Hummingbirds are some of the most fascinating creatures on our planet. These tiny birds have captured people’s imagination for centuries with their speedy flight, intelligence, and dazzling iridescent colors. While we often see hummingbirds flocking to bright red feeders or tubular flowers, many people wonder – do hummingbirds like the color purple?
Purple occupies an interesting spot in the hummingbird color wheel. Unlike red which strongly attracts hummingbirds, or orange and yellow which they tend to ignore, purple elicits more of a mixed response from these colorful creatures. To better understand hummingbird color preferences, we need to dive into the unique characteristics of their visual system.
How Hummingbirds See Color
Hummingbirds have four types of cone photoreceptors in their eyes that allow them to see colors on a broader spectrum than humans. Our eyes contain three types of cones that detect red, green and blue wavelengths. Hummingbirds’ four cone types give them tetrachromatic vision – allowing them to see ultraviolet light in addition to the colors we perceive. This lets hummingbirds view a stunning array of colors in flowers that appear nondescript to our eyes.
So how does the hummingbird visual system interpret the color purple? Purple occupies a middle zone between red and blue wavelengths. Since hummingbirds can see well into the ultraviolet spectrum, purples containing UV reflectance may appear bright and attractive to a hummingbird. Duller purples without UV reflectance may register more as blue to their eyes. Understanding how hummingbirds perceive color helps explain their responses to different shades and tints of purple.
Purple Flowers Hummingbirds Are Attracted To
Certain purple flowering plants are absolutely irresistible to hummingbirds due to their color, shape and nectar quality. Here are some of the purple blooms hummingbird favor:
| Flower | Attractiveness to Hummingbirds |
|---|---|
| Trumpet Vine | Highly attractive |
| Purple Coneflower | Very attractive |
| Lilac | Moderately attractive |
| Lavender | Somewhat attractive |
| Iris | Low attractiveness |
The trumpet vine is a hummingbird celebrity – its pendulous purple blooms provide an abundant nectar source that hummingbirds eagerly seek out. Other purple flowers like coneflower, lilac and lavender are also excellent hummingbird plants. Irises however have a low sugar nectar content, making them less appealing to these tiny pollinators.
How Flower Structure Influences Attractiveness
Beyond color, a flower’s physical structure also impacts its allure for hummingbirds. Hummingbirds have specialized bills and tongues that allow them to access nectar from certain flower shapes. Tubular shaped purple blooms like lupine, penstemon and honeysuckle hold their nectar deep within the flower where only a hummingbird can reach. These flowers are designed to match perfectly with hummingbird anatomy.
Shallow open-faced flowers like irises on the other hand force hummingbirds to expend more energy to collect nectar. While hummingbirds visit these blooms, they aren’t specifically adapted for their feeding method. So a purple bloom with a closed tubular shape may attract more hummingbird attention simply due to its structural appeal.
Impact of Nectar Quality
As predators with extremely high metabolisms, hummingbirds require large amounts of sugary, high-energy nectar to support their lifestyle. The concentration of sugars and calories in a plant’s nectar greatly impacts how enthusiastically hummingbirds will feed from it. Certain purple flowers produce very diluted, low-sugar nectar. Even though these blooms may be visually pretty, hummingbirds lose interest once they discover the nectar isn’t worth their energy expenditure.
Flowers pollinated by other creatures like insects and bats often contain much lower sugar concentrations than those adapted for hummingbird pollination. So while color can initially attract hummingbirds, they quickly learn to adjust their foraging based on the sweetness payoff different flowers provide. This means not all purple flowers are equal when it comes to providing rewarding nectar for hummingbirds.
Artificial Purple Feeders
Given hummingbirds’ appreciation of red feeders, many people wonder if putting out an artificial purple feeder would also attract them. Since we can’t see light in the UV spectrum, commercially available purple hummingbird feeders don’t reflect UV. Research on hummingbird color preference shows that without UV reflectance, purple doesn’t stimulate their feeding response nearly as much as red does.
Hummingbirds also associate red feeders with the sweet artificial nectar they provide. They’ve learned red means an easy calorie boost. An unfamiliar purple feeder wouldn’t automatically signal a food source since purple flowers can have varying nectar quality. So a purple feeder may draw some initial hummingbird interest, but they’re unlikely to show the same excited feeding behavior as they would for a tried and true red feeder.
The Role of Flower Availability
Hummingbirds often visit flowers based on seasonal availability rather than color alone. For example early blooming redbuds and lilacs provide an important nectar source when fewer flowers are in bloom. Their colors may not be hummingbird favorites, but they offer needed nutrition at a sparse time of year. As more colorful tubular flowers come into season, hummingbirds spend less time on these early bloomers.
So purple flowers that provide a good energy reward will attract higher hummingbird traffic when less competing flowers are available. This partly explains why shrubs like lilacs and lavender receive consistent spring hummingbird attention. On the other hand, later blooming irises have to compete with many other flowers so hummingbirds are less inclined to visit them. The overall availability of preferred food sources impacts how eagerly hummingbirds take advantage of decent but less ideal purple blooms.
Geographic Preference Differences
Depending on their range, different hummingbird species can exhibit unique color preferences. In the Southwest United States for example, Broad-billed Hummingbirds are highly attracted to magenta tubular flowers in the mallow family. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird that populates the Eastern U.S. however pays little attention to these same blooms during migration.
Researchers hypothesize that hummingbirds likely prefer the nectar signature of flowers from their native habitat. So the same purple flowers that draw crowds of hummingbirds in one region may be snubbed in other parts of the country. We need to evaluate flower color preference relative to the geographic range and needs of hummingbird species. This explains why species adapted to certain purple blooms may flock to them, while other hummingbirds visiting from afar could ignore the same plants.
Conclusion
Do hummingbirds like the color purple? The answer depends on many factors beyond color alone. Hummingbird vision specializations allow them to perceive a range of ultraviolet “purples” visible to their eyes yet not our own. Tubular shaped purple flowers adapted for hummingbird pollination signal an efficient nectar reward. The sweetness and energy density of the nectar itself ultimately determines if hummingbirds will regularly feed on certain purple blooms. Hummingbirds also judge flower appeal based on seasonal availability and geographic origin.
While vibrant red remains the surefire hummingbird attracting color for feeders, certain purple flowers also enchant them. To fully understand hummingbirds’ perception of purple, we need to consider the unique characteristics of their visual system along with how flower anatomy, nectar quality, timing and location intersect with color. This complex interplay helps explain hummingbirds’ nuanced response to the color purple in the natural world.
