Fruit Colour Preferences of Redwings (Turdus iliacus): Experiments with Hand‐Raised Juveniles and Wild‐Caught Adults

Abstract

AbstractCertain fruit colours and their contrast with the background coloration are suggested to attract frugivorous birds. To test the attractiveness of different colours, we performed three experiments in laboratory with controlled light conditions. In the first two experiments, we studied the fruit colour preferences of naive juvenile redwings. In the third experiment, we continued to investigate whether the contrast of the fruit colour with the background coloration affects the preference of both naive juveniles and experienced adult redwings. In the first experiment, juvenile birds preferred black, UV‐blue and red berries, to white ones. In pairwise trials, a new set of juveniles still preferred red berries to white ones. When testing the effect of contrasts on their choice, juveniles preferred UV‐blue berries to red ones on a UV‐blue background. However, no preference was found, when the background was either red or green. Adult redwings preferred UV‐blue berries to red ones on all backgrounds. According to these results, juveniles seem to have an innate avoidance of white berries. Furthermore, the foraging decisions of fruit‐eating birds are affected more by fruit colour than its contrast with background coloration, at least when contrasting displays are encountered from relatively short distances. Differences in preferences of adult and juvenile birds also indicate that learning seems to play a role in fruit choices.