Significant findings have been announced by the British Trust for Ornithology (the BTO) which show that there are now more birds in UK gardens than there were 40 years ago.
The report from the BTO attributes this increase to “Britain’s growing love affair with feeding the birds”, something which has been welcomed and encouraged by Westland, a leading name in the wild bird sector.
Rachael Dickinson, senior marketing manager at Westland, commented: “We have significantly invested in the wild bird care market in recent times to raise awareness of the sector and to encourage people to feed birds. Our aim is always to help birds and to increase populations, so it’s great to see that this is having such a positive impact.
“Our products are always developed with birds’ best interests in mind. It’s fantastic to see in the BTO findings that the population increases in Goldfinches and Siskins has been directly linked to the feeding of Nyjer Seed and Sunflower Hearts, products that have become increasingly popular over the last 20 years.”
The findings also highlight that the variety of ingredients within products on the market are key to boosting populations, whilst also delivering more variety of species, a key element in developing our recipes.
The success of one brand from the Westland portfolio in particular demonstrates this growth in the market. Peckish is the fastest growing brand in the bird care sector, having seen 45% brand growth year-on-year. This year alone, Peckish has continued its commitment to raising the profile of the sector and making the public aware of the importance of feeding wild birds with an extensive advertising campaign and sponsorship of the weather bulletins on Channel 4.
Earlier this week, it was announced that Westland formed a new partnership with the BTO to help boost education around birds and wild bird care, which will be supported by a series of events and activities taking place throughout the year. The BTO logo will continue to be proudly featured on the Gardman range of wild bird products, reassuring customers of the quality and knowledge behind the product range.
