Should I use red food coloring in hummingbird food?

There is absolutely no reason to add any red dyes to hummingbird sugar water. After all, natural flower nectar is clear, and hummingbird feeders have colorful parts that attract hummingbird regardless of the color of the sugar water.

Sheri Williamson of the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory (SABO), and author of A Field Guide to Hummingbirds and Attracting and Feeding Hummingbirds, writes, “The bottom line is that ‘instant nectar’ products containing artificial coloring are at best a waste of your hard-earned money and at worst a source of disease, suffering, and premature death in hummingbirds.”

More About Hummingbirds:

• What’s The Best Recipe For Hummingbird Nectar?
• More on feeding hummingbirds, including the best feeders, feeder placement, and the “real” diet of hummingbirds.
• Summertime In The United States Of Hummingbirds
• Should I Stop Feeding Birds In Fall So They Can Start Their Migration?
• Explore the hummingbirds of the U.S. and Canada in our All About Birds species guide.
• Learn about the hundreds of hummingbird species south of the border in Birds of the World.