Space For Nature
Garden biodiversity forum
Spacer
Spacer
Spacer
Spacer
Spacer
Spacer

News: June 2004

Spacer
Title image

Feeding birds is big business

Appeared on Space For Nature on 28th June 2004   Revised 23rd October 2004
Spacer
So many people are now feeding birds that demand for bird-food and feeding products has become a multi-million pound industry.
SpacerSpacer
 Details  
There are thought to be several reasons why demand has rocketed in recent years:
  1. the major bird welfare organisations now advise us to feed birds all year round (feeding only in winter used to be the accepted practice);
  2. better energy rich foods, like sunflower seeds, have become available and these are more attractive to birds than the food that used to be available;
  3. research highlighting the decline in many garden birds has spurred gardeners to do something to help.
Chris Whittles, chairman of CJ WildBird Foods and perhaps the pioneer of this new market, estimates that it is currently worth £180 million a year and he thinks that it could grow to something in the region of £500 million within 10 years.
SpacerSpacer
 Source  
Michael McCarthy. 2004. Feeding frenzy: Britain spends £180m a year on feathered friends. Viewed on the web at http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/environment/story.jsp?story=535754 on June 28th 2004.

home Back to home page

North Merseyside Biodiversity Action Plan Do you live in Merseyside? Interested in its wildlife?