Urban Birds More Fearful of Women Than Men, Study Finds

In the February edition of People and Nature, a study revealed that urban birds in European cities exhibit greater fear towards women compared to men. Conducted by researchers from the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, the University of Turin, and the University of California, Los Angeles, the research examined 37 bird species in seven cities across the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland, and Spain. From April to July 2023, eight ornithologists—four male and four female—documented nearly 2,600 interactions, focusing on flight initiation distance. On average, birds allowed men to approach about three feet closer than women. Common pigeons tolerated humans at 11.5 feet, while European green woodpeckers fled at 53 feet. Researchers, including Yanina Benedetti, Federico Morelli, and Daniel Blumstein, are unsure of the cause and have dismissed observer bias. They advocate for further studies to explore factors like scents, gaits, or body shapes. John Marzluff from the University of Washington voiced skepticism, stating the findings are initial.