Does Color Affect a Bird's Choice of Food?

Unfortunately the question of whether color affects a bird's food choices is still one of scientific mystery, but there are a few known facts about bird vision and color.

  1. Color Perception in Birds

    • Recent science has found that birds have a much broader perception of color compared to humans. Birds can see four or five photo-pigment types depending on the species, while humans can only see three.

    Color Perception and Feeding

    • While scientists agree that birds will filter out anything green when choosing food, studies are still inconclusive as to how birds react to other colors.

    Bird Feeders

    • Some scientists believe that the color of the bird feeder may also determine how attracted birds will be to your food.

    A General Rule

    • As a general rule for both seeds and feeders, stick with what is natural. Because we have not figured out all of the complexities of color perception in birds and their feeding habits, following mother nature's color scheme provides the best results.

    Experiment

    • A popular science experiment for young students is to set out several different colors of birdseed and chart which species are attracted to which food. This may help you decide which seed to offer in your backyard until the experts get conclusive data.