Do Birds See in Colour?

If you have ever spent time watching birds fly around in your garden, you may have wondered: do birds see colour in the same way humans do? The short answer: yes, birds can see colour, but in a very different way to how we do.

This blog will take a closer look at how birds see colour and how this affects their behaviour. Let’s dive in!

How Do Birds See Colour?

Birds have an additional cone in their eyes that allows them to perceive a wider ranger of colours than we can as humans. While we humans have three colour receptors (or cones) in our eye that allow us to see red, green and blue, birds have four colour receptors, allowing them to see ultraviolet (UV) light in addition to the three colours we can perceive.

This allows birds to see contrasts in colours and shades that are invisible to us. For example, around 15 years ago, Finnish researchers discovered that vole urine reflects UV light which kestrels flying over open fields can plainly see. As voles run through grassy fields, they use squirts of urine to mark their trails, the kestrels can then follow these trails directly to their pray.

How Does Colour Impact Bird Behaviour?

Birds’ ability to see a wide range of colours and ultraviolet light influences a range of their behaviours, from mate selection to foraging to territory defence.

Mate Selection

Many birds’ feathers reflect UV light, which can serve as a signal in mate selection. Bright colours often indicate health and genetic fitness and thus birds that are less fit or in poor condition will have a duller plumage. For example, some parrots and finches have UV patterns that are only visible to other birds and females are drawn to these bright patterns and colours as they signal good health and strength for breeding.

Territory Defence

Bright coloured plumage can be used to signal aggression and territoriality for some male birds. They can flash their bright colours to intimidate rivals and establish dominance over a particular area, warning other males to stay away.

Foraging for Food

Birds also use their ability to see UV light to identify food sources. Many insects, fruits and flowers have ultraviolet reflections that make them more visible to birds. In fact, many seeds and fruits develop a reflective waxy coating as they open, signalling to birds that they are ripe and ready to eat.

Certain bird species are also attracted to specific colours. For example, hummingbirds are drawn to red and goldfinches are attracted to yellow, which is why many goldfinch feeders are yellow – like our Goldfinch Taster Feeder!

So, if you’re looking to attract more birds to your garden, consider looking for bird seed mixes that contain sunflower seeds and safflower seeds as both of these are known to reflect UV light.

Browse Bird Seed Mixes              Browse Straight Seeds