A new study examining the response to humans of urban birds such as pigeons, sparrows and magpies has produced a striking result: the birds allow males to approach them more closely than females.
The study, published in the journal British Ecological Society, examined 37 different species of birds. The research is based on a total of 2,701 observations in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland and Spain.
In the experiments, male and female participants of similar size and clothing walked in a straight line toward birds in city parks and green spaces. According to the results, women were able to approach the birds up to an average of 8.5 meters, while men were able to reduce this distance to around 7.5 meters. In other words, birds later perceive males as a threat.
“We are sure that urban birds react differently depending on the gender of the approaching person, but we cannot currently explain why,” said Daniel Blumstein, co-author of the study.
Researchers believe that birds may use cues such as smell, body type or gait style to distinguish between humans. However, further studies are needed to confirm these hypotheses.
Federico Morelli, another co-author of the study, explained that the results showed that urban animals' ability to assess their environment is more advanced than we thought.
Yanina Benedetti said: “This study is important for us to understand how animals living in cities perceive humans. It also shows that the human factor is not always neutral in scientific observations.”
According to experts, urban birds are sensitive to small behavioral and physical signals that humans do not notice. Future research should reveal what signals birds perceive by examining these signals individually.
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