds' apparent wariness of women remains unknown. The findings challenge assumptions that human observers are neutral in behavioral studies and highlight the need for further research into urban bird behavior.
- ▪The study analyzed 37 urban bird species in five European countries.
- ▪Birds allowed men to get closer before fleeing compared to women.
- ▪Flight initiation distance was used as a measure of bird wariness toward humans.
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Animals Birds City birds appear to like men more than women, but experts have no idea why An analysis of 37 urban bird species found that men could get slightly closer to the avians than women could, suggesting that these animals recognize sex differences in humans. By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published 1 May 2026 in News When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Several species of urban birds can recognize the difference between adult males and females, a new study suggests.
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