People who enjoy gambling have something in common with pigeons.

That is according to research, which suggests human gamblers and pigeons are 35% more likely to take greater risks when there is a chance of a big win.

Birds are distantly related to humans, yet we still share the same basic psychology that drives risk-taking. This may be due to a shared common ancestry or similar evolutionary pressures.

When people gamble, they often rely on past experiences with risk and rewards to make decisions. What we found in this study is that pigeons used these past experiences in very similar ways to guide their future gambling decisions. Any big wins we've had in the past are memorable and stand-out when we are making our decision to gamble again.

– Dr Elliot Ludvig, from the University of Warwick's Department of Psychology

The pigeons and human volunteers were testing with four options - two that led to high-value rewards and two that led to low-value rewards. Humans were rewarded with points and the birds were rewarded with food.

For each high or low reward level, one safe option resulted in a guaranteed fixed reward, and one risky option yielded a 50/50 chance of a better or worse outcome.

Both birds and humans were found to be 35% more likely to take a gamble on the high-value rewards.

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