Nutty for Colour
CWSF · 2026 Curiosity & Ingenuity Silver Medal
Overview
Have you dealt with pesky squirrels raiding your bird feeder? This project tested whether the colour of an object affects how much squirrels are attracted to it, and if this is related to how they see colour. Since animals like dogs have similar colour vision and prefer blue and yellow (Fernandez & Morrison, 2026), it was predicted that squirrels would show the same preference. Five coloured pots, each containing a peanut, were placed outside in a line, and the order squirrels approached them was recorded over 50 trials. The results showed that squirrels preferred some colours over others. These findings suggest that colour impacts squirrel behaviour, and can be used to either attract or deter squirrels. This could help people choose less attractive colours for bird feeders to keep squirrels away, or more attractive colours for forage toys in wildlife centres to encourage squirrel activity to enhance recovery from injury.
Awards (3)
- Challenge Award
- Silver Medal
- Selected for CWSF 2026
Competition history
- CWSF 2026
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