Hummingbirds can see every colors we can as well as those invisible to our naked eye. These colors fall within the ultraviolet spectrum and include ultraviolet+green, ultraviolet+red, ultraviolet+yellow and ultraviolet+purple.
Hummingbirds see far more than we do due to the biology of their retina, which is what I’ll be digging into in more detail throughout this article along with other topics like their favourite and most disliked colors.
What Colors Do Hummingbirds See?
Hummingbirds see all the color we do. This mens they can see blue, green, red, yellow, brown, orange, pink and so on but, as a result of having a fourth cone within their eyes, they can even view lights invisible to us.
All these colors fall within the ultraviolet spectrum where this fourth cone allows them to sew the below 5 colors:
- Purple
- Ultraviolet+red
- Ultraviolet+green
- Ultraviolet+yellow
- Ultraviolet+purple.
In fact there was a whole experiment run by Mary Casswell Stoddard, an assistant professor from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, from Princeton University with purpose of discovery if hummingbirds try can see these invisible colors.
This experiment was testing to see how differently a hummer would react based on the type of color whether normal or ultraviolet.
The hummingbirds partaking in this experiment had 2 feeders, one that was filled with plain water and the other with sugar water. These feeders were then attached with an LED where one was ultraviolet and the other wasn’t. For example both colors would have the exact same shade of light green to us even though one was UV+green.
Every day the feeder would change positions, maybe stay in the same area just so we’d understand if the hummers are using the colors to decide which feeder had sweet water and which one didn’t. The colors essentially told them if the feeder was sugar based or plain.
Over several hours of the LED tube being next to the feeder as well as number of steps to minimise other aspects, such as smell, to help the hummingbird decide which feeder had sugar water.
It was discovered that the hummers could tell the colors and would always pick the sugar based feeder by the color displayed by the UV LED light.
Why Do Hummingbirds See Colors We Can’t?
We have 3 cones within our eyes that allow us to the see the colors red, blue and green. This makes up a lot of what we see within computer or TV screens, the colors visible to us on the rainbow as a result of primary colors blending together and even the color purple.
Hummingbirds on the other hand see what we do as well as the ultraviolet color spectrum and this is as a result of having an extra cone built within their eyes. This is an ancient four color-cone visual system, also called Tetrachromacy, that was discovered in early vertebrates.
It’s believed that other birds, fish, reptiles and even dinosaur saw colors in this way too. However, eventhough this ability to see nonspectral colors may be an asset in some sense, it’s not a feature that dictates too much on how hummers react when sipping sugar water or scooping up flower nectar. After all that’s all down to the quality of the food source.
What Colors Are Hummingbirds Most Attracted To?
Hummingbirds do have their favourite colors, or what we’ve observed to be as such due to hummingbird most commonly visiting them when digging for nectar.
Red seems to be the most attention grabbing flower as it’s often red flowers that hummingbirds go to first. That’s also why hummingbird feeders are red. To them it signals the food source as being top quality and worth their time feeding from.
Hummingbirds can be a little picky when eating as they’re known to not consume food if it doesn’t satisfy their sweet tooth.
Furthermore, hummingbirds have a heightened awareness of how they see specific colors where red and yellow are among the more vibrant colors.
Pollen and nectar also happen to be red or yellow in color so, taking into account a hummingbirds excellent memory and how these colors are often winners for sweet flower nectar, it definitely makes sense why hummers really would like the color red.
This doesn’t mean a hummingbird won’t feed on an orange or even pink colored flower. In the end of the day it’s all a matter of if the nectar is sweet enough. If this criteria is met, they’ll gladly chow down on the nectar in spite of the color.
Is There A Color Hummingbirds Don’t Like?
There isn’t any specific color that hummingbirds don’t like. Nevertheless, if your goal is to gather hummingbirds to your backyard, it’s best that you avoid using reflective colors or the color white on the feeder meant to gather them.
The reason why white should be avoided is down to how hummers act when confronting one another.
I’m confrontations they tend to flash their white wings or white tail patches to let the other party aware of their dissatisfaction. White essentially acts as a sign of aggressions and hummingbirds don’t always want to get into a confrontation but if it comes down to it, they’re not against it either.
Hummers also aren’t too fond of reflective or metallic materials as the reflections make flowers or feeders look like they’re moving which might be a sign that the flower or feeder nearby could be threat to them. .
Summary
Hummingbirds see colors that even we can’t see so as opposed to calling them colorblind, it’s probably more accurate to say we’re the colorblind specie. A hummingbirds vision is completely different to us as a result of the four color cone retina that allows them the ability to view non-spectral colors.
This ability to view ultraviolet colors doesn’t positively or negatively affect their lifestyle or how they act but, it’s still useful in distinguishing flowers or objects that fall within this spectrum, as was showcased in the Princeton university experiment.
In theory it makes it so there are more nuisances between environments, which may make it easier to know where or what a place is based on the extra UV information they see.
References
https://www.perkypet.com/articles/are-hummingbirds-attracted-to-red
https://www.marthastewart.com/2124714/best-colors-attract-birds-backyard
Amhil Khan, a dedicated nature enthusiast and the founder of BirdsOfTheWild.com, is a passionate advocate for the captivating world of avian wonders. With a deep-seated curiosity about the intricate lives of birds, Amhil’s journey began as a fascination and has evolved into a mission to inspire others to appreciate and protect these magnificent creatures.
Amhil’s love for birds led to the creation of Birds of the Wild, a platform where his expertise in ornithology, coupled with his captivating storytelling, provides readers with an immersive and educational experience. Through his lens and words, he captures the essence of birds in their natural habitats, offering a glimpse into their behaviors, migrations, and the ecosystems they inhabit.