Customer Spotlight: Wild Bird Habitat Stores

When Wild Bird Habitat Stores owner Dave Titterington attended a 1989 Girl Scouts outing with his daughter, he never imagined a recycled Girl Scout bird feeder would turn into a 27-year successful bird feeding business in the Lincoln metro region.

Upon returning home from the Girl Scouts trip, Dave and his daughter, April, hung their home-made bird feeder and were quickly introduced to a small bird, a Black-Capped Chickadee (that would later become the inspiration for the store’s logo), who frequently visited the feeder.

Dave’s interest in birds and bird feeders grew. During this pre-Internet era there was little information on bird feeders, wild bird feeds or backyard birds, so Dave took the initiative to educate himself and learn through his own experiences. He also noticed the local garden centers replaced bird feeder and feeds with lawn fertilizer and garden supplies in the spring, leaving a limited window for bird enthusiasts to have the ability to shop for supplies.

The limited information and retail options for bird feeding and watching led Dave to pursue opening Wild Bird Habitat Stores in 1993. The business had a humble beginning, starting off in a 400 sq. ft. building, but quickly took off and allowed Dave and his siblings to open a second 1,400 sq. ft. location in 1994 and eventually an online e-commerce division in 1995.

Now 27 years later, the Wild Bird Habitat Stores are still family-owned by Dave, his wife Linda, and daughter Katie, and have more than doubled the size of both locations. In 2016, the family-owned business expanded further with the addition of Arnie’s Pet Food Store (a division of Wild Bird Habitat Stores) specializing in high-end pet foods and pet products.

Through the years Dave realized having a financial partner who understands you and your business is key in creating a long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationship. The Wild Bird Habitat Stores began their financial relationship with Security First Bank in 1998. Over the past five years, Wild Bird Habitat has exceeded a million dollars in gross sales annually and Dave attributes some of that success to the 22-year relationship he’s had with Security First Bank. Dave comments, “We’ve been so pleased with Security First Bank’s personal commitment that we have entrusted them with all of our personal banking needs as well.”

Wild Bird Habitat has been widely recognized in the bird feeding industry and Lincoln communities. They have received the Better Business Bureau’s “Integrity Award”, the Lincoln Journal Star – Howard Wiegert’s “Conservationist of the Year ” award, Nebraska Wildlife Federation’s “Wildlife Communicator” award, and were named the “Best Backyard Bird Feeding Retailer” in the U.S and Canada from the leaders in the wild bird feeding industry in 2015.

Wild Bird Habitat Stores pride themselves in the knowledge of birds and backyard bird feeding they have acquired over the years by actively participating in bird conservation, environmental education and outdoor birding recreation. They can be found at two convenient Lincoln locations: 5601 South 56th Street and 4900 Dudley Street and also online at wildbirdhabitatstore.com, shopwildbirdfeed.com and shop.arniespetfoods.com.