New Study: Birds Are Most Likely to Poop on This One Type of Car (Yes, Really—This Was an Actual Study)

If you’ve ever emerged from a store to find your car freshly decorated by a passing pigeon, you’re not alone—and science finally has your back. A new study from Alan’s Factory Outlet, which manufactures carports and garages, has swooped in to reveal that certain cars are more likely to become bird bathroom targets than others.

Spoiler alert: It’s not personal, though it might feel like it! It turns out your car might be sending mixed signals to our feathered friends. What are those signals? We have all the dirty details ahead. So before you curse the sky and side-eye those flying fiends, keep reading to learn whether your beloved ride is actually a bird’s preferred toilet.

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How were the cars most likely to be pooped on determined?

To find out which cars are targets for avian bathroom breaks, Alan’s Factory Outlet surveyed 1,000 American drivers. They asked respondents what kind of car they drove, where they park, any damage caused by bird poop and what they have done to prevent or deal with this common problem. They then combined the findings with key information about bird behavior and biology.

The average age of respondents was 40, with multiple generations participating: Gen Z (16%), Millennials (53%), Gen X (26%) and Baby Boomers (6%). (Note: Due to rounding, the percentages don’t total exactly 100%.)

Which car is the most likely to be pooped on?

It turns out color is a major factor for airborne bombers, and the No. 1 bird-target color is brown. (Yes, we found that funny too.) We’ll talk about why that might be in a minute, but for now, here is the complete ranked list of what color cars birds like to poop on.

1. Brown
2. Red
3. Black
4. Yellow/orange
5. Blue
6. White
7. Silver/gray

What’s the reason for this?

Well, they’re not pooping on brown cars so their droppings fly under the radar (they do have bird brains, after all). The reason the top car shades collect more droppings may lie in birds’ supercharged ability to see and understand colors.

Because birds can see ultraviolet (UV) light—something humans can’t—their perception of color is much broader than ours. Certain car colors appear more striking to them within their visual range, which could explain why some hues attract more avian “attention” than others. (Looking at the list, darker colors definitely get more of that unwanted attention than lighter ones.)

Another reason that cars in general appeal to these sky snipers is because of their sheen. Those shiny hoods and mirrors don’t just dazzle humans—they confuse birds too. In mating season, a puffed-up robin might spot its reflection and think an intruder’s moved in, leading to an all-out poop showdown with … itself.

What brands are the most likely to be pooped on?

In addition to colors, certain car brands were more likely than others to be prime targets for bird poop. The top brands are cars that tend to be working cars—for hauling, towing and such—and may not spend a lot of time inside a garage or under a protective cover. Perhaps this leads to more opportunities for birds to let loose on them?

Here are the top 10 car brands that catch the most dung:

1. Ram
2. Jeep
3. Chevrolet
4. Nissan
5. Dodge
6. Kia
7. Tesla
8. Audi
9. Ford
10. Subaru

What do people have to say about this?

In addition to covering which cars get pooped on the most, the study asked people how sky splatter affects their daily lives. Notably, over half of the study respondents (58%) said their car has been assaulted by whitewash more than once in the same day, and 29% said they felt like birds have “targeted” their vehicles. As a result, nearly a quarter of respondents have spent more than $500 each year on car washes and repairs due to bird droppings.

Avian offerings have even disrupted people’s social lives: A not-small number of people (6%) said they have canceled or delayed plans because their car was too dirty, and an incredibly unlucky 14% have actually gotten droppings on themselves while getting into or out of their cars (ew).

Is there anything you can do to make your car less appealing to birds looking for a place to poop?

Of course, keeping your car in a garage or using a car cover is the best way to save your vehicle from becoming a haven for winged waste. But when you’re out and about, you can help ward off those bird bombs by not parking under power lines or trees when you can, even if that means having to trek a little farther to your destination. (In the study, 38% of respondents said they would walk up to a block just to avoid parking under “poop zones.”)

What’s the best way to tackle bird poop on cars?

The next time your car has been under a flock’s flightpath, be sure to take care of it right away. Bird poop contains uric acid, which is corrosive and can ruin your vehicle’s paint job—even leaving permanent stains if the mess isn’t removed in a timely fashion.

Here’s exactly what to do:

• Clean up the droppings as soon as possible.
• Use mild soap designed for cars (dish soap will work in a pinch).
• Apply soap and water with a microfiber cloth and scrub gently to avoid scratching your car.
• Rinse well.

And of course, when you can, try to keep your car out of the line of fire. That way, you can avoid being a target in the first place!

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Sources:

• Alan’s Factory Outlet: “The Bird Dropping Report”
• National Wildlife Federation: “True Colors: How Birds See the World”
• The Chemical Guys: “Best Methods To Get Bird Poop Off Your Car’s Paint”

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