Welcome Wild Birds Unlimited
Call: (800) 326-4928
or click:
wbu.know-where.com/wbu
for the store nearest you!

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http://www.wbu.com/frdev

1. Hummingbirds on the move!
Hummingbirds are making their long trek northward from their wintering grounds in the southern U.S., Mexico and Central America. These birds fly great distances when they migrate - Ruby-throated Hummingbirds fly 600 miles across the Gulf of Mexico and other hummingbird species fly 2,000 miles from Central America. Some other interesting (and unique) facts about hummingbirds:

• They fly forward, backward, sideways and can stop in midair!
• These birds beat their wings 60 to 200 times per second.
• Their tongues are not hollow like straws - they have long tongues with grooves on the sides to collect the nectar.
• They are known to lap up nearly half their weight in nectar each day.

How to attract hummingbirds:

Fill a hummingbird feeder with a solution of four parts water, one part table sugar. Never use honey or artificial sweeteners!

• Use a red hummingbird feeder. Hummingbirds are attracted to red.
• You can also tie red ribbons on the feeder and plant flowers and other plants that hummingbirds find attractive. Never add red food coloring to the nectar because you can potentially harm the birds.
• Change the nectar solution every three to four days - more frequently in hot weather.

Check out Wild Birds Unlimited
hummingbird feeders
Hummingbirds love the Wild Birds Unlimited Hummingbird feeder. Its all red top screams, "get our nectar here!" And you can see all the birds on the feeder! Most bees can't get into the holes. And it's easy to clean and fill.

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2. Whoopers heading north to nest
The Whooping Cranes are on their way to Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin. The cranes left their winter home in Florida on April 9 and on April 17 crossed the Illinois state line near Chicago.

The five cranes are part of the Whooping Crane Reintroduction project, to which the Pathways To Nature® Conservation Fund awarded a grant last year. The purpose of the project is to establish an eastern population of Whooping Cranes and increase awareness about this endangered bird. The birds learned to fly with the help of costumed trainers at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge and then were led by ultra light aircraft to Florida last fall. A few of the birds are equipped with high technology collars that allow scientists to track their progress as they head north on their own. If people see the cranes during their migration journey, it's important that they not approach the birds. This year another group of Whooping Cranes will learn to follow an ultra light aircraft at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in preparation for a fall migration to Florida. (Photo courtesy Operation Migration.)

Pathways To Nature Conservation Fund is a partnership established in 1999 between Wild Birds Unlimited and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation manages the fund, helps select grant recipients and uses federal funds and a challenge grant program to increase the value of each grant. Last year, a $25,000 Pathways To Nature grant funded the enclosures where the Whooping Cranes lived during the reintroduction program. The money also provided educational materials, such as educational trunks, to help teach schoolchildren about the cranes and helped pay for a viewing blind that allows people to remain out of sight while watching the young cranes learn to fly. This year Pathways To Nature funds will contribute to the purchase of an ultra light aircraft for the Operation Migration team. This project is one of 18 funded throughout the U.S. and Canada. (Photo courtesy Operation Migration.)

You can follow the cranes' progress by accessing any of the following Web sites:
http://www.savingcranes.org/whatsnew/default.asp
http://www.operationmigration.org/field_2002_spr.html
http://www.bringbackthecranes.org/new/up-3-24-02.htm

3. Advanced Pole System can add variety to your birdfeeding setup!
It's spring and that means it's time to review your backyard birdfeeding setup and get it ready for the spring and summer seasons! Consider replacing a hopper feeder with a nest box or birdbath. Add tube feeders of safflower for cardinals and other songbirds (the pesky squirrels, grackles and starlings generally don't like safflower). Add a feeding station for hummingbirds - include feeders and flowers! Peanuts, suet and niger can all bring a variety of different birds to your backyard. 

One easy way to hang or mount these different feeders and accessories is to consider using the Advanced Pole System® (APS) from Wild Birds Unlimited. The pole's unique design - it includes a stabilizer to keep the pole standing straight - currently awaits a patent. The system, which is available only at Wild Birds Unlimited, includes a variety of accessories that can help you display multiple feeders. Shepherd crooks, suet cages, branch perches, birdbath holders, flanges and more!  Stop by a Wild Birds Unlimited store near you and ask about how our APS system might work in your backyard.