When it’s finally too cold and/or snowy to go outside, winter still holds fantastic entertainment value in the form of wild birds. Turn your customers on to the delightful sights and sounds a wild-bird feeder can provide outside their window at home! With a bit of planning, nature can provide an enticing visual display and soothing soundtrack to take the edge off a chilly day for young and old alike.
Setting the table
Wild birds
have three necessities for survival: food, water and protection. Consumers can assist
them by providing extra food and water options at or near their homes.
Birding experts recommend that feeders be cleaned regularly to prevent diseases that are common among birds throughout the year. Some of the leading feeder manufacturers offer models with removable tops and/or bottoms for cleaning convenience. One of the best, Aspects, has a top-quality feeder that offers all the best features and a lifetime warranty.
The Cornell
Lab of Ornithology recommends feeders be cleaned every two weeks. Your
customers don’t have to feel intimidated; let them know it’s easy to do:
Placement
- Simply remove the feeder and soak in warm, soapy water.
- Using rubber gloves, brush crevices and perches with a bristle brush.
- Mix a solution of one part household bleach and nine parts tap water, and pour it over the feeder to disinfect.
- Allow the feeder to dry completely and refill with fresh, clean seed.
Placement
Most folks
instinctively want to place bird feeders near their windows; educate your
customers on how to lessen the risk of birds flying into clear window panes.
Here are a couple of tips you can offer:
- Apply some reflective tape on glass surfaces, or hang CD discs to break up birds’ sight lines
- Position feeders within three feet of your home; doing so offers some good views and lessens the birds’ takeoff speed to impact with glass
Different
bird species feed where they feel most comfortable. The most common way to hang
a feeder is by suspending by a hook from a tree branch. The security of a tree
is a huge benefit for birds from predators like cats and hawks. Surrounding shrubs
can also offer protection and security. Many avid bird watchers use multiple
feeders and foods to attract the greatest variety of bird species. These should
be placed at various levels for best results.
What’s on the menu?
Birds
require more protein and fat in their winter diets to maintain warmth and
energy levels. The most commonly sold fuel for birds is black oil sunflower
seed. Meaty seed offerings provide some oil content and lots of protein. Lyric
Delight is a hull‐free, waste-free bird food that features a mixture of five
high-quality seeds and nuts like pumpkin seed, pecan pieces, sunflower hearts,
pistachio chunks and shelled peanuts. These meatier seeds are fantastic for
wild birds in winter! Another solid favorite is Coles Special Feeder food. It
features a mixture of black oil sunflower, sunflower meats, striped sunflower,
raw peanuts, pecans and safflower.
You may also
consider stocking another homeowner favorite -- suet -- to your bird-feed
assortment. Pine Tree Farms is a New York-based company that offers some of the
finest suet products available. High quality seeds, grains, peanuts and their
time-tested rendered beef kidney-fat formula, make their selections unmatched
in variety and a consumer favorite.
Party crashers and unwanted guests
We’ve all
experienced unexpected guests to arrive for dinner at some point in our lives.
The common
gray squirrel is one of the busiest creatures during the fall, gathering acorns
and other foods, and burying them everywhere imaginable. Yet, they’re still
drawn to bird feeders like a magnet. Thankfully, you can offer several
alternatives for customers who didn’t invite squirrels to their backyard party.
Squirrel
baffles are worthy complements to any feeder offering; styles exist for
mounting both above and below bird feeders. Squirrel-proof feeders are another
option for consumers. Brome is a splendid manufacturer of great squirrel‐proof
feeders and a top choice of consumers nationwide.
Pepper-coated
feeds turn up the heat for squirrels, but they won’t bother the birds. Cole’s
offers three outstanding foods like Hot Meats, Cajun Cardinal and Blazing Hot
Blend, all of which offer a 100% natural and chemical-free liquid habanero
chili pepper coating to spice things up a bit.
Eat, drink and feel merry
Wild birds
occasionally have some difficulty sourcing water when outdoor temperatures turn
truly frigid. Help your customers keep a steady flow of feathered friends by
offering small water heater elements to install in their bird baths. Another
unique item is the antique-looking Mason Jar Wild Bird Waterer from Perky Pet.
The birds will appreciate the steady and easy access to fresh liquid
refreshment!
Stock up and save promotion
Restock or
expand your wild-bird department with these great products from Griffin, now
available at special prices to help you heat up your sales during the cool
season!
Quick-Clean Tubular Feeders
Offers a simple solution to keeping feeders clean. Convenient removable base without the need of tools even with seed tray attached. Constructed of heavyduty zinc die cast components, UV stabilized polycarbonate tube, and stainless steel hardware. Small 3⁄4 qt. cap, Medium 11⁄4 qt. cap, Large 13⁄4 qt. cap.
AB - Antique Brass
S - Spruce
BN - Brushed Nickel
Special Feeder™
This unique mix is a high energy treat for many birds. Cole's most popular blend because it attracts the greatest number of wild birds than any other mix out there. Plus woodpeckers absolutely love the pecans.
| Item # | Desc | UPC | Vendor | CS/UOS | Retail | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80370005-713 | 5 lb. | 751478100333 | SF05 | 6/6 | $10.99 | |
| 80370006-1348 | 10 lb. | 751478100340 | SF10 | 4/4 | $19.99 | |
| 80370007-2532 | 20 lb. | 751478100357 | SF20 | 2/2 | $37.99 |
Blazing Hot Blend™
100% all natural, chemical free way to increase the number of birds visiting your feeder. It combines a patented habanero chili oil formula with the most preferred seeds of backyard songbirds. Woodpeckers, grosbeaks, buntings, cardinals, chickadees, bluebirds, gold finches, and more find this mix irresistible.
| Item # | Desc | UPC | Vendor | CS/UOS | Retail | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80370051-870 | 5 lb. | 751478102535 | BH05 | 6/6 | $12.99 | |
| 80370052-1662 | 10 lb. | 751478102542 | BH10 | 4/4 | $24.99 |
Squirrel Buster Classic™
The Squirrel Buster Classic feeder is guaranteed squirrel proof! Clinging and perching birds have easy access to the food ports that are aligned with the wire shroud. Dismantles for easy cleaning.
| Item # | Desc | UPC | Vendor | CS/UOS | Retail | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80430002-3328 | 1.4 qt. | 628209010158 | 1015 | 2/1 | $55.49 |
Delite High Protein Wild Bird Mix
Many people are reluctant to feed wild birds during the warm months because the bird seed germinates and causes weeds. Bird food shells make decks, patios and lawns unsightly. This mix is waste-free, messfree and weed-free. It's also a great value, because you don�t pay for the shells. Ingredients: Shelled Peanuts, Sunfl ower Kernels, Pecans, Pistachios, and Shelled Pumpkin Seeds.
| Item # | Desc | UPC | Vendor | CS/UOS | Retail | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80350149-834 | 5 lb. | 088685190674 | 26-47403 | 8/8 | $13.99 | |
| 80350150-2915 | 20 lb. | 088685472916 | 26-47407 | 100/1 | $48.99 |
Birdwatchers Best - Superior Blend Suet
Ingredients: Rendered Beef Suet, Fine Cracked Corn, White Millet, Chopped Peanuts.
| Item # | Desc | UPC | Vendor | CS/UOS | Retail |
|---|
Mason Jar Wild Bird Waterer
Offers fresh, clean water to attract a larger variety of birds while adding a rustic look to any bird lover's yard. The blue color of this bottle is reminiscent of vintage blue glass canning jars used in the 1800's.
| Item # | Desc | UPC | Vendor | CS/UOS | Retail | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80191103-1223 | 1 qt. cap. | 078978515079 | 783 | 2/2 | $20.49 |
Going Green Deluxe Bamboo Feeders
Built with naturally durable bamboo. Resistant to weather, squirrels, and insects. Removable powder coated metal screen for drainage and easy cleaning. Hinged roof for easy filling. Environmentally friendly and an ultimate renewable resource.
| Item # | Desc | UPC | Vendor | CS/UOS | Retail | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80440260-1931 | No Cages | 047977011073 | RANCHB1 | 4/4 | $32.49 | |
| 80440261-2574 | Suet Cages | 047977011080 | RANCHB2 | 2/2 | $42.99 |
Promo Bird Bath
This durable bird bath is 25" high and the bowl is 17" in diameter. Two piece construction allows for top fill of sand or gravel for added weight. Comes with 3 set screws.
| Item # | Desc | UPC | Vendor | CS/UOS | Retail | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80920788-982 | White | 811214020773 | 270-10 | 6/6 | $16.49 | |
| 80920789-982 | Peppercorn | 811214020780 | 270-60 | 6/6 | $16.49 |
