Hummingbirds have an incredibly high metabolism, requiring them to constantly search for energy. These specialized pollinators must consume a vast amount of nectar daily, sometimes drinking up to twice their body weight. To ensure efficient foraging, hummingbirds rely heavily on distinct visual cues to quickly locate high-sugar food sources. Color is the primary signal they use to swiftly identify flowers offering the best nutritional reward.
The Primary Attracting Colors
The colors that most strongly attract hummingbirds are bright red and orange, acting as a powerful visual advertisement for nectar. This preference is rooted in ecology, as many tubular, high-sugar flowers have evolved to be red or orange specifically to attract these birds. These flowers often produce sucrose, the sugar hummingbirds most easily metabolize for energy.
Red and orange separate the flowers from green foliage, making them instantly recognizable to a hummingbird in flight. While color initially attracts the bird, the quality of the nectar determines if the hummingbird will return. The bird’s preference for red and orange signifies a reliable, high-energy food source in the natural world.
Understanding Hummingbird Vision
Hummingbirds are drawn to color due to the remarkable structure of their eyes, which gives them a visual advantage over humans. Unlike people, who are trichromats with three types of color-sensitive cone cells, hummingbirds are tetrachromats, possessing a fourth cone type. This extra cone is sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light, extending their visible spectrum far beyond our own.
This specialized vision allows hummingbirds to perceive colors invisible to the human eye, including combinations like UV+red and UV+green. This ability helps them detect subtle UV patterns on flowers that act as a nectar guide. Even if a flower appears dull to us, its UV signature can make it glow, providing an advantage for quickly locating the richest food sources.
Applying Color Knowledge to Feeders and Plants
Attracting hummingbirds effectively means using color as a beacon while providing a safe, reliable food source. For feeders, red should be incorporated into the structure, such as the base, lid, or feeding ports. It is crucial to use a clear sugar solution and avoid adding any red food dye to the water itself.
Commercial red dyes, such as Red No. 40, are petroleum-based and can be harmful to these tiny birds. The correct, safe mixture for a hummingbird feeder is a simple solution of one part refined white sugar dissolved into four parts water. Do not add colorants, honey, or artificial sweeteners.
In the garden, focus on planting native species with tubular flowers in shades of red, orange, pink, and purple. Tubular shapes are perfectly suited for a hummingbird’s long bill and tongue, while preventing insects from easily accessing the nectar. Highly attractive native plants include scarlet bee balm (Monarda didyma), red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), and various species of sage (Salvia) and beardtongue (Penstemon).
Planting flowers in large groups, known as “drifts,” creates a bold mass of color easily spotted by passing hummingbirds. While red is the initial magnet, hummingbirds will regularly visit other bright colors if they offer a consistent supply of nectar. Providing a variety of bloom times ensures a continuous food source throughout the season, encouraging the hummingbirds to stay in your area.