Car Color Matters For Bathroom-Seeking Birds

It may not be something that crosses your mind every day, but when you find bird droppings on your car you might be enraged, disgusted, irritated or even amused. If you drive a crimson-colored car, you might encounter this problem more than if your vehicle were green or silver. As it turns out, red stands out most to birds when they are flying overhead and need to unload, according to a recent study conducted by Halfords in the U.K.

The researchers examined 1,140 cars and found crimson, blue and black were the most commonly pooped-upon vehicles, while green, silver and white were less desirable to winged creatures. Of the red cars in the study, 18 percent were marked, while 14 percent of blue cars, 11 percent of black, 7 percent of white, 3 percent of grey and silver and only 1 percent of green cars were targeted. The study revealed little variation depending on location, so drivers should take heed no matter where they live.

"This research does have a serious side because the problem annoys drivers, causes damage to paintwork and affects the value of vehicles," said David Howells, a car cleaning expert. "To protect your bodywork from damage, droppings should be carefully cleaned off as soon as possible."

If you're planning on purchasing a used car from New Jersey Auto Auction, you may want to think twice about what color you would prefer. If you don't mind scraping bird droppings off your car from time to time, feel free to indulge your desire for a cherry red car. Otherwise, you might want to take preventative action and buy something in a shade that birds won't want to deface.