Red Coloring in Hummingbird Nectar

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Is red coloring harmful to your hummers? Some people swear by it, others say you could be poisoning the birds. Read below for facts and considerations.

People are always surprised by this reply. How can there be anything wrong with adding a little food coloring? It is safe for us, the FDA approved it, and I am only using a tiny bit in my nectar, so even if it was bad for them in some way, they won't get enough of it in them to cause any harm, what's wrong with that? Well, lets look into it a little shall we? The first question is the most important. Is the red coloring actually harmful to hummingbirds? In many peoples minds the answer is YES. In reality there is no actual proof of this. There are several manufacturers of a ready to mix dry hummingbird nectar that perpetuate the idea that it is not harmful simply because there have been no scientific tests specifically on hummingbirds to say if it is harmful or not.

There is usually enough red on a hummingbird feeder to attract birds to it without using red nectar.

They want you to believe that it is OK to serve your hummingbirds red coloring because they have a vested interest in selling their red-colored product. Not only that but they have marketed their products for years on the premise that hummingbird nectar "should" be red, creating generations of pre-programmed consumers to readily purchase their product. The truth is that hummingbirds are attracted to bright red. This is why every hummingbird feeder on the market today has large amounts of red on them. If your feeders' reservoir is large and uncovered then having more red on (or in) it will obviously make it easier to spot, and possibly attract more hummingbirds. In most cases though there is enough red on any commercially available feeders to do the job of attraction. You would get the same results by painting your reservoir red, tying some red ribbons around it, or having naturally red flowers in your yard.

So it is possible that you could attract more hummingbirds to your feeders with red coloring in the nectar. But then what are you feeding them? The most common form of red coloring used in hummingbird nectar is red #40. Red #40 is made from coal tar and petrochemicals. Essentially it is a form of motor oil. Now, applying the same logic that the folks who manufacture the red nectar mix do, there are probably no scientific studies that prove that it is detrimental to your human health to consume motor oil, so it should be safe to feed it to your family in small doses. Somehow this just doesn't sound right. In fact red #40 has been banned from many European countries, and the FDA has banned its use in America under several different circumstances. We still consume it in much of our food, but at a level that is supposedly "harmless" to humans. The average hummingbird however is much smaller and has a much faster metabolism than your average human. It has been proven in scientific studies that at a more concentrated level red #40 does cause "significant DNA damage" in the colons of lab mice. This then is the substance you would be feeding to your hummers. According to some, the amount of this chemical present in commercially available mixes means that any hummingbird that drinks it is actually getting a dose (by weight) that is many times more than the "safe" amount recommended by the FDA, and many times more than the amount used in studies to cause damage to the mouse DNA.

Compare this to the hummingbirds' natural food sources. Nectar in nature is colorless. It is the flower that uses bright colors to attract the birds to it. The mix that most closely matches naturally occurring nectar is a 1 to 4 ratio of plain granulated sugar (do not use honey as it can cause botulism) to water. That means 4 cups of water to every one cup of sugar. In fact there have been side-by-side studies that show that given the choice between red colored nectar and clear nectar the hummingbirds actually prefer the clear nectar. Our question to you then is this: "If hummingbirds prefer uncolored nectar, and are simply attracted by color, why put anything in the nectar that you don't have to?" They have absolutely no need for anything in the red coloring. Whether or not it is doing damage to the birds it gives you and them no benefit besides attraction by color, which is easy enough to achieve with any variety of methods. There is no real "proof" that red coloring is harmful to your hummers, but do you really want to take the chance?

Would you take the chance of causing harm to these beautiful birds?

There are also myths that birders tell amongst themselves of what they believe happens to hummingbirds that are "poisoned" by dyed nectar. Rumors still persist that consuming the dye will cause them to lay eggs with abnormally thin shells, causing them to break during incubation, and preventing reproduction. Most likely this is untrue. This story originally came from the use of the pesticide DDT, which did cause the eggs of raptors to have abnormally thin shells and was impacting their reproduction rates. Somehow when DDT was banned the data from that study became mixed into the controversy of red food coloring in hummingbird nectar and a new myth was born about the detriments of red nectar. But it only a myth, a fact confused with a different situation.

Now, remembering that there are no "published scientific studies" about the actual effects of red dye on hummingbirds, stories abound in birding circles from long time "amateurs" that have witnessed hummingbirds develop tumors on their bills, and bodies after feeding on nectar with red coloring. This is disturbing not only because of the potential for damage, but also due to the fact that the bill of the hummingbird is a specially designed tool to help them survive by sipping nectar and catching insects. Any "tumor" or growth on this important body part threatens their ability to keep themselves fed. Not only that but these may only be outward signs of greater damage internally. That said, because there is no scientific control of these situations it is entirely possible that the tumors were the result of other environmental factors; pesticides, poor genetics, etc...

It is both disappointing and disturbing to us that some manufacturers are still producing this red colored hummingbird nectar. As human beings we believe it is our job to steward hummingbirds into the future, protecting and caring for them so that they can bring their special beauty and grace to our children and grandchildren. It is even more important for a company who derives it's profits from these fragile creatures to make sure that there will be a strong and healthy population to help sustain their business. Be aware that some companies have tried to circumvent any negative perception of their products by developing new red colored nectar that is labeled as being "all natural". These new products have no oversight by any institution that tests or certifies them as safe for hummingbirds. In fact depending on the sources of this "all natural" coloring it is possible they could be worse for your hummingbirds than the original product.

One last thing to think about is that in the hot summer sun a solution of sugar water will quickly ferment. Clear solution makes it much easier to detect the clouding of the nectar so you can clean and change it. Red colored nectar makes it more difficult to detect the action of fermenting nectar, thus possibly exposing your hummingbirds to harmful effects. In the end the solution that makes the most sense is simply not to use it. It is unnecessary, provides the birds no nutrient value, they prefer clear nectar, and while "unproven" it is potentially harmful.

It's just not worth taking the risk.

If you still wish to use a prepared formula for your feeders we recommend using Best-1s' Instant nectar mix. Best-1 has always been a responsible company that strives to protect their livelihood by protecting the hummingbirds themselves. They have modified the design of their hummingbird feeders many times to address any potential dangers to the birds, and do not use red coloring in any of their instant nectar products. We have sold their products for years and they have always produced satisfying results. Do your part to help steward our flying jewel-like treasures by avoiding red food coloring of any sort in your hummingbird nectar. Though there is no "proof" of it's negative effects, it would be best if it never needs to be proven at all.

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