humming birds' color preferences

Adam Fikso adam14113@ameritech.net
Thu, 05 Oct 2006 09:54:35 PDT
My readings in this area do make it clear that hummingbirds do prefer red. 
The problem with some of the cited research is that it is indeed 
anthropomorphic by reason of ignoring or not controlluing for colors outside 
the human visual spectrum.  Many apparently blue flowers are QUITE  red when 
seen through a humming bird's eyes, and  birds and insects do learn rapidly 
when motivated by hunger.  What WE see is not what they (insects and  birds) 
see. There are a few illustrated articles (in both color and black and 
white)  that show the differences in what appears to insects' and birds' 
eyes .

A few were published in one of the iris-related publications about 10 years 
ago.  Sorry, I cannot provide a reference right now. (Maybe also National 
Geographic.) 



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