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Several American Goldfinches perched on thistle seed bird feeder

Do Finch feeders need to be yellow

Argument of what color should a bird feeder be can be confusing, on one hand a vibrant color is attract to all birds, while the color itself really doesn't matter.

Finch feeders that are yellow are because they're promoted for finches as a kind of promotional gimmick. Finches will mostly eat thistle seeds in a feeder, which are made in any color theme if it isn't focused on finches. With that, a popular finch thistle seed sock is always white or rarely black.

How to attract finches specifically to a finch feeder won't take much effort if first; finches are abundant in your areas, and two; you provide finches their favorite thistle seeds, along with a mix of sunflower seeds specifically for American Goldfinches.

None of this will relate to a specific color thistle or sunflower seed feeder, with it being more important to keep bird feeders visible, accessible and replenished at all times to keep finches coming back to your feeders.

Finch socks are white or black with no vibrant color in sight. Whereby a thistle seed feeder can be made in copper or have a green or black theme - when not specifically promoted to attract finches.

While I can safely say yellow is a vibrant color and therefore attractive to all birds, not just finches, a vibrant red or blue bird feeder will render the same results.

House Finch perched on a rather bland metal sunflower seed bird feeder with no sight of yellow, or another vibrant color as part of the bird feeders lure.

Finches will come to bird feeders to eat one or both of sunflower or thistle seeds, like that of the American Finch or Purple Finch.

Make these widely available wild bird seeds available in feeders to attract finches, without concern of the color theme.

Why you feel finches aren't come to your particular bird feeders won't be because its the wrong color, that I can 100% guarantee. No finches could mean many, many things... of which you just need to keep at it for the time being.

Finches are a widely available common backyard bird feeder bird, who will eat at thistle seed feeders or socks - or will spend time on a specialty sunflower seed - suspended on a pole or within a tree.

I'll leave you with finches using a well discreet, often unkempt bird bath that finches use with color not coming it to it at all. Bird feed and sometimes water is what finches crave, thus must be made available above anything else.

Yellow feeders aren't necessary

Certainly people do like to preference a specific color bird feeder to attract a specific bird species in mind, because its something they just like to do.

Sure, manufacturers promote specific colors to match the birds plumage or what color the flowers finches take seeds out of, when producing bird feeders - but in reality this is more of a gimmick that won't make much of a difference.

Well actually that isn't true, with yellow being a super vibrant color, finches - and many other bird species - will come to this bright bird feeder because its just, well, vibrant.

Birds can be attracted to bright bird feeders thus its just by chance yellow feeders are attracting a larger number of birds than normal.

You can still attract House Finches to Purple Finches by just making their favorite thistle seeds, along with a mix of inferior seeds - accessible in regular seed feeders.

You'd still want to prioritize yellow in color with a brand new bird feeder as the vibrant color can still benefit you when attracting a mix of birds to feeders, and could draw in birds quicker than anticipated.

Goldfinches attracted to yellow

What with an American Goldfinches plumage being yellow - along with that of the Lesser Goldfinch - manufacturers will use this lure to attract specifically Goldfinches, to sunflower seed feeders.

Lesser Goldfinches like sunflower seeds too thus the sunflower seed feeder could be a big draw to many birds, and not just those of the Finch family.

Best yellow finch feeder you can buy is absolutely one made with a vibrant yellow lid or tray, with color alone being an attract prospect for birds at feeders.

American Goldfinches are yellow and so to are Lesser Goldfinches, of which they could be attracted to yellow thistle or sunflower seed feeders in a way they are drawn to yellow plumage of the same species.

Finch feeders don't need to be yellow because for Lesser or American Goldfinches, they will feed on any thistle seeds or sunflower seeds made available.

And when neither one is made available you can be sure they will feed on a simple seed mix more commonly made accessible in a feeder.

Any thistle feeder will do

When you buy a thistle seed feeder to attract finches in particular, it will be promoted as being yellow; whereas finding any type thistle seed feeder without mention of finches, will draw up a mix of copper, green or black in color thistle seed feeders.

Yellow finch feeders are very specific to finches because they are drawn to mates or flowers in the same color.

When thistle seed is made available to all finches you can be sure type or color of this seed feeder won't attract more or less finches.

I will say though a vibrant yellow feeder hung up among trees on a grim day is guaranteed to be spotted by foraging House or Purple Finches - over a thistle seed feeder that has taken on a rather bland tone.

Finches will eat thistle or sunflower seeds in the wild, of which both bird feed can be replicated exactly in bird feeders.

So you see it shouldn't be too hard to attract the finches you have, providing the thistle seed feeder is visible and accessible.

Can even use white socks

How I can prove why finch feeders don't need to be yellow, is because a rather popular finch fabric sock that can be hung among trees or on the pole - is generally made in white fabric and on occasions, it will be black.

Absolutely the lid that suspends the sock can provide a hint of yellow but that is just for aesthetics - it has to be a color so why not make it yellow.

Mostly seen clinging to the fabric with thousands of tiny holes in it - for finches to pull out tiny thistle seeds - will be American or Lesser Goldfinches.

When finch socks aren't white they will instead by made available in black, which again proves yellow is more of a gimmick.

Either option in color will still attract thistle-eating finches because its what they eat as part of their natural diet in the wild.

While a white finch sock isn't vibrant like a yellow finch feeder is, and will certainly stand out among green foliage - it will act like a beacon on a dim, rainy day - of which, the color white still comes in to play in an effort to attract finches.

Conclusion

Bird feeders promoted for attracting finches is simply a marketing gimmick, that has no hold on reality.

In fact, you can attract all finches - plus all common backyard birds - to any thistle seed or sunflower seed feeder, if it was developed in any vibrant color.

You see, a bright, vibrant theme is a way to attract birds to a new or old bird feeder or indeed a bird bath; if the feeder has taken on a vibrant tone this its sure to attract all birds, with yellow unlikely to specifically attract finches only.

I will say American Goldfinches or Purple Finches do take on yellow plumage, and may come to yellow feeders in hope of finding a mate; or it could be because finches take thistle or sunflower seeds off yellow flowers in the wild.

Regardless, finch feeders do not need to be yellow at all when a bird feeder theme to compliment your yard, is more important at this time.

When thistle or sunflower seed feeders are made in yellow they will be intended for finches only - and when finches don't come into the conversion - you will expect to find thistle or sunflower seed feeders in less vibrant colors, like copper or black.

And with a finch sock made primarily in white and sometimes black, well, this isn't made in yellow fabric yet manufacturer's will attempt to make the lid in yellow, to promote it specifically for finches.

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