Urban birds are more scared of women than men - but scientists don’t know why

Apr 29, 2026 · 9:08 AM UTC ·5 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 29 views

#urban wildlife #bird behavior #gender differences #animal cognition #scientific study

TL;DR · WeSearch summary

A recent study found that urban birds, including pigeons and sparrows, are more wary of women than men, allowing men to get closer before flying away. The research, conducted across five European countries, observed 2,701 interactions with 37 bird species. Scientists confirm the pattern but do not yet understand what cues birds use to distinguish gender or why they react more strongly to women.

Key facts

▪Urban birds allow men to get an average of one metre closer than women before taking flight.
▪The study involved 2,701 observations across Czechia, France, Germany, Poland, and Spain.
▪Birds such as pigeons, sparrows, magpies, and blackbirds consistently showed greater fear of women, though the reason remains unknown.
▪Researchers controlled for height and clothing to isolate the effect of human gender on bird behavior.
▪The findings were published in the British Ecological Society journal and highlight birds' ability to assess human characteristics.

How this story was covered

2 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 12 hours. All of the coverage we found sits in one bucket: centre. That one-sidedness is itself worth noticing.

Centre · 1

▪ Urban birds fear women more than men, and scientists don't know why — Phys.org

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The Independent (UK) publishes from United Kingdom and files mainly under news. We currently carry 922 of its stories.

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Original publisher	The Independent
Canonical URL	https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/urban-birds-pigeons-women-men-study-b2966959.html
Publication time	Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:08:01 GMT
Retrieval time	2026-04-29T09:16:54.499Z
Last seen	2026-04-29T09:16:54.499Z
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Cluster	QtGio-cpBdPd · 2 stories
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Publisher visit	Yes — open original
Substitutes article?	No — link-out required for full text

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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand

NewsUKHome NewsUrban birds are more scared of women than men – but scientists don’t know whyResearchers found that city birds will allow men to get an average of a metre closer before taking flightHarriette Boucher Wednesday 29 April 2026 11:26 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2966959","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/urban-birds-pigeons-women-men-study-b2966959.html","title":"Urban birds are more scared of women than men –but scientists don’t know why"}}Related: Woman feeding pigeons arrested and handcuffed…

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