The Attraction of Hummingbirds to Hummingbird Feeders

Overview

Objectives/Goals My main objective while conducting my experiment was trying to find out what color hummingbird feeders attracted hummingbirds the most. I also wanted to find out how many different species of humingbirds would be attracted to my feeders. Methods/Materials In my experiment I used many materials. While I was concocting the nectar, I used a measuring cup, sugar, water, and my refrigerator to cool the nectar. In preparing the feeders I bought 4 feeders and 3 different colors of tape (green, white and yellow). I then taped over 3 of the feeders an hung them in a blue hisbiscus tree, over some azalea bushes, in my backyard. While observing hummingbirds, I used a stopwatch to time how long they were at the feeders; binoculars to get a closer look at them, and a compass to determine which direction the hummingbirds approached the feeders from. I observed how long a hummingbird stayed at the feeder, which direction it approached the feeder from, what color the hummingbird was, and what time the hummingbird visited the feeder. Results While observing hummingbirds on 25 different days from December to February, I observed 152 hummingbirds visit my feeders, and 137 different hummingbirds because 15 hummingbirds drank from the feeders more than once. While the hummingbirds drank from the feeders, they stayed at the feeder an average of 31 seconds, and most of the hmmingbirds that visited the feeders were grey or grey with a green breast. At the conclusion of my experiment the red feeder had the most visits with 77, followed by the yellow feeder with 51 visits, the white feeder with 13 visits and then the green feeder with 11 visits. The red feeder had approximately 11% more visits than the yellow feeder, 61% more visits than the white feeder, and 63% more visits than the green feeder. Also at the end of the experiment the red feeder had 51% of its nectar left in it, the yellow feeder had 73% of its nectar left in it, the white feeder had 93% of its nectar left in it, and the green feeder had 98% of its nectar left in it. Conclusions/Discussion I have concluded that the results of my experiemnt fully and clearly support the predictions stated in my hypothesis. I conclude that the color of feeders that hummingbirds are most attracted to is red.

Competition history

• CSEF 2003 Zoology · Entry J1911

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