Why do birds react differently to Men and Women?

Have you ever noticed that birds in parks sometimes fly away when a woman approaches but seem less bothered when a man comes near?

A scientific study has explored this interesting behaviour and found that urban birds may react differently to men and women.

Researchers studied 37 bird species in gardens across Germany, France, Poland the Czech Republic, and Spain.  Their findings revealed a surprising difference in how close birds allowed men and women to get before flying away.

Birds allow men to get closer

According to the study birds allowed men to approach about one metre closer than women before flying away.

This suggests that birds may be more alert to women approaching them than to men.  However the findings do not mean that all birds behave this way in every situation.

The study raises an interesting question: why might birds react differently to men and women?

Why do birds react differently to men and women?

Scientists have not yet confirmed the exact reason behind this behaviour. However they believe that birds may notice differences in the way people walk or in their physical appearance.

Birds are sensitive to movement and can quickly respond to anything they consider a possible threat.  Even small differences in human behaviour may affect how close they allow someone to come.

More research is needed

Although the findings offer an interesting insight into bird behaviour further research is needed to understand why birds may respond differently to men and women.

The results also highlight how closely urban birds observe the people around them.

Something as ordinary as walking through a park may influence how nearby birds react. What seems like a simple human movement could make a difference to a bird deciding whether to stay or fly away.