The bird theory has been going viral on social media and it’s meant to see how well your partner is connected to you and your day.

Robert had the bird theory test thrust upon him this week and he didn’t disappoint. Picture: TikTok/Ezra Sosa

Robert Irwin has been dragged into the latest dating trend that’s designed to test how interested you are in your partner. While the youngest of the Irwin clan is a single man, he still managed to pass with flying colours.

It’s called the bird theory, and relationship expert Melissa Ferrari told Yahoo Lifestyle it’s a simple question you can pose to your partner at any time. But she added that you shouldn’t rely on it as the ultimate evaluation of whether you’re doing well or on the rocks.

Robert was put to the test by Dancing With The Stars performer Ezra Sosa, who told him he saw a bird outside. Without skipping a beat, the 21-year-old Aussie star excitedly asked what kind.

Not only that, but he asked Ezra how big the bird’s beak was, what colour it was, how big the wingspan was, what time of day it was, whether it was squawking or silent, which left the dancer scrambling to come up with answers.

Robert even said he had a bird book with him if Ezra wanted to flick through the pages to find out what the species was.

At the end of the short clip, the 21-year-old said it was “really cool” that the dancer saw a bird and even gave him a high five for the story.

It’s no surprise that a wildlife warrior like Robert would take an interest in a bird story, and people thought it was hilarious that Ezra would try out this dating technique on someone like him.

“Doing the bird theory on any Irwin is insane, let alone Robert Irwin,” wrote one person.

“Robert broke bird theory. He was just interested in the bird lol,” added another.

“He responded EXACTLY how I thought he would,” said a third.

So wait, what is the bird theory?

The bird theory has gone viral on social media because of how easy it is to replicate and because of the responses that some people give.

It’s also not just for partners, but can be used on friends, family members, and other loved ones.

You simply tell a person that you saw a cool bird today and see what their reaction is.

The idea hinges on how much your partner is interested in the benign or small things in your day-to-day life. You don’t have to mention a bird and could pick anything that might be relevant to your situation.

If your partner asks loads of questions about it, that’s a good sign. But if they don’t inquire about the bird, or say something mean, that’s a bad sign, according to the theory.

“A smart person in a relationship that wants to create security and safety is wise to respond to their partners for connection, because it’s actually an investment in the relationship,” Ferrari told Yahoo Lifestyle.

Relationship expert Melissa Ferrari said the bird theory is a fun test to put to your partner, but don’t read into it too much. Picture: Supplied

“It’s saying to your partner, ‘You’re important to me, and that you matter, and this relationship matters to me.’”

But the relationship expert explained why you shouldn’t base the health of your entire relationship on the outcome of the question.

“If you’re just going to try this theory on your partner and they are feeling unwell, or they’re stressed, or they’ve got something else on their mind, it’s absolutely not wise to use that test,” she said.

“You could really dissolve a relationship that could be a really good one, but your partner is just having a bad day.”

Bird theory concept linked to ‘bids for connection’

John Gottman, from The Gottman Institute, has been doing world-leading research into relationships for decades.

He, along with his colleague Robert Levenson, conducted a test years ago that led to the concept of “bids for connection”.

These are small and big attempts that people make with their partners every day to deepen their connection with each other.

It could be a question, a remark, or a physical expression of connection, and there are three types of responses:

Turning towards, which means you acknowledge the bid

Turning away, which is ignoring or not noticing the bid

Turning against, which is rejecting the bid in an argumentative or angry way

The Gottman Institute put couples to the test to see how they handled these bids and ranked them on how strong their relationship was.

Couples considered to be in the “master” category turned towards bids 86 per cent of the time. Those in the “disaster” category only turned towards 33 per cent of the time.

“Some people think they can put their relationship on ice and then thaw it out with the occasional romantic date night,” behavioural scientist turned dating coach Logan Ury wrote about the test.

“But relationships are built and maintained with daily attention, not grand gestures.”

“Our brains subconsciously keep track of how many bids are accepted or rejected by our partners. When our partner constantly turns away or against our bids, we begin to feel frustrated.

“We are more inclined to criticise our partners, which pushes them to be defensive and may result in an argument.”