Backyard Bird Center

What Backyard Bird Center does

Backyard Bird Center is a privately-held specialty retailer focused on backyard bird feeding products, founded and operated by Wildlife Biologist Mark McKellar. The company runs a single physical retail store at 6212 NW Barry Rd in Kansas City, Missouri, alongside a Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at shopbackyardbirdcenter.com. Its product catalog is centered on bird feeders (tube, hopper, suet, hummingbird, oriole, anti-squirrel), bird seed and food (including proprietary "Mark's Custom Blends" such as the No-Waste and Boardwalk blends, plus Wild Delight seed), bird houses, bird baths, feeder accessories (trays, hoods, ant moats, baffles), poles/hangers, pest deterrents, and optics/binoculars. The assortment is supplemented by themed gift items and branded merchandise sold under the "Mark's Backyard Bird Swag" label.

The business is monetized primarily through hardware and consumable product sales across both the retail showroom and the online store, with a small affiliate/referral revenue stream (e.g., Amazon affiliate links surfaced via YouTube content). Distribution is omnichannel but regional: walk-in retail in Kansas City combined with domestic US e-commerce shipping. There is no proprietary technology platform; operational differentiation comes from the owner's 40+ years of bird study expertise, curated product mix, and proprietary seed formulations.

Customer acquisition and brand-building are driven by an extensive content marketing engine — principally the "Mark's Backyard Birds" YouTube channel (25,500 subscribers, 1,324 videos, 4.2M+ views) — supplemented by a monthly email newsletter, a Facebook community group, and organic presence on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Twitter/X, and Vimeo. The target customer is individual home backyard bird enthusiasts and hobbyists, served through a horizontal segmentation approach that addresses common pain points such as ants and bees in nectar feeders, squirrels accessing feeders, pest bird management, and seed waste under feeders. The company is entirely founder-owned, with no disclosed institutional investment, subsidiaries, M&A activity, or public-market exposure.

Name

Backyard Bird Center

Legal name

Backyard Bird Center

Website

https://backyardbirdcenterkc.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Backyard Bird Center is a privately-held, founder-owned specialty retailer that sells bird feeders, proprietary seed blends, bird houses, baths, and accessories to individual backyard bird enthusiasts via a single Kansas City, MO retail store and a Shopify e-commerce site, supported by the "Mark's Backyard Birds" educational YouTube channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Bird Feeding Retail

NAICS

Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240)

SIC

Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Bird Supplies Retail (CRALAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bird Food (CRADAFAK)

Keywords

• Bird feeders
• Bird seed
• Bird houses
• Wildlife supplies
• Birding gear

Headquarters

HQ city

Monroeville, Pennsylvania

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Sales: Online sales through Shopify storefront at shopbackyardbirdcenter.com. Products include bird feeders, birdseed, bird houses, accessories, optics, and branded merchandise.
2. Retail Store Sales: Physical retail location in Kansas City, MO with walk-in customer purchases during store hours.
3. Affiliate/Referral: Some product links are affiliate links which generate small commissions (e.g., Amazon affiliate links mentioned in YouTube content).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Backyard Bird Center is a specialty retail business selling bird feeders, bird seed, bird houses, bird baths, feeder accessories, poles, optics, and related birding supplies through a Shopify e-commerce storefront and a physical retail store in Kansas City, Missouri. The business is built around the wildlife biology expertise of founder Mark McKellar and supplemented by an educational YouTube channel (Mark's Backyard Birds) and proprietary custom bird seed blends.

Product overview

Backyard Bird Center is a brick-and-mortar and e-commerce retailer of bird feeding products, operated by wildlife biologist Mark McKellar in Kansas City, Missouri. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio centered around bird feeders, bird seed/food, bird houses, and bird baths as its core product categories. These are supplemented by feeder accessories (trays, hoods, ant moats, brushes), poles and hangers, bird and pest deterrents, and birdwatching supplies including optics and field guides. The company also carries proprietary seed blends under the 'Mark's Custom Blends' sub-brand, including the Mark's No-Waste Blend and Boardwalk Blend, alongside branded merchandise under 'Mark's Backyard Bird Swag' and thematic gift items. All products work together as an ecosystem for backyard bird enthusiasts seeking to attract, feed, and observe birds while solving common challenges like squirrel access and pest management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bird Feeders Wide selection of bird feeders including tube feeders, hopper/tray feeders, suet feeders, hummingbird feeders, oriole feeders, mealworm feeders, window feeders, anti-squirrel feeders, and ground trays designed to attract and feed various bird species.
• Bird Seed and Food Bird seed and food products including Mark's Custom Blends, basic seeds, Wild Delight seed, seed blocks and cylinders, traditional and no-melt suet cakes, specialty suets, nectar/jelly, and mealworms.
• Mark's Custom Blends Proprietary bird seed mixes created by owner Mark McKellar including Mark's No-Waste Blend and Boardwalk Blend, designed to address specific backyard bird feeding problems such as seed waste and germination.
• Bird Houses and Accessories Bird houses, nest boxes, and house accessories for cavity-nesting birds, including specialized housing for bluebirds, purple martins, and other species.
• Bird Baths Bird baths and water-source accessories providing water for wild birds, including baths and water feature accessories.
• Feeder Accessories Accessories for bird feeders including trays, hoods, ant moats, brushes, Feeder Fresh, and dove guards used to solve common backyard bird feeding problems.
• Poles and Hangers Pole systems, deck arms, limb hangers, pole anchors, baffles, and mounting hardware for installing bird feeders.
• Bird and Pest Deterrents Squirrel-resistant feeders, hot sauce for bird seed, ant moats, dove guards, and other pest control solutions to protect bird feeding stations.
• Birdwatching Supplies Birding gear including binoculars, spotting scopes, field guides, books, and shade-grown coffee supporting bird conservation.
• Gift Items Gift-oriented bird-themed products including puzzles, wind chimes, rain gauges, stained glass suncatchers, and specialty items for bird lovers.
• Mark's Backyard Bird Swag Official branded merchandise including t-shirts, outerwear, bags, totes, packs, stickers, and kids merchandise featuring Mark's Backyard Birds branding.
• Mark's No-Waste Blend A proprietary seed blend designed to reduce waste and prevent seed germination under feeders, priced from $15.99.
• Boardwalk Blend A seed blend designed for attracting birds to urban or boardwalk settings, priced from $8.99.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Wild Delight: Bird seed brand (owned by Pet-Link International) that Backyard Bird Center is an authorized dealer for. Adjacent supplier relationship rather than a direct competitor; comparable in product category.
• National Audubon Society: Major bird conservation non-profit that publishes bird-related content and sells branded merchandise. Comparable on the bird-education/content ecosystem axis, but a non-commercial counterpart rather than a retail competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Chewy: Large online pet supplies retailer carrying bird feeders, seed, and accessories alongside general pet products. Competes with Backyard Bird Center on e-commerce convenience and selection, though without a birding-specialist focus.
• Bass Pro Shops: Outdoor and wildlife retailer carrying optics, feeders, and birding gear within a much larger hunting/fishing portfolio. Overlaps on optics and birding supplies but serves a broader outdoor enthusiast base.
• Perky-Pet: Established mass-market bird feeder brand owned by Central Garden & Pet, distributed through big-box and online channels. Comparable product category, but operates at much broader retail scale and lacks Backyard Bird Center's niche-expert positioning.
• PetSmart: National pet retail chain with stores plus e-commerce that carry bird feeders and supplies as part of a broader pet assortment. Overlaps on category but lacks the wildlife-biologist content and niche depth.

Direct peers

• Brome Bird Care: Designer and manufacturer of Squirrel Buster and other science-driven bird feeders, sold through specialty retailers and direct. Comparable as a bird-feeding product specialist with a problem-solving, expertise-led brand positioning.
• Wild Birds Unlimited: National franchise specializing in backyard bird feeding products and education. Operates brick-and-mortar stores plus e-commerce, and is the closest direct competitor to Backyard Bird Center's specialty retail and content-led model.
• Cole's Wild Bird Products: Specialty wild bird seed brand with proprietary blends and feeder offerings, sold through retail partners and direct online. Comparable to Backyard Bird Center on the proprietary bird-food and curated-product axis.
• Duncraft: Long-running direct-to-consumer bird feeding specialist selling feeders, bird houses, seed, and accessories primarily online and via catalog. Closely comparable as a specialty bird-supply retailer without a national store footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BackyardBirdr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/marksbackyardbirds
• Facebookfacebook.com/backyardbirdcenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/marksbackyardbirds/channel
• Pinterestpinterest.com/marksbackyardbirdcenter
• TikToktiktok.com/@marksbackyardbirds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/backyard-bird-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Backyard Bird Center