Wild Birds Unlimited

11/03/2026

Up to 50% OFF specially marked Autumn home and garden accents. Perfect for Thanksgiving decorating!
Available in-store only.

11/03/2026

🐦 Birds need our help, and your backyard is a great place to start. 🌿

Scientists have documented major declines in bird populations over the past several decades, with nearly 3 billion birds lost since 1970. 📉 But everyday people can help make a difference. 💙

Project FeederWatch invites participants across the U.S. and Canada to count the birds they see at feeders or nearby viewing spots from November through April. These observations help researchers track bird populations and winter trends. 📊

🌟 Wild Birds Unlimited is proud to sponsor Project FeederWatch, operated by our partners at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada.

Learn more, get involved, and help make a difference for birds: https://feederwatch.org/ 💚🐦✨

Featured Bird: House Finch and Downy Woodpecker
Featured Food: No-Mess Seed Blend
Featured Feeder: Quick-Clean® Medium Seed Tube Feeder (Green)

11/03/2026

It's voting day! 🇺🇸
Which woodpecker is your favorite?
These cousins look remarkably similar in appearance, but the 7.5 inch height of our seed cylinder offers a good measurement tool on which to contrast the size difference of the two species. In addition to the overall body size, zoom in on the beaks of both birds and you'll note that the Hairy's is proportionally larger as compared to its head than that of the Downy.
Featured Birds: Downy and Hairy woodpeckers
Featured Feeder: Vertical Seed Cylinder with Cardinal Confetti® Seed Cylinder

11/02/2026

With hummingbird season a wrap, take a few minutes to thoroughly wash and disinfect your feeders before packing them away for the winter. For us, the only nectar we'll be using for next the few months will be in those w**e glasses at the back! 🍷 😆 Check the feeders over and, if any feeders have damages for which you need parts, let us know over the winter rather than waiting until spring. We only order parts about once a month, so ordering now will ensure you don't miss out on those first weeks of the spring season. Final tip: Make a good note of where you store your feeders. You might be surprised at how many feeders we sell each spring simply because people can't recall where they put them. Haha. 😉
For tips on how to clean all types of feeders, visit our education page. https://springfieldil.wbu.com/feeder-cleaning

11/01/2026

Happy November!
As we take down our hummingbird feeders today, rather than lament the end of hummer season, let's look at those now-empty hooks as opportunity to try new feeders for different birds. Here are several feeders that are light-weight and fit perfectly on smaller hummingbird hooks or suction cup window-mounted hooks. Prices range from $12.99 -$25.99
1. Clingers Only
This feeder is designed with no perches, making it harder for large, clumsy birds like grackles or doves to use. Agile birds like nuthatches and chickadees use it like experts. Available in-store only.
2. Breakfast Bell
At 6 inches in diameter and with and adjustable height dome, this is a perfect feeder for serving snack foods to smaller birds. Available in-store only.
3. Bark Butter® Feeder
The cedar feeder features holes onto which you spread Bark Butter to attract many species of birds. Available online or in-store.
4. Good Morning Bluebird Feeder
Despite it's name, it's not just for bluebirds. Fill it with tasty treats like live or dried mealworms, Bark Butter® Bits, Bluebird Bugberry Blend® for many species. Available online or in-store.
5. Acorn Feeder
This fun, decorative feeder holds peanut pieces or our Bark Butter® Bits. Available online or in-store.
6. Peanut Tower
This inexpensive, all-metal feeder also holds peanut pieces or our Bark Butter® Bits. Available in-store only.
7. Mushroom Peanut Feeder
Like the acorn, this feeder holds peanut pieces or our Bark Butter® Bits.
8. Circle Mesh Hanging Tray - in black or red
Trays are one of the favorite feeder styles of cardinals, and having several located throughout a yard can attract more redbirds because it cuts down on bickering between individuals. Available online or in-store.
https://order.wbu.com/springfieldil

10/31/2026

Welcome back, snowbirds! While I had seen a few random juncos over the past week, today, a small flock showed up and eagerly fed on the white millet I have been sprinkling on the ground for them. (I use the hulled white millet because it leaves no shell-debris in the landscape.) There is also a bit of spilled finch blend on the ground, which they also enjoyed, as did a few finches who didn't want to wait their turn at the feeders overhead. The juncos seem to keep a little distance from one another as they feed, so lightly scattering seed over a larger area encourages more birds to stay and feed. Note the color difference in the juncos on the two videos.

Shop in-store, or online for curbside pickup or delivery to your door. Free shipping over $75*.

10/31/2026

Spooky Bird Facts for Halloween! 👻 🎃
1. Whooo goes there?!
Great horned owls communicate with deep, haunting "who-who" hoots that can sound pretty spooky in the dark! Hear these and other sounds they make at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/sounds
2. Nature's cleanup crew
Turkey vultures and black vultures eat animals that have died, helping clean up the environment. They're nature's very own Halloween cleanup crew!
4. The zombie fruit effect
Robins sometimes eat fermented berries. The naturally occurring alcohol can make them behave a little tipsy!
8. The ghostly whistle
Mourning doves have a haunting, mournful call. Sometimes their wings even make a distinctive whistling sound as they take off!
6. The tiny tree monster
Eastern screech-owls can blend right into tree bark. Their feathers make them almost invisible while they hide in tree cavities, plus they have calls that seem mysterious. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Screech-Owl/sounds

What is your favorite Halloween bird or animal?

10/31/2026

Brush Piles: Win-wins for us and the birds.
Our Tithonias (Mexican sunflowers) were quite the enthusiastic growers this year, with a wall of plants each reaching over 12 feet tall and their blooms feeding many butterflies and goldfinches. However, over the past couple of weeks, their height has made them victims to the weather, and one by one plants have been breaking in half. Rather than hauling the fallen plants to the curb for pickup, I've been piling them out of sight behind some evergreens, along with a few sticks and small limbs from other trees. This brush pile not only saved me a little work, it will provide birds with shelter from weather and protection from predators. If a hawk swoops into the yard, small birds can zip into the dense fortress and escape. Additionally, birds like Carolina wrens love hunting for insects in the piles, so it's a real boost for them.
Speaking of insects, I purposely cut the broken plants off at above 12-24" above the ground. The pithy stems can eventually become homes for various beneficial insects that use stems as shelter or to lay their eggs. The stems in the brush pile will offer the same benefit.
How many of you have brush piles in your yards? If you don't, fall is a great time to start one. 🍂

10/30/2026

We are so honored to have once again been voted the #1 store in the Pet Retail category. 🏆 Thank you!
Whether you visit us for quality foods and treats for your cats and dogs, or for all the foods, feeders, and supplies you need for your outdoor birds and squirrels, who become "pets" of another sort, we are glad we can be here for you. 🙂

10/28/2026

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped us do a refresh of the feeding stations at Adams Wildlife Sanctuary today. You all made it an easy task. And thanks to everyone who shops with us because it's your support that has, for the past twenty years, allowed us to donate all the Advanced Pole Systems, bird feeders, and a year-round supply of bird foods used at this Illinois Audubon sanctuary, as well as other wildlife preserves in our community.

10/06/2026

Many backyard birds are clever food hiders, or “cachers,” storing seeds, nuts and even insects in tree crevices, under bark or in the ground to eat later! 🌳🥜 These smart birds use landmarks, the sun and even each other to keep track of their stashes, helping them survive tough winters and busy seasons. ❄️☀️ Watching them work is like seeing a tiny treasure hunt happen in your backyard! 🔍✨

09/29/2026

The windows in our homes and offices can be hazardous for birds. Birds cannot readily distinguish the presence of a pane of transparent glass from an unobstructed space or passageway and often fly into window panes causing injury or death. Click here to learn more: www.wbu.com/window-strikes

09/23/2026

09/22/2026

In the Northern Hemisphere, the First Day of Autumn is Tuesday, September 22. That's when the length of day and night are almost the same. Be sure your feeders are ready for some hungry birds that are either preparing or recharging for the longer nights.

The Blue Jay shown is an example of a North American bird working hard to find the additional calories needed to make it through autumn's longer hours of darkness. Which birds are visiting your backyard this season? Share in the comments.

09/21/2026

What kind of corvids do you have in your yard? Are you seeing crows, jays, or maybe even ravens?

If you haven't listened to the most recent episode of the Podcast, tune in today! You won't want to miss this very interesting topic! Listen here: https://www.wbu.com/podcast/episode-113-jays-crows-other-corvids/

09/16/2026

Kathy and John Haigh have recently purchased the WBU store in Spokane, WA! John and Kathy also own the WBU stores in Billings and Bozeman, MT. We’re so excited to see their WBU journey continue to grow and can’t wait to see all the wonderful things they’ll bring to the Spokane community!
To learn more about how you can own your own WBU store, please visit us at https://franchise.wbu.com. To find a local WBU store near you, please visit https://www.wbu.com.

09/13/2026

It's National Peanut Day! 🥜 To celebrate, let's fill up our peanut feeders for our friends that love peanuts like Jays, Nuthatches, Titmice, Woodpeckers, Chickadees, and...love them or hate them...squirrels!

Featured Bird: Downy Woodpecker
Feeder and WBU Food: EcoClean Peanut Feeder with Peanuts, Out of the Shell

09/10/2026

What if jays or crows could save your life, help replant forests after fires, or learn to communicate with you? Brian is joined by WBU store owners Kurtis Huston of Kamloops, BC and Laura Fleming of Medford, OR to explore the fascinating world of jays, crows and other corvids. Discover just how intelligent these birds can be, the surprising ways they interact with people, and the important roles they play in the natural world. Plus, learn how to attract or deter them. Listen here: https://www.wbu.com/podcast/episode-113-jays-crows-other-corvids/

09/07/2026

This Labor Day, take a moment to rest, recharge, and listen to the birds. You work hard—you’ve earned a little R&R. Here’s to long weekends, lazy mornings, and soaking up the simple things. 😌

The Red-headed Woodpecker shown is a beautiful sight at feeders across many regions of the US. Let us know which birds are stopping by your feeders this holiday weekend. Share in the comments.