Magnolia Warbler. Roshan Patel
Buy coffee that’s better for birds
66% of Americans drink coffee daily yet most of don’t know our coffee is grown in ways that destroy bird habitat. Vast swaths of forest have been cleared in coffee-growing areas in Central and South America, where many Wisconsin songbirds winter. This loss of habitat is one reason nearly 30% of North America birds have vanished since 1970.
The good news is some coffee is grown in ways that protect bird habitat. Bird Friendly® Certified Coffee is the gold standard, available online and in limited locations in Wisconsin. Certified organic coffee is the second best option. Learn more about why and how to buy a brew that’s good for birds, and about the newest and sweetest Bird Friendly® offering, certified chocolates!
Bird Friendly® Certified Coffee is the gold standard, available online and in limited locations in Wisconsin
The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center developed their Bird Friendly® coffee certification in the 1990s to help protect bird habitats. This coffee meets the highest environmental standards and is the best choice to help birds. All Bird Friendly® certified coffee farms provide wildlife habitat that has:
At least 10 tree species and 3 distinct layers of tree canopy;
A minimum of 40% shade coverage;
Tree height of 40 feet or more;
No synthetic pesticides or chemicals used
See the Smithsonian’s comparison of its certification to others
Buy online or get a subscription to have coffee delivered to your door
Beans roasted in Wisconsin
Wisconsin has added two roasters of Bird Friendly® certified coffee in 2024, so savor coffee made from beans roasted right here in the Badger state! Have your coffee shipped to you or pick coffee up at their roasteries!
ARCO Coffee Co. in Superior offers several Bird Friendly® certified coffees for shipping or pickup at their roastery at 2206 Winter Street, Superior, Wisconsin 54880-1400.
Barnwood Coffee Company in Two Rivers offers Bird Friendly® certified coffees for $5 flat rate shipping or pick up Sunday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the farm roastery.
Beans roasted outside Wisconsin
Nearly 100 roasters from outside Wisconsin also sell Bird Friendly® certified coffee. Check the Smithsonian Bird Friendly website listing to purchase online.
Birds & Beans Coffee is a popular brand, an SOS Save Our Songbirds partner, and offers discounted shipping when you get a weekly, bi-weekly or other subscription delivered to your door.
Buy in a store
These Bird Friendly® certified brands are sold in Wisconsin but roasted elsewhere.
Birds & Beans Coffee
Spirit of the North Gift Shop in the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland
Wildbird & Backyard in Appleton
Wild Birds Unlimited in Green Bay
Dean’s Beans
The Nutrition Center in Waupaca
Whole Foods Market Organic Early Bird Blend
Whole Foods Market Organic Early Bird Blend can be found online and at Whole Foods stores in Madison, Milwaukee and Wauwatosa. *The packaging was redesigned in 2023 to remove the Bird Friendly® seal but the coffee retains the certification.
Watch a webinar answering the question, what is Bird Friendly coffee and how is it different than other coffee?
Organic coffee is the second-best choice and widely available
Coffee typically can’t be farmed without shade in an organic system. So, if it’s organic certified, it’s probably got some shade and native vegetation that support birds and other wildlife. Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center calls this the second-best option if you do not want to have Bird Friendly® coffee shipped to you or can’t find it in a retail store.
Where to buy Certified Organic Coffee
USDA certified organic coffee is widely available at local stores and coffee shops in Wisconsin. Look for the word “organic” or the USDA certified organic label shown on the left. Or ask at your favorite coffee shop if their beans are organic.
Bird Friendly®certified chocolates now available online
Smithsonian is now certifying cocoa farms that meet the gold standard for protecting bird habitat. Zorzal Cacao, a 1,019-acre bird reserve in the heart of the Dominican Republic, is the first cocoa farm to receive Bird Friendly™ certification.
Three chocolatiers partnered with Smithsonian and get their Bird Friendly certified cocoa from Zorzal Cacao. Only their chocolate products made with 100% Bird Friendly certified cocoa display the Bird Friendly certification logo.
Buy these delicious Bird Friendly certified chocolates online:
Raaka of Brooklyn, N.Y., offers a suite of delicious products from chocolate bars to baking chocolate to hot chocolate mix
French Broad Chocolate in Asheville, N.C., offers a 70% dark chocolate bar in a 2-ounce and 1-ounce size
Dandelion Chocolates in San Francisco offers a 2-ounce dark chocolate single origin bar crafted in their hometown and one crafted by their partners in Japan.
