Birds and Coffee

Rose breasted grosbeaks, shown here, winter in coffee growing areas and return here in the spring.  Your coffee choice directly affects them.  Photo by Richard Stern.

Many of our songbirds travel long distances year to overwinter in Central and South America, returning here each spring to nest.  The sad news is that many songbirds are declining in numbers, due to habitat loss, exposure to pesticides, window strikes, cats and other predators, and potentially climate change here and in their winter habitats.

JUDES and the Ecology Action Centre are hosting discussions across the province about coffee farming practices that can help conserve our songbirds, including screening the film Birdsong and Coffee: A Wake-up Call.  Connected by the birds we share and your morning coffee means that choosing Fair Trade, organic, and shade-grown coffee or bird-friendly coffee can make a big difference in protecting our migrant songbirds.

To get some more tips on helping birds, please see 10+1 Ways to Save Birds [pdf, 131 KB].  This document was the result of our 2008 For Our Birds Conference.

For a list of links that will provide you with more information on birds, coffee, and fair trade, please see our Birdsong & Coffee handout [pdf, 155 KB].