The plight of our wild birds
Detail:
Is your wild bird section well stocked? Chances are after today’s news, more people will be popping in to pick up a bag of bird seed or some fat balls.
Just in case you have not heard, the RSPB today revealed findings from its wildlife survey, which showed that this winter has proved disastrous for small birds, particularly the goldcrest, coal tit and long-tailed tit.
Around 530,000 people took part in the survey in January, and sent in reports of wild birds seen in their gardens. Sightings of the rare goldcrests were down 75 per cent and seen in only about 5,300 gardens. Long-tailed tits were down 27 per cent to an average of one bird per garden, and coal tits down 20 per cent. Ironically, the long-tailed tit had been thriving as a result of previous mild winters, and last year was even hailed as one of the big success stories.
However, the survey also showed a significant rise in countryside birds such as fieldfare (up 73 per cent) and redwings (up 185 per cent) foraging for food in private gardens.
This annual survey began in 1979 and, not surprisingly, this year has not seen a reversal in the general decline in sightings of birds. House sparrows and starlings have seen their numbers drop 62 per cent and 79 per cent respectively since the survey began.
The good news for retailers and wild bird food producers/manufacturers is that, according to the RSPB, two in three people in the UK feed wild birds in their garden. The Society’s advice to the public is to put out a variety of food – seeds, fatballs and peanuts, and to leave fresh water out daily.
Perhaps now is a good time to position your wild bird food in a prominent location in your shop, with perhaps a temporary display at the front of your store? This could trigger impulse purchases as people recall the RSPB report.
And ultimately, each time your tills ring with the purchase of fatballs, peanuts or seeds of some kind, you know you are contributing to the efforts to keep our wild birds going. You are killing two birds with one stone! (Sorry, I could not help myself…)
Just in case you have not heard, the RSPB today revealed findings from its wildlife survey, which showed that this winter has proved disastrous for small birds, particularly the goldcrest, coal tit and long-tailed tit.
Around 530,000 people took part in the survey in January, and sent in reports of wild birds seen in their gardens. Sightings of the rare goldcrests were down 75 per cent and seen in only about 5,300 gardens. Long-tailed tits were down 27 per cent to an average of one bird per garden, and coal tits down 20 per cent. Ironically, the long-tailed tit had been thriving as a result of previous mild winters, and last year was even hailed as one of the big success stories.
However, the survey also showed a significant rise in countryside birds such as fieldfare (up 73 per cent) and redwings (up 185 per cent) foraging for food in private gardens.
This annual survey began in 1979 and, not surprisingly, this year has not seen a reversal in the general decline in sightings of birds. House sparrows and starlings have seen their numbers drop 62 per cent and 79 per cent respectively since the survey began.
The good news for retailers and wild bird food producers/manufacturers is that, according to the RSPB, two in three people in the UK feed wild birds in their garden. The Society’s advice to the public is to put out a variety of food – seeds, fatballs and peanuts, and to leave fresh water out daily.
Perhaps now is a good time to position your wild bird food in a prominent location in your shop, with perhaps a temporary display at the front of your store? This could trigger impulse purchases as people recall the RSPB report.
And ultimately, each time your tills ring with the purchase of fatballs, peanuts or seeds of some kind, you know you are contributing to the efforts to keep our wild birds going. You are killing two birds with one stone! (Sorry, I could not help myself…)
By:
Sandra
Date/time :
29/03/2010
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