Birds are more afraid of women than men. Scientists have no idea why

Birds living in cities appear to react differently to men and women, and scientists are struggling to explain why. An international research team discovered that urban birds, including great tits, house sparrows, and blackbirds, tend to fly away sooner when approached by women than by men. The surprising behavior raises new questions about how birds perceive the people around them.

The study took place in five European countries, where male and female participants (matched for height and clothing) walked directly toward birds in city parks and other green spaces.

On average, men were able to approach about one meter closer than women before the birds flew away. The researchers measured this response by recording how close a person could get before a bird took flight (termed flight initiation distance).