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In everyday language, people sometimes describe this as looking at the “big picture.”
It can be tempting to go further and declare that anyone who sees five must therefore be a visionary, leader or creative thinker.
The puzzle cannot establish any of those things.
But it can raise an interesting question about your approach to the image.
Did you understand the overall scene first and inspect the details afterward?
If so, try another look.
There may be more waiting for you.
What If Your First Answer Was 7?
Seven sits between the other commonly suggested answers in this version of the puzzle.
If you noticed seven first, perhaps your eyes picked up the most obvious birds plus several less prominent ones.
Again, that does not scientifically establish that you have a “balanced personality.”
But your viewing process may have combined a quick overall impression with some additional scanning.
Now compare your first attempt with your second.
Did seven remain your answer?
Or did another shape suddenly begin looking like a pigeon?
That second look is where the puzzle becomes more interesting.
Because some viewers report noticing even more.
If You Counted 9
If nine was your first answer, you may simply have spent more attention on individual elements before deciding on your count.
Perhaps you scanned from one side of the image to the other.
Maybe you naturally took slightly longer before answering.
Or perhaps the smaller details were simply easier for you to see on your particular screen.
It can be fun to call this “detail-oriented.”
But the puzzle alone cannot prove that someone consistently behaves that way in real life.
A person who carefully counts pigeons in one image may rush through a completely different task five minutes later.
Human attention changes with context.
And that is part of what makes this puzzle more interesting than the personality labels often attached to it.