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Re: Bird Seed



On Mon, 15 Oct 2001, Brian Murphy wrote: 
> 
> Over the years I have tried everything from Food Lion seeds (major waste)
> to the "high quality" and expensive seeds from WBU. Seeds from places like
> WBU hurt the wallet, especially when you have the volume I have.
> What are the options? How about the seeds at Lowes or Southern States?
> 
> Has anyone done research on all these seed sources?
> 
> I purchased a 50# bag of Black Oil Sunflower seeds at BJ'S Warehouse for
> $9.99. Yes , $9.99 for 50#. Sure, there is some trash in the bag, but not
> enough for it to even approach the price from WBU. The feeder is just as
> busy as the feeder with "higher priced" seed. No excess trash on the ground.
> 
> Look forward to hearing everyone's opinions.

I'm surprised there haven't been more opinions... Anyway, where you buy 
seeds makes less difference in your feeders than which seeds you buy. 
Black oil sunflower is black oil sunflower from any source. I think 
Brian, comparing two feeders with cheap and premium seed side by side, 
has tested this as experimentally as anybody. If you have trouble making 
ends meet, you should save money and get the same seeds at BJ's. If you 
can afford a few extra bucks - and looking at the cars and binoculars 
that show up at most local birding trips, I'd say many of us can - you 
should spend the extra few dollars and buy from the Audubon Society or 
Wild Bird Center, or some other group that will turn the profits to a 
good use. (note that when I say "you", I'm speaking collectively, not 
just to Brian or anybody specific)

Randy Emmitt commented recently about buying the new Dave Sibley book at 
the Regulator Bookshop on Ninth Street in Durham (which also hosted 
Sibley for a book signing not long ago), as opposed to getting it from 
on-line warehouses at about 3/4 of the price. Bird seed is similar. When 
I buy seeds, suet, and whatever from the Wild Bird Center in Chapel Hill, 
it's not because I think I'll get any more or different birds than if I 
shop at BJ's or Sam's Club. It's because the WBC is owned by birders, and 
because 5% of their profits (or something like that) goes to preserving 
and managing land around Mason Farm. The rest, I assume, goes to the fund 
to send Cynthia and her husband on birding trips. If I shop at Sam's 
Club, the profits go to the Wal-Mart corporation, which then spends it 
lobbying politicians to destroy more bird habitat in favor of strip- 
malls, running family businesses out of business, and buying their CEO a 
spare yacht.

Brian specifically mentions Wild Birds Unlimited; I don't know how much 
the corporation as a whole or its individual stores devote to bird 
conservation, or to what extent either the stores or the company is owned 
by birders.

In the short run, sure, bird seed from Sam's or BJ's will attract just as 
many birds than seed from a premium birder-specific outlet like WBC. But 
in the long run, there will be more bird species at all our feeders if we 
have more Mason Farms and other preserves in our neighborhoods, and fewer 
strip malls and wholesale clubs.

> Are there good mail order sources?

I just did a quick web-search. Found a reference to the New Hope Audubon 
bird seed sale; anyone know if, where, and when that's happening this 
year? Alas, most of the Audubon chapters and other nonprofits that sell 
bird seed to raise funds for conservation require you to pick up your 
seed in person, no mail-ordering.

However, it does appear that the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is now 
selling bird seed and suet cakes on-line; see 
http://birds.cornell.edu/

I wonder what it means that the National Bird Feeding Society 
(http://www.birdfeeding.org/) doesn't list a single source of bird seed 
in either of the Carolinas...

A few other on-line sources of less certain merit, for those who want to 
comparison shop: 
http://www.duncraft.com/index.ihtml
http://www.wildyard.com/
http://www.bestnest.com/
http://www.birdandyard.com/index.html

Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Biology (Zoology, R.I.P.)

jsr6@duke.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~jsr6/