Birds can see more colors than humans do. They can actually see ultraviolet light, which is invisible to the human eye. Also, because of the way their eyes are structured, birds can see colors a lot more vividly than we can. Due to their superior vision, birds use colors for various things, like looking for food, finding mates, and detecting danger.
So, what color attracts birds to a bird feeder? If you want a bigger variety of birds to visit your bird feeder, you should paint it using their favorite colors. In this article, you will learn about the colors that are attractive to birds and the ones that they do not find interesting at all.
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Different Colors that Attract Birds to a Bird Feeder
If you want to attract more birds into your yard, aside from the bird food, you also need to make the bird feeder itself as attractive to birds as much as you can. Start by painting the feeder in a color that is most attractive to the kind of birds you wish to attract.
Here are some colors you may want to consider:
Pink and Red
Red is one of the most vibrant colors that the birds’ eyes can see but they also tend to avoid it. For birds, red is a warning color, so they tend to ignore it as much as they can. However, hummingbirds seem to like the color red as it is the typical color of the flowers that they frequent. So, if you want to set up a hummingbird feeder, get one that is red.
On the other hand, if you want to attract other kinds of birds, you can try pink. The color pink is still vibrant in the eyes of birds but they do not translate the color as a warning sign. In addition, the color pink is still appealing to hummingbirds but has the potential to attract other bird species.
Orange and Yellow
Despite being on the lower end of the birds’ visual spectrum, quite a lot of bird species like the colors orange and yellow. Some of the common bird species attracted to orange and yellow colors include orioles and goldfinches.
These birds are typically drawn to items that are roughly the same color as their feathers. In addition, the plants that these birds usually feed on are also orange and yellow.
Purple
Because birds can see colors more vividly, the color purple will seem like a beacon to them in a sea of drab colors. This will make purple bird feeders a lot more visible to birds.
However, being visible does not necessarily mean that your bird feeder will be attractive to more birds. Some birds may find the bird feeder attractive, especially those whose plumage somewhat matches the color purple. Other bird species may also avoid it.
Blue
Birds with the same shade of plumage, like blue jays and bluebirds, are typically attracted to the color blue. In addition, blue is a high-energy color, so it is likely for it to attract more birds.
Many garden birds prefer blue bird feeders during the summer season, but it is also one of the best colors that you can use for the entire year. Aside from painting the bird feeder different colors to attract birds, you can further improve your chances by planting flowering plants with the same colors.
For instance, if your bird feeder is purple, you can plant lavender plants around it to make it even more appealing.
What Colors Should You Avoid?
You can use whatever colors you want, but there is one that you need to avoid, and that is the color white. In the eyes of birds, the color white contrasts highly compared to natural colors. However, white is also considered by birds as a sign of a threat.
Many birds have white patches on their wings that they flash to signal others that they are encroaching on their territories. This is not to say that you cannot use white on your feeders. However, use it sparingly so that it won’t seem that menacing to birds.
In addition to the color white, you should also avoid using anything shiny or reflective. Birds are easily startled when they see anything that is reflective and metallic, so even if your bird feeder might have delicious bird food, they will turn away on instinct alone.
Conclusion
The important thing you should know is that birds see colors differently from us humans, so take this into account when choosing a color for your bird feeder. So, what color attracts birds to bird feeders? No one color can attract all kinds of birds.
Typically, though, you can expect that if you color your feeder a certain color, birds of a similar shade will be attracted to it. The trick here, therefore, is to color your bird feeder with the colors of the kind of birds you want to attract to it. For instance, if you want goldfinches, then color the bird feeder either yellow or orange.