Meet Our Owners
Richard & Cynthia Fox began the Wild Bird Center of Chapel Hill, NC in March 1996. Cynthia now runs the store full-time while Richard is retired. After 10 years in the business, Cynthia works as needed and pursues her birding passion by leading a group every year to such places as Panama and Costa Rica. When asked about the business, she says”
“Being in the bird business has been a joy. I enjoy turning the key in the lock every morning. The Wild Bird Centers of America has given me the flexibility and latitude which allows me to use my creativity while at the same time giving me a successful framework in which to operate. The fact that I can pick up the phone and call other store owners or Home Office for guidance, suggestions and support has eliminated my fears of starting my own business.”
Fun Facts and Games
Which bird is the fastest flyer?
Most birds fly at speeds ranging from 10 to 40 mph. Ducks can fly at speeds exceeding 60 mph and the peregrine falcon can apparently reach speeds approaching 200 mph during a dive (stoop), making it the fastest flyer. However, some of the fastest birds in level flight are racing pigeons, dunlin sandpipers and red-breasted mergansers who can attain speeds in excess of 100 mph.
Which are the largest and smallest birds?
The Trumpeter Swan has been reported to have a wingspan of close to 10 ft. and males can weigh over 25 pounds. It is the heaviest native bird in North America.
The White Pelican and California Condor both have wingspans of about 9 feet.
The tallest bird in North America is the Whooping Crane with a height of about 4 1/2 feet.
The Ostrich is almost 8 ft. tall and can weigh up to 300 lbs. The Giant Moa of New Zealand became extinct about five hundred years ago but was an incredible 12 feet tall.
On the other end of the scale, the Calliope Hummingbird, with a length of 3 1/4" is the smallest regularly occurring bird in the United States. The Bee Hummingbird of Cuba, with a length of about 2 1/4", is the smallest in the world.
Games
Hangman - Bird Names
Guess the birds name before you run out of rope. Play now!