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Flight Initiation Distance

All articles tagged with #flight initiation distance

environment25 days ago•7 min saved

Urban Birds Flee From Women Faster Than From Men

A European, multi-country study across 37 bird species found urban birds take flight sooner when approached by women than by men, with men able to stand closer by about a meter. The exact cues driving this sex difference—such as scent, gait, or body shape—remain unknown, and researchers call for follow-up experiments to identify the responsible signals. The 2,701 observations suggest urban birds are sensitive to subtle human cues, with implications for urban ecology and how scientists study animal behavior in cities.

via SciTechDaily|

#birds #environment #europe

science25 days ago•2 min saved

Urban Birds Startle More at Women Than Men, Study Finds

An international study of 37 urban bird species across five European countries found birds let male researchers approach about three feet closer before fleeing than female researchers, a robust sex-based difference in flight initiation distance across cities and species. Researchers ruled out obvious factors like hair length, body size, and height, and suggested possibilities such as subtle appearance cues or odor, but no definitive explanation yet. The finding is consistent but remains puzzling to scientists.

via Nautilus | Science|

#birds #cross-country-study #flight-initiation-distance