Selecting a birdhouse and feeder is much easier when you know what colors are birds attracted to. Your feathered friends are more likely to visit your yard when they see their favorite red, blue, gold, orange, and earthy hues.
You can find various themed birdhouses with different colors. Plus, it would be fun to do the painting yourself.
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Important Facts About Colors That Attract Birds
Attracting birds to your yard is not only to satisfy your love for birds, but to keep your garden healthy as well. Passerines are perfect for weed control since they eat weed seeds, and they love insects too. Plus, some avian species aid in flower pollination.
For these reasons, it’s important to lure birds to your birdhouse and feeder so they can help the environment. But are birds attracted to certain colors? Yes, they are, and knowing what those colors are can help bring in more passerines to your property.
Let us explore the top birdhouse colors that attract birds.
1. Red
Birds like the color red, especially the hummingbirds. Passerines like the red hue because it’s a major shade in their color spectrum. They also use red to draw in mates.
Following this logic, choosing a crimson birdhouse or feeder is the best color to captivate songbirds.
2. Blue
Blue colors attract sparrows, blue jays, and bluebirds. Studies have shown that blue is the second color that fowls love, next to red. This shade is especially charming to birds with blue plumage, but are attractive to other species as well.
3. Yellow
If you’re wondering do birds like yellow, then the answer is yes. This hue is conspicuous, and passerines can easily find them at night. Nocturnal avians can find shelter in your golden birdhouse, and they can have their fill from your yellow bird feeder.
Even during the day, yellow birdhouses and feeders stand out. And since fowls such as the American Goldfinches like this color, they’ll surely visit your yard more often.
Also, because yellow is the color of sunflowers and birds do love sunflower seeds, having yellow birdhouses and feeders is recommended.
4. Orange
Baltimore orioles love the color orange, as well as other birds with feathers in this shade.
To enhance your bird house colors, you can use orange ribbons, mosaic balls, or flowers as well.
Colors To Avoid On Birdhouses And Feeders
Red, blue, lemon, and orange colors attract birds, but there is also one shade that deter birds. White represents danger to the passerine species. So steer clear of birdhouses and feeders with this particular hue.
In fact, dedicated bird enthusiasts even avoid wearing white shirts when bird watching.
Additionally, brightly-colored birds tend to stay away from white bird houses because they will stand out in front of predators.
Practical Birdhouse Color For Birds
Without a doubt, birds do have their favorite colors. But aside from the bright hues, there are also shades that avians are less attracted to but are more practical. Earthy tones such as black, green, brown, and gray blend with the environment, which keeps birds safe.
Birds always seek for a safe haven to roost, nest, and feed. And using birdhouses and feeders with earthy tones provide that security.
Fun Way Of Testing The Color Theory
A bird’s favorite color is mostly associated with what it is used to. Amber symbolizes sunflower seeds, and blue reflects the feathers of blue jays and bluebirds.
With varying bright colors that passerines love, it’s hard to choose which birdhouse or feeder to purchase. But the fun part is, you can buy multiple shades and use them at once.
By installing red, blue, lemon, orange, black, green, gray, and brown birdhouses and feeders, you’ll surely be overwhelmed by the number of bird species to visit your property.
So go ahead and test the color theory. You’ll be amazed at the different bird breeds to take photos of. However, make it a point to put enough distance between the birdhouses and feeders. Keep in mind that avians are territorial, and you surely don’t want bird fights in your yard.
Other Tips On Selecting Birdhouses & Feeders
Knowing what colors do birds like is essential to your success in enchanting passerines. However, don’t lose focus on important health concerns when it comes to the materials used. Here are a few helpful tips to consider:
- Avoid using dark-colored birdhouses during the summer. This can increase the heat, which is bad for eggs and baby birds.
- In painting your own birdhouse, never use a lead-based paint since that’s poisonous to birds. Opt for a water-based product instead.
- At least once a month, check the colorful birdhouses for paint chips. Paint debris is toxic to fowls, so be diligent.
- Utilize or buy a birdhouse that has no trace of paint in the interior or entrance. It’s never a good idea to let birds come in contact with paint.
- After painting birdhouses, let them dry under the sun for days, even weeks until the smell wears off. Paint odor is bad for the bird’s health.
- Choose the birdhouse and feeder color according to the kind of bird species you want to attract.
Plus, place the birdhouses and feeders in a secure spot away from predators.
Conclusion
What colors are birds attracted to is relevant to your decision in purchasing a new birdhouse or bird feeder.
We hope you enjoyed this post and acquired new ideas on attracting birds through their favored colors. Kindly help us spread this information to your social media. And leave us your thoughts. We always welcome suggestions, so feel free to comment.
George and I became friends after a birdwatching trip with our new group. And we have been enjoying every adventure together. When he told me the idea of establishing a site that shares our experiences and fun, I immediately agreed. After trials and errors, here we have Thayerbirding.
