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The Bird Preference Chart for North America using colors to demonstrate preferences for feed and feeders is available at this link Bird Preference Chart for North America using numbers to show preferences for feed and feeders is at this link. Consumers want to see the organizations you support. Your use of the WBFI membership logo is an advantage to your company! One of the benefits that adds value to your WBFI membership is the use of the WBFI membership logo. This logo can be used on print promotional materials, packaging, website, and other applications. All WBFI logos are trademarked by the WBFI and under the ownership and control of the WBFI. Depending on the file format your graphic artist needs, here are the WBFI membership logos in color:
AAFCO ACCEPTED LABEL AAFCO Feed Labeling Committee accepted this label for inclusion in their Non-Pet Food Label Guide at their August 1, 2011 committee meeting. To download the free AAFCO Non-Pet Food Label Guide, go to the AAFCO website www.aafco.org.  COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING (COOL) 19CFR134, in particular 134.11 through 134.14, gives you the information you need on how to label packages of Nyjer® in the US. Whenever Nyjer® is repackaged, the Country of Origin must be noted on the package as specified in these regulations.  Development of the WBFI Seed Definitions was a good time to provide to WBFI Members and the industry the FDA-required information regarding the possible existence of allergens in packaged products. WBFI developed the following Allergen Statement, which should be used on all applicable packaging:
ALLERGEN INFORMATION: The ingredient label on this product accurately reflects the contents of this package added by design. This product is processed, packaged and/or stored in facilities that also may process, package and/or store peanuts, tree nuts of all types, wheat, eggs, milk products and soy and thus may also contain particles of one or more of those ingredients. Watch out for misinformation! An allergen statement is NOT required on wild bird feed because it is commercial animal feed. FDA has told WBFI this repeatedly. Sometimes we hear that a company is told it has to have an allergen statement on packaging, and that is misinformation. If this every changes, WBFI will let you know. This 2013 research was managed by the WBFI Research Foundation and used AYTM for the implementation. The file included below is provided to all WBFI members free of charge.
2013 US and Canada Consumer Market Research Presentation The WBFI provides the file below from the 2014 Annual Meeting to WBFI free of charge.
2014 US and Canada Consumer Market Research Presentation You'll find information on both 2013 and 2014 compiled in the report, and the data for the US and Canada is calculated together in the slides. In 2015, WBFI and the WBFI Research Foundation funded only the updated research of US consumers. The reason? Budget constraints. Here is the link to the 2015 Annual Meeting presentation provided to WBFI members free of charge.
2015 US Consumer Market Research Presentation WBFI and the WBFI Research Foundation have returned to conducting consumer market research in the US and in Canada in 2016. The 2016 Annual Meeting presentation by WBFI Research Foundation Trustee Judy Hoysak, Global Harvest Foods, is available to WBFI members free of charge.
2016 US and Canada Consumer Market Research Presentation Due to time constraints, the complete 55-slide presentation prepared for the WBFI by AYTM could not be presented at the Annual Meeting, The WBFI and the WBFI Research Foundation are making this file available to WBFI members for free in addition to Judy Hoysak's presentation. 2016 FULL US and Canada 55-slide Consumer Market Research Presentation The 1600 lines of raw data for each country are available as a recognition gift from the WBFI Research Foundation when your company contributes $750 to the Foundation. Download the pledge form now to get your raw data in Excel emailed to you as soon as your pledge is paid! Roy Morgan national consumer market research data
US Fish & Wildlife Service National Survey of Hunting, Fishing, and Wildlife Watching The next release of the research by the US Fish & Wildlife Service will occur in August 2017. According to an FDA Guidance Document, FDA's proposed rules for Current Good Manufacturing Practices CGMP's and Preventive Controls for Food for Animals focuses on preventing problems in order to improve the safety of these products. The preventive controls provisions of the proposed rules apply to domestic and imported animal food, including pet food, animal feed, and raw materials and ingredients.
The Guidance Document goes on to state that facilities producing animal food would be required to have written plans that identify hazards, specify the steps that will be put inplact to minimize or prefent those hazards, identify monitoring procedures and record monitoring results, and specify what actions would be taken to correct problems that arise. The proposed rule would also establish certain Current Good Manufacturing Praceices (CGMPs) that specifically address animal food. FDA is proposing that the requirement be effective 60 days after the final rule is published in the Federal Register. The proposed rule was published on October 29, 2013, and comments are due 120 days after publication or March 1, 2013. WBFI notes FDA is requesting comment from industry in several areas of the proposed rules. Working with other industry partners, WBFI will formulate an appropriate response for our industry and advise WBFI members so WBFI members may comment along with the WBFI. Wild bird feed is included in the food safety legislation because the legislation includes food for animals and humans.
On January 4, 2011, US President Barack Obama signed H.R. 2751 and it became law. The next step for the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has been to develop the 50 new rules, guidances, and reports required by FSMA within the 3 years specified in the law. Funding for FDA in 2011 was frozen, and 2012 was not much better, so the development of these rules and increasing the number of inspections of facilities as required in the law will be a burden for the existing staff at FDA. WBFI members from the processor level through the packer, distributor, and retailer levels are required and expected to comply of this legislation. Facility Registration renewals deadline for all companies required to register was December 31, 2012. Registration is free and it is online through the FDA website. Use this link to go to the FDA facility registration portal. Starting in 2012, each facility required to register must update or verify their facility registration every other year, so 2014 is the next year in which facilities should plan to review and update their registration. Information that FDA is trying to keep updated include the name of the contact person and the phone numbers and emails for contact personnel at each facility. You will need a food category for your facility registration. Use this link to go to the FDA information on food categories. FAQ's on Facility Registration are available here. FDA updates the information at this link from time to time. Be sure to sign up to receive updates via email from FDA when new information is posted. Nominations for Board of Directors and officers are submitted to WBFI Headquarters during the nomination period. Nominations closed in mid-September, 45 days prior to the date of the Annual Meeting. The slate of proposed officers and directors is announced to the WBFI membership by Member Broadcast email within the 30 day time frame prior to the date for the annual meeting. Elections take place during the Annual Member Meeting.
Board of Directors Director terms are 3 years with the option for additional terms. The Nominating Committee pays special attention to the membership category of the Director whose seat is open to ensure the fair and equitable representation of the membership categories on the WBFI Board of Directors. Directors elected in 2017 to terms ending in 2020 included:
Interested? Send an email to Sue Hays at WBFI Headquarters for more information. Dr. Todd Underwood presented information on his study of bird feeder cleaning methodologies. He is sharing his 2016 Annual Meeting presentation and his published study with WBFI members. Find more Research Manuscripts here.
Presentation: Seed feeder hygiene: what we know and where we need to go Published paper: The Efficacy of Cleaning Seed Feeder with 10% Bleach Solution Wipes to Reduce Bacteria Here is the 2016 presentation from the Annual Meeting done by WBFI Research Foundation Judy Hoysak from Woodstream.
Find more consumer research presentations from more than 10 years of WBFI Annual Meetings on the Market Research page. Dr. Todd Underwood from Kutztown University, Kutztown PA, presented information on his study of bird feeder cleaning methods at the 2016 Annual Meeting. Dr. Underwood has made his presentation and his paper available to WBFI members. Paper: The Efficacy of Cleaning Bird Feeders with 10% Bleach Wipes to Reduce Bacteria Presentation: Seed feeder hygiene: what we know and where we need to go Dr. Underwood's contact information may be found on the first page of his presentation.
The acceptance of the researcher's findings by his or her peers is demonstrated through the publication of the research results in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Dr. David Horn and the Foundation have this demonstration of acceptance for two manuscripts submitted by Dr. Horn to peer reviewed journals. The following 2 files are provided to WBFI members and may not be shared outside of the WBFI because the journal publishing the manuscripts sells the manuscripts. From 2009 until 2015, the Foundation maintained a PROJECT WILDBIRD(R) database query tool for WBFI members and consumers. That tool has now been retired, along with the PROJECT WILDBIRD(R) website.
Launched in 2005 and completed in 2008, PROJECT WILDBIRD was the first comprehensive study of the feed and feeder preferences of the wild birds who use bird feeders. WBFI members and WBFI companies, along with the Kaytee Avian Foundation, strongly supported this study through contributions of cash and in-kind feed and equipment.. By the time the study completed in 2008, over $1 million had been invested in this study by people and companies in the US and Canada.
Citizen scientists from the US and Canada participated. The result is 1 million lines of data. Below are the summary files from Dr. David Horn, Millikin University, following the conclusion of the research. Dr. Horn presented these files at the November 2009 WBFI Annual Meeting. WBFI members may use these files as needed, with appropriate credit to the WBFI Research Foundation, Dr. Horn and Millikin University. From spring 2011 to spring 2014, WBFI and its members funded this study at Millikin University. The study was conducted by Dr. David Horn and Dr. Travis Wilcoxen. The study found that the individual health of birds improved with supplemental feeding. There were also some negative impacts found, including an increase in infectious diseases. The general conclusion noted in the manuscript is that, "...in general, birds that had access to supplemental food were in better physiological condition. Moreover, the negative effects ... may be mitigated by hobbyists engaging in safer bird-feeding practices."
WBFI Research Foundation
Board of Trustees Focusing primarily on the consumer market research and the scientific research studies on wild bird feeding, the WBFI Research Foundation Trustees have a different perspective on the business and what's happening. You can expand your information when you volunteer as a Trustee! Trustees are appointed by the WBFI Board of Directors to 2-year terms. Our current Trustees include: President: Rob Gunstone, Armstrong Milling Treasurer: Paul Stefanic, D&D Commodities Secretary: Sue Hays, WBFI RF Executive Director At large: Judy Hoysak, Global Harvest Foods To join the Foundation Board of Trustees, contact Sue Hays at Foundation Headquarters!
Event Planning Committee Chair: Karen Burns Email: kburns@cosmedgroup.com Without these dedicated people, the WBFI meetings would be pretty ordinary. If you like to work with groups, destination planning, and the challenges of topics and speakers, this is the committee for you! Download the Event Planning Committee responsibilities here. Pulse of the Industry Committee Co-Chairs: Rob Mann and Craig Brummell Emails: rob@allstartrading.com and craig.brummell@topcrop.ca One of the biggest challenges to our businesses is to keep tabs on what's happening and how it will affect our business. This committee does just that. Through conference calls, these people, representing multiple membership categories, discuss the issues and events that may - or may not - affect us. If you're ready to keep tabs on what's happening, this may be a good fit for you! Membership Committee Chair: Craig Brummell Email: craig.brummell@topcrop.ca Without you, our members, WBFI wouldn't exist. Recruiting new members and verifying membership applications is what this Committee is all about. Conference calls are the norm for this group. If you believe in the WBFI and what we do, and you are talking to businesses that would make good WBFI members, this may be a good fit for you! Regulatory Committee Chair: Karen Burns Email: kburns@cosmedgroup.com There are those among us who monitor state, provincial, and federal legislative issues every day. If you are one of these people, this is the committee for you! This is the committee that is monitoring the FSMA regulations development. Conference calls are the norm for this group. Are you interested? Standards Committee Co-Chairs: Karen Burns and Dave Netten Emails: kburns@cosmedgroup.com and dave@wildbirdstore.net Through the foresight of our Board members in 2005, WBFI has developed and adopted quality standards for wild bird feed and wild bird feeders. This committee monitors our definitions and makes recommendations for additional definitions or updates to existing definitions from time to time. Conference calls are the norm for this group. If you monitor to the quality aspects of your products, you're a good fit for this committee. Shall we add your name?  March 2012, WBFI Headquarters received an inquiry from a member company asking for information on how to manage rat attraction to wild bird feeding stations in order to address a county prohibition of wild bird feeding. Headquarters contacted our network of scientific and academic advisors and received information to help you address this issue with your customers and the public.
The bottom line: Seeds alone (and any dry material) cannot attract rats if rats are not currently in the neighborhood. If there are rats in the area, they are there for another food source, like garbage that's not managed properly, pet waste, outdoor pet food bowls, human-made habitat opportunities like firewood stacks or brush piles, fruit or nut trees, and standing sources of water. Here is a short information article from the WBFI that you can use to support your discussion of this topic. Unfortunately, this is being brought up more and more frequently. WBFI Quality Standards Program: Join the WBFI Quality Standards Program. Enrollment is now underway. Click Here to review the details of the Program and the enrollment form. 6 Steps to turn your yard into a Sanctuary for Birds: Are you looking for reliable information on bird feeding to include in your packaging, on your website, or for use as a mailer? Then WBFI has the piece you need! Compiled by the knowledgeable experts in the field of bird feeding, this booklet gives your customers the information they need to promote responsible feeding. WBFI is pleased to provide this brochure to WBFI members and to the industry for free in multiple formats (customization for your company is available). Click here to learn more about this important brochure. On the Regulatory Committee conference call on April 23, 2014 Co-Chair Doug Alderman discussed a scientific paper from the University of Florida that sheds some light on the claim by the American Birding Conservancy (ABC) about the impact of these products on our wild birds. Access the report at this link.
NEW! Download it now! Many uses for this colorful infographic developed for the WBFI Research Foundation in cooperation with Millikin University. Sales presentation Shelf talker POS handout You've probably got more ideas on how you can use this. We're sharing it on our My Birdz Facebook page. Go ahead and share it on yours!  Connections between the bird feeding industry and bird groups in the US and Canada are explored in this presentation by Steven Price, President of Bird Studies Canada. From the common audience shared by the both to a discussion of the benefits and challenges of bird feeding from his perspective, Steven's presentation brings a different, Canadian outlook to WBFI members in his presentation available at this link.
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