Wild Birds Unlimited Brings the Best of Bird Food to Syosset

Wild Birds Unlimited of Syosset prides itself as the home of the best bird food in town—but the husband-and-wife-owned store is more than that, specializing in bringing people and nature together with bird feeding, nature products, expert advice and educational events.

Patch: Tell us about the new Wild Birds Unlimited location in Syosset.

Wild Birds Unlimited: Wild Birds Unlimited is a hobby and nature store specializing in backyard bird feeding. This hobby, second in popularity only to gardening, is enjoyed by over 53 million Americans. Wild Birds Unlimited was started in 1981 and became a franchise in 1983. Currently, there are hundreds of locations across the United States and Canada. Ours in Syosset will be the second one on Long Island. We are located in the Syosset Plaza on Jericho Turnpike, just west of the 135. In the shopping center, you will also find Wild Fig, HSBC bank, North Shore Performing Arts, Leslie’s Pool Supplies, Tenjin Sushi, Pronto Pizza and, coming soon, A&S Italian Fine Foods.

Patch: Wild Birds Unlimited boasts a team of certified bird-feeding specialists. Tell us about the Syosset Team.

Wild Birds Unlimited: Wild Birds Unlimited – Syosset is owned by my wife and myself. I have been a lifelong bird enthusiast and always enjoyed watching, identifying and feeding my backyard birds. About a year ago, we were at the WBU Oakdale store, where I was a Daily Savings Club member, when we saw the franchise opportunity listed in the back of a WBU hobby guide. We were so excited when we realized that we could become a part of this top-rated franchise. We spent the next year researching and learning everything we could about wild birds and the hobby of backyard birding. We’ve had great support from the franchise, which included franchise store owner training in Carmel, Ind. and an educational conference in Portland. Ore.

The team at the franchise made sure we were fully trained on all aspects of the hobby, ranging from classes with their naturalists, lectures regarding bird health, seminars on understanding the difference in seeds and feeders and even teaching us about bird walks and the right optics. Additionally, we are thrilled that we have put together a team that is as excited about the hobby as we are. Each one of them is also required to undergo extensive training on our products, the hobby and the local backyard birds.

Patch: How does WBU distinguish itself from area competition, neighboring pet stores or otherwise?

Wild Birds Unlimited: Wild Birds Unlimited is the home of the best backyard bird food in town. Our seed is the highest quality; all of it is no waste and some is even no mess. That means the birds will eat 100 percent of our seed blends; there are no fillers! Another aspect is that our bird food is the freshest bird food you can get, getting delivered on a weekly basis.

We also offer a relaxing, nature-inspired setting and a customer experience like no other. We are a true hobby store, where we know your name and can truly talk about the hobby with our customers. And every Wild Birds Unlimited seed purchase comes with a guarantee: if a customer is dissatisfied with the seed in any way, he or she can bring it back for a new bag.

Patch: Wild Birds Unlimited prides itself as a provider of the highest quality of bird feeders and equipment. How does it ascertain this?

Wild Birds Unlimited: Most of the items in our Wild Birds Unlimited store have undergone extensive in use testing, both at the franchise headquarters and in the back yards of many of the WBU owners, including us. Additionally, many of our items are made in the United States, and many come with lifetime guarantees. We want our customers to love the hobby as much as we do, and we’ll go to great lengths to ensure they experience the joy of backyard birding.

Patch: How can Patch readers better identify birds as GBBC participants?

Wild Birds Unlimited: We love identifying birds and understand the passion that comes with trying to decide what type of bird is at the feeder. To make it easier, we carry books and guides to help with identifying birds and species. Wild Birds Unlimited Syosset is also partnered with HOBAS (Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society). Everyone is welcome to come participate by attending meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at Cold Spring Harbor library, going on bird walks with members who have very good knowledge of our local birds. There are many other resources available, including apps and websites. Come in and ask us!

Patch: Tell us about some of the other resources that WBU offers to backyard bird owners and caretakers lovers.

Wild Birds Unlimited: At Wild Birds Unlimited, we offer a wide variety of products designed for the back yard bird enthusiast. In addition to seed, suet and nectar, we have feeders, nesting boxes, our WBU exclusive Advanced Pole System, baffles to deter squirrels and raccoons or squirrel feeders and optics and many other items. We also have beautiful nature-inspired items, such as bird-themed mugs and handcrafted earrings. Additionally, we’re armed with knowledge and have access to many resources to aid in helping with your backyard passion.

Patch: What is the WBU definition of success?

Wild Birds Unlimited: We bring people and nature together, and we do it with excellence! We know that backyard bird feeding can bring joy to all, and we want to help our customers with that experience.

Patch: Tell us about the WBU hobby guide.

Wild Birds Unlimited: The Wild Birds Unlimited hobby guide is available at our store for free. It is a guide that gives you an insight into backyard birding and information about our food and products.

Patch: What is the outlook for the future of WBU?

Wild Birds Unlimited: There are over 300 Wild Birds Unlimited stores across the United States and Canada. The franchise is a top-rated system and is continually growing. Wild Birds Unlimited has been around for 30 years with a proven record of high-quality products, great information and a love of backyard birds.

Patch: How can Patch readers learn more about WBU?

Wild Birds Unlimited: To learn more about Wild Birds Unlimited, check out www.wbu.com or find us on Facebook or—better yet—stop by our store at 625 Jericho Turnpike in Syosset and chat with us. We’d love to hear about your backyard birds!

Photo credit: Wild Birds Unlimited