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The Human Dimensions of Bird Feeding
 When I tell people who don't feed birds that over 55 million
Americans over the age of 16 feed wild birds or other
wildlife around their homes, I am often asked why. The
answer to this question, and others on the human
dimensions of bird feeding, were addressed through
PROJECT WILDBIRD®, a three-year, $1 million study of
bird seed and bird feeder preferences funded by the Wild
Bird Feeding Industry Research Foundation. I served as
the Principal Investigator of the study, and it was
hosted at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois (Millikin
also hosts the NBFS).
 Between winter 2005 and fall 2008, nearly 1,300 participants
from 48 states and 7 Canadian provinces answered survey
questions about why they feed birds, what could make
their bird feeding experience better, and what features
of bird feeding products are most important. When asked
why people feed birds, the four most popular responses
were that bird feeding brings nature and beauty to the
area, people enjoy the sound of birds in the yard,
people want to help birds, and that bird feeding is both
fun and a hobby.
 The majority of respondents indicated that to make the bird
feeding experience better, people wanted to attract more
species of colorful birds such as bluebirds, buntings,
goldfinches, hummingbirds, and orioles. The most
important feature that people were looking for in the
bird seed they purchased was that birds eat the seed,
while the most important features of bird feeders were
that the birds used the feeder and the feeder was easy
to clean.
By knowing more about the human dimensions of bird
feeding, the wild bird feeding industry has the
opportunity to develop better bird seed blends, superior
bird feeders, and ultimately enhance the bird feeding
experience for people who feed birds.
Enjoy feeding the birds!
Dr. David Horn
David Horn is Director of the NBFS. He is also an Associate
Professor of Biology at Millikin University and Director
of Research and Development for the Wild Bird Centers of
America, Inc. For over 10 years, he has published
numerous scientific articles on wild bird feeding and is
principal investigator for PROJECT WILDBIRD®. |
