Why are the bird boxes brightly coloured?
Birds most certainly do see colours — think how the male birds display their colourful plumage. If the females were all colour blind, this wouldnt be an effective way of attracting a mate. Clearly male birds think colour is important to the females. Recent research at Bristol University has shown that birds see colours in the same way that bees do — with four cones, as opposed to the 3 in the human eye, their response to colour is greater than ours. So nest boxes with boring old brown or similar camouflage colour schemes are not particularly what your garden birds will be seeking out for their accommodation. On asking the RSPB for an opinion they mentioned that bright colours would be likely to attract insects — then on reflection they said that this would probably be another plus point. Fresh meals delivered to the door are not going to be a cause for complaint from your bird tenants.
