Observer‑sex bias in wildlife

A multi‑country study found urban birds flee sooner from women than from men: on average male experimenters could get about three feet closer before birds took flight. The pattern held across 37 species and five countries after controlling for height, weight and visible hair, but the cause—visual cues, gait, scent, or cultural/evolutionary history—remains unresolved. — If observer sex systematically alters animal responses, it matters for ecological research design, urban wildlife management, and public guidelines about interacting with animals.