The Effect of Color on Hummingbird Feeding Preferences

The Role of Color in Attracting Hummingbirds

Have you ever wondered if the color of a bird feeder can affect the feeding preferences of hummingbirds? Jamal had the same question and decided to conduct an experiment to find out the answer. The photograph below shows Jamal’s bird feeder, which he used in his experiment.

Jamal's Experiment

After posing the question “Are hummingbirds attracted to red feeders?”, Jamal set up an experiment to test this hypothesis. He placed several feeders of different colors - red, yellow, and green - in his backyard and observed the feeding patterns of hummingbirds.

Independent Variable in Jamal’s Experiment

What is the independent variable in Jamal’s experiment?

An independent variable is a variable that is controlled in the experiment to test whether there will be an effect on the dependent variable. So in the experiment, the independent variable is the color of the feeder because Jamal wants to know if there is an effect if he uses red feeders on the hummingbirds. This is the one being controlled by Jamal because he can use a variety of colors of the feeders.

What is the independent variable in Jamal’s experiment?

Second Option (the color of the feeder)

Explanation:

The color of the feeder is the independent variable in Jamal’s experiment as he wants to see if there is a difference in hummingbird attraction based on the color of the feeder.