Ask Steve

Q My birds all look so round and fat. Is it possible for them to eat too much?

A: On cold days birds can often look like little round puff balls. This is not from over eating; the birds are just trying to stay warm. Birds have the ability to hold their feathers away from or close to their bodies. The further away from their bodies they hold their feathers, the more air they trap and that gives them better insulation. ( Think down coat ) Even when it's hot out and the birds are holding their feathers down, a birds' body is only about 2/3 of what you see as the birds' size. So when it's real cold out, the birds hold their feathers out as far as possible and look just like dandelions gone to seed.

Growing coffee in the shade of larger trees is an old concept. That's how the coffee trade first got started. Coffee bushes love to be in the shade which makes richer tasting beans. However, if you put them in the sun they produce more, but they also need more water, fertilizer, and pesticides. At the Wild Bird Center we only sell shade-grown coffee. Not only is this better for the birds by providing some habitat, it also is better in general for the environment and peoples of the coffee regions. We have recently added a new supplier of coffee-Caffe Ibis. All Caffe Ibis Coffee is certified free trade, organic, and shade-grown. It's wonderful coffee. Please come in and try some. What's good for the birds in good for the beans.   Save $3.00 off any one bag of shade-grown coffee (see coupon below).