Machist bias in bird studies

Many bird studies do not usually consider the specific characteristics of birds according to their sex. But a new approach discovered peculiarities not detected before. For example, that female birds have a lower survival rate. And that females birds fly further. This causes them to spend more time in the spotlight of the predators, spend more energy and run more risk of starving. The macho bias in bird studies has defined part of what we know of them (and what is not).

Behavior differences

Females are more susceptible to landscape changes, such as climate change. And it is likely that all these factors have an impact on the population. The problem of historical bias in previous studies is that it makes it difficult to understand the behavior of birds by not identifying differences by sex. That is why the training of scientists and the general public imports on how to better identify females. And the use of blood samples, feathers and DNA to determine the sex of the most difficult species to analyze.

Studies and prospects may also take into account the way in which the sexes use the different habitats. Not only in space but in time. For example focusing on capturing birds during the migration time. It is when both sexes are active. And not only in the mating season, when females can spend more time in the nest.

It will also be essential to strive to investigate birds out of North America and Europe. It is where historically most studies have been carried out, they affirm. This is because many tropical singing birds are socially monogamous. This tends to be an indicator of species with female song.

Bigs that blind

The macho bias in scale studies even at political levels. Financing also influences what birds are studied and, in the United States, that future is not clear. Recently, the Trump administration ordered some changes to the National Foundation of Sciences, which finances much of the basic scientific research. Includes bird studies. Now they ask that words like "female" mark when reviewing subsidy applications. It is a measure that will almost definitely hinder the investigation of females, whether birds or human.

"Our deepest desire for everyone's health is that we are less divided and more united. And we recognize that the whole society deserves quality, fair and ethical health care," says the researchers. "We cannot have that without examining what is similar between us, but also what is different."