Wild Birds Unlimited Brings its Franchise System Together in Support of the Great Backyard Bird Count

For nearly 40 years, Wild Birds Unlimited* has been bringing people and nature together through the joy of backyard bird feeding. From its line of proprietary products to the extensive local bird knowledge that each franchisee and employee shares with store guests, the brand is the go-to source for bird feeding and watching expertise. Wild Birds Unlimited is honored to be the founding and major sponsor of the Great Backyard Bird Count.

In partnership with The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Bird Studies Canada, Wild Birds Unlimited has been an integral part of the Great Backyard Bird Count since its inception in 1998. The event was the first ever online citizen-science project designed to collect data on wild birds. And now that the event has gone international, the brand is not only encouraging members of its franchise system to get involved, but also the public at large.

Margaret Collins, Wild Birds Unlimited’s advertising and PR manager, said, “What makes Wild Birds Unlimited so special is the passion that our people have for it. There’s a real sense of pride in sharing the hobby of backyard bird feeding. At our core, we’re united by the fact that we want to share the joy that this hobby brings with others and make sure that they make the most out of it. That’s why we’re excited to once again participate in and promote The Great Backyard Bird Count.”

Between February 16 and 19, more than 160,000 bird enthusiasts will come together to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are. It’s incredibly easy for people to participate—for at least 15 minutes on one or more of the count days, participants need to tally the numbers and kinds of birds that they see. They can then add their results to their online checklists, which will then update the count’s overall findings. To date, over 181,500 checklists have been submitted and 6,200-plus species have been observed, leading to a total of more than 29 million total birds counted.

“The Great Backyard Bird Count hasn’t been an international event for very long, but the results are already amazing. And this is an event that’s going to continue growing going forward,” Collins said. “We’re always striving to get more franchisees to participate in the event—it’s a great way for our local owners to connect with their customers outside of their stores in a way that goes beyond a retail interaction. The Great Backyard Bird Count truly embodies the culture that we try to create here at Wild Birds Unlimited. It’s not just about a sales process and a bottom line—it’s about sharing your passion for birds and getting closer to nature.”

While participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count isn’t mandatory for Wild Birds Unlimited franchisees or employees, participation continues to rise as owners share their enthusiasm with customers and partner with local birding organizations to create events for enabling the community to participate.

“Backyard bird feeding and watching are two of the biggest hobbies in North America, and the Great Backyard Bird Count is proof. People are looking for ways to get more involved with the nature that surrounds them, and it’s an honor to be able to be a part of those connections,” said Paul Pickett, Wild Birds Unlimited’s Chief Development Officer. “We’re looking forward to seeing our team members participate in the event this year, and we’re eager to track the results of the increasingly popular initiative.”

To learn more about participating in this year’s Great Backyard Bird Count, please visit http://gbbc.birdcount.org/get-started/.