A study published in the journal People and Nature in 2026 found that urban birds tend to flee sooner when approached by women than by men.
Researchers studied 2,701 bird encounters across seven cities in five European countries: Czechia, France, Germany, Poland and Spain.
The final analysis included 37 bird species.
To make the comparison fair, researchers used male and female observers with similar heights and clothing.
They measured something called flight initiation distance, which is how close a person can approach before a bird flies away.
The results were surprising. Birds allowed men to get approximately one metre closer before escaping.
On average, their escape distance was 8.5 metres for women compared with 7.5 metres for men. The pattern appeared across all five countries and all 37 species.
Scientists have suggested that differences in walking patterns, body shape, appearance or even scent might influence how birds perceive people.
However, none of these explanations has been confirmed.
