Food color preference in hummingbirds has been of interest since the early 1900s. The suggestion that hummingbirds innately prefer red food sources has been shared by many (Graenicher 1910, Porsch 1931, McCage 1961, Peterson 1961, Dennis 1975). Yet there are those who continue to find color preference insignificant except in association with other factors, such as the position of the vial, flowers in bloom, and perch location (Bene 1941, Wagner 1946, Lyerly et al. 1950, Grant 1966).
I undertook this study to investigate further the response of the Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) to variously colored food sources. The objective of this study was to determine if there was a significant color preference.