![]() ![]() When attacks on models of all colors were combined, arthropod predation decreased, whereas bird predation increased with increasing latitude. Bird predation on black and on white (extremes in luminance) models demonstrated different latitudinal patterns, presumably due to differences in prey conspicuousness between habitats with different light regimes. Bird attack rates negatively correlated with model luminance in cold and temperate environments, but not in tropical environments. We explored whether predator attacks on artificial prey of eight different colors vary among climates and whether this variation affects the detection of latitudinal patterns in predation. The strength of biotic interactions is generally thought to increase toward the equator, but support for this hypothesis is contradictory. We suggest that green feeders may be simultaneously marketable and attractive to foraging birds. In contrast, people preferred red, yellow, blue and green feeders. Our results suggest that silver and green feeders were visited by higher numbers of individuals of several common garden bird species, while red and yellow feeders received fewer visits. In addition, we surveyed visitors to a garden centre and science festival to determine the colour preferences of likely purchasers of seed feeders. We presented birds simultaneously with an array of eight differently coloured feeders, and recorded the number of visits made to each colour over 370 30-minute observation periods in the winter of 2014/15. Here, we investigated the colour preferences of common UK garden birds foraging at seed-dispensing artificial feeders containing identical food. Birds have excellent colour vision, and show preferences for food items of particular colours, but research into colour preferences associated with artificial feeders is limited to hummingbirds. Supplementary feeding of garden birds generally has benefits for both bird populations and human wellbeing. ![]()
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