Birds Prefer Men Over Women: Study Reveals Surprising Urban Wildlife Behavior

A new study indicates that birds consistently flee faster when approached by women compared to men. Researchers observed this behavior across 37 bird species and over 2,700 encounters in European cities, highlighting how urban wildlife distinguishes human sexes.

Sat May 09 2026

Urban Birds Show Differential Responses to Human Sexes

In a surprising study featured on the WION podcast, researchers have discovered that birds can distinguish between men and women, and consistently choose to flee faster when approached by women across thousands of encounters. This finding challenges previous assumptions about urban wildlife behavior. Yanina Benedetti, an ecologist at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague and co-author of the study, expressed her surprise at how birds reacted differently to her as a woman in the field. The scientists included 37 bird species from five European countries in their observations.

Measuring Flight Initiation Distance and Human Interaction

The researchers measured the distance from a human at which a bird flew away to draw their conclusions. Analyzing over 2,700 approaches, involving birds like magpies and pigeons, they noted distinct responses. While pigeons were more tolerant of human presence, magpies took off faster and maintained a longer flight initiation distance when approached. To isolate the variables, researchers paired male and female participants of similar heights and dressed them in the same colors. They walked directly towards a bird while maintaining a fixed gaze, then measured the flight initiation distance. Observations gathered between April and July of 2023 showed that, on average, men could get about three feet closer to the birds than women could.

Unexplained Behavior Requires Further Study

Study co-author Daniel Blumstein affirmed the validity of their results—that urban birds react differently based on the sex of the person approaching them—but admitted they could not yet explain why. The researchers suggest that follow-up studies are needed to understand more about this behavior, including potential factors such as movement patterns, scent cues, or specific physical traits. The findings, published in the journal People and Nature, have implications for urban ecology and equality in science, shedding light on how animals in cities perceive humans.

*Source: YouTube: WION (2026-05-09)*

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