About

Bird Theory or Bird Test refers to a TikTok trend in which women post videos testing a relationship theory on their boyfriends, husbands and partners by telling them, "I saw a bird today," and checking to see if they engage with the seemingly boring topic. The relationship test trend first began making the rounds online in October 2023, with TikToker @alyssacardib posting a viral video about how the Bird Test could help people determine if they are in a healthy relationship or not. The test simply involves someone saying, "I saw a bird" to their partner, and if their partner engages with the statement with genuine interest and curiosity, even as a simple "Where?" it could indicate whether the relationship has the potential to be successful.

Videos in which women test the Bird Theory while recording their husbands and boyfriends' reactions saw a spike in virality online in October 2025, with people also doing the test on their friends and family. However, the trend may be a misreading or reinterpretation of the "Bid Theory," which is a study published by the Gottman Institute. The study indicates that couples in a healthy relationship tend to respond to each other's "bids," no matter how innocuous the prompt may be.

Origin

One of the earliest viral videos about the Bird Test was posted by TikToker^[1] @alyssacardib (Alyssa Caribardi) on October 27th, 2023. She talked about how one can point out something "insignificant," like a bird perched outside, and gauge their partner's reactions to see whether a relationship will be successful. If their partner responds with genuine interest and curiosity, it could be a sign that they have a healthy, mutually engaged relationship. Alyssa's "test" is similar to and plausibly based on a study published by the Gottman Institute about "bids" in relationships. The study indicates that couples who respond to each other's "bids," or conversation starters, tend to be happier together.^[7]

Alyssa also spoke about how she uses this theory with her friends and family as well, and recalled a time when she and a new friend had a 10-minute-long conversation about woodpeckers, and how they have stayed close since then. The video gathered over 600,000 likes and 7,000 comments in three years.

Several TikTokers reacted to the test in 2023, including former contestant on The Bachelor, Michelle Young, who gathered over 1.8 million views and 120,000 likes in two years on a TikTok^[2] video posted on October 31st, 2023.

The Bird Test was also covered in an article from SimplyPsychology^[8] on November 27th, 2023, titled "Can The Viral ‘Bird Test’ Really Predict Relationship Satisfaction?" In the article, SimplyPsychology referenced the Gottman Institute study about bids, saying:

The bird test is actually based on established relationship research. What Caribardi describes aligns with what psychologist John Gottman calls "bids for emotional connection."

Spread

On December 26th, 2024, YouTuber Dr. Laurie Santos, a Professor of Psychology and the Head of Silliman College at Yale University, uploaded a video about the Bird Test in which she interviewed Dr. John Gottman for her podcast The Happiness Lab and discussed the trend. The video received over 12,800 views and 210 likes in 10 months.

The trend continued to make the rounds in 2025, as seen in an October 19th, 2025, video posted by TikToker^[3] @royjeebiv, who gathered over 4 million views and 300,000 likes on a clip in which she walks up to her boyfriend washing the dishes and engages him in a conversation about a bird she saw that day.

On October 20th, 2025, TikToker^[4] @donnyandserenity posted a similar video, recording herself telling her boyfriend that she "saw a bird," and him asking "Where?" repeatedly. The post gathered over 5 million views and 700,000 likes in 10 days.

On October 24th, TikToker^[5] @chrisxkeara posted a skit where she tests the "bird theory" on her boyfriend, but he responds negatively, and says, "This is why I cheated on you." The video gathered over 2 million plays and 160,000 likes in five days.

On October 25th, 2025, TikToker^[6] @lesleemarler posted a video telling her boyfriend that she saw a bird, only for him to bring up the Birds Aren't Real conspiracy theory and tell her, "Birds aren't spies." The post gathered over 3 million views and 500,000 likes in four days.

In late October 2025, the trend also spread to other social media platforms, such as Instagram^[9] and TikTok,^[10] as other users and content creators joined in on it.

On November 12th, YouTuber Papa Meat (MeatCanyon) covered the Bird Theory in a video titled "Online Relationship Tests Are Horrible," receiving over 666,000 views, 43,000 likes and 3,700 comments in 20 hours.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References