Backyard Birds Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary
Backyard Birds is proud to be celebrating its 20th anniversary this month. Backyard Birds brings nature-loving consumers a unique in-store shopping experience, highlighting the joy and excitement of attracting wildlife for people of all ages with the finest quality seed and top brand feeders, bird houses, birdbaths and more. It is Laurie Horne’s passion for […]
Red-Shouldered Hawk Migration in North Carolina
The red-shouldered hawk occurs throughout the eastern United States, west to the eastern edge of the Great Plains. It also lives in southern Canada, northeastern Mexico and in western California. The red-shouldered hawk nests, overwinters, and migrates throughout North Carolina. It is most common in those counties with abundant bottomland and swamp forests. For this […]
Bird Friendly Coffee: Great for Birds and for People
Bird Friendly Coffee The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC) has developed the only 100% organic and shade-grown coffee certification dedicated to fostering greater understanding, appreciation, and protection of bird migration: Bird Friendly®. No other bag guarantees that every bean is produced organically and under high-quality shade. This seal of approval ensures tropical “agroforests” are preserved and […]
Pollinator Plant Gardens – Why Does Pollination Matter?
Our pollinator garden-in-a-pot in front of Backyard Birds has gotten a lot of interest since we planted it. Each plant is native to this area and is beneficial to our pollinating animals such as birds, bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, or other animals, or by the wind. Why Does Pollination Matter? Worldwide, roughly 1,000 plants grown for food, beverages, […]
What is the Butterfly Highway Project?
The Butterfly Highway is a statewide conservation initiative that aims to restore native pollinator habitats to areas impacted by urbanization, land use change and agriculture. From backyard pollinator “pit stops” to large-scale roadside habitat restoration, the project goal is to create a network of native flowering plants to support butterflies, bees, birds and other pollen […]
National Wildlife Federation Habitat Stewards Training
Learn How to Become a Habitat Steward Habitat and Wildlife Keepers (HAWK) will host a National Wildlife Federation Habitat Stewards Training. This is a great opportunity for individuals interested in: Learning how to create certified wildlife habitats in different locations The value and benefits of native plants and the disadvantages of non-native invasive ones About our […]
Rain Barrel Sale for the Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District
From now until the end of May, Backyard Birds is offering rain barrels from Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District. They’re available in two different sizes, are made locally of 20% recycled materials, come with the fittings and installation instructions, are offered at a discounted rate AND we’re going to make it easy by picking […]
Don’t Be A Bird Napper: What To Do If You Find A Baby Bird
Don’t be a bird napper! If a nest has fallen due to poor construction or the nest has blown down in a storm them make a “makeshift” nest. This can be out a variety of material. Rules to follow: The nest needs to have drainage, so the nest doesn’t fill with water and drown babies or […]
How to Identify A Nestling from A Fledgling
This picture indicates how to identify a nestling from a fledgling. Why is this important? Nestlings should be in a nest. If you find a nestling on the ground you can locate the nest and put it back inside. If the bird continually is rejected from the nest it can mean the parents aren’t feeding them […]
Spring Cleaning for Your Bird Houses
Even thought it’s still winter, there are signs that spring is coming! Take a look in your yard or go for a walk in a park or along a greenway and you’re likely to see signs that birds are thinking about finding nesting sites and making babies. I’ve seen bluebirds in and out of the […]