Drinking Bird Friendly^®certified coffee is a simple choice we can make to protect migratory bird habitat.

What is Bird Friendly Coffee - FAQ

What is Bird Friendly® coffee?

Bird Friendly® coffee is certified to have been grown on farms that provide viable, forest-like habitats for birds. Rather than being planted on land cleared of all vegetation, Bird Friendly coffee bushes grow under a canopy of trees.

What is the difference between Bird Friendly® certified coffee and other coffee?

Bird Friendly^® coffee is the only coffee on the market certified as shade-grown and organic by an independent third-party inspector based on criteria established by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center of the National Zoo and informed by years of scientific research.

How do I know if the coffee I buy is Bird Friendly?

Look for the Bird Friendly logo of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.

Does Bird Friendly® coffee cost more than other coffee?

Yes. Bird Friendly coffees may cost a few cents more per cup –a small price given the benefits it has for birds and other wildlife, coffee farmers, and the overall health of the environment.

How does Bird Friendly coffee taste compared to other coffee?

Coffee experts say that shade-grown coffee tastes better than sun-grown because the beans ripen more slowly, resulting in a richer flavour.

Is all shade grown coffee Bird Friendly?

No. The “shade-grown” designation is not regulated and it does not guarantee the quantity or type of shade. “Shade-grown” is a buzzword with little real meaning. Bird Friendly^®certified coffee, however, is organically grown and meets the strictest science-based standards for both type and quantity of shade to ensure viable bird habitats. Be certain – buy certified!

Do you offer certified Bird Friendly decaffeinated coffee?

Café Le Nichoir is now available as a decaffeinated single origin coffee sourced from the La Florida Cooperative in the Chanchamayo valley of Peru. This strictly high altitude, shade grown coffee is then decaffeinated using the High Mountain Water Process – a totally organic, chemical-free method that removes up to 99.99% of caffeine, without sacrificing the full bodied, balanced flavour characteristics of the coffee. The beans are meticulously roasted by our partner Totem Roasters.

Why is Le Nichoir promoting Bird Friendly coffee?

Le Nichoir Wild Bird Conservation Centre cares deeply about migratory birds. In partnership with Totem Roasters, we launched our Café Le Nichoir coffee to encourage coffee drinkers to help preserve the habitat of the birds that migrate from our Canadian backyards each winter to the faraway farms that produce our coffee.

How does the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center benefit?

Totem Roasters returns a few cents for every pound of Bird Friendly coffee roasted to the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center to support further conservation research.

Why the partnership?

It’s simple: Many voices are stronger than one. Each participating non-profit organization believes that the coffee you choose can change the world. By putting their logo on Bird Friendly® certified coffee, our partner organizations are helping to get the word out to more people.

For each bag sold with their logo, partner organizations receive a portion of the proceeds so they can support their community and conservation programs.

How do the partners benefit?

Our non-profit partners promote Bird Friendly® certified coffee to their supporters through cafebirdfriendly.org and receive an amount for each bag sold with their logo.

$1.50 per 342 g bag
$4.50 per 1 kg bag
$10 per 2.5 kg bag