“It was taking me 30 to 40 minutes (to drive there) and I thought surely there are people in Collin County who love to feed the birds as much as I do,” Miller, who had previously had a career in education, said. “It was a great time in my life to look at doing something different.”
In May 2017 she opened Wild Birds Unlimited in McKinney.
Miller said their customers range from those who just want to put out a bird bath, so birds have a place to take a bath and get a drink, to those who are serious birders.
Cardinals are the top requested birds customers want to attract to their yard, Miller said. She said having a water source such as a bird bath and putting out a bird seed mix of sunflower seeds and safflower, which they sell in the store, will bring that species.
“We want to make your backyard a sanctuary for you and the birds,” she said.
Miller said the rarest bird she has seen in her backyard is a rose-breasted grosbeak.
“We are in a perfect migration path, so if you’re watching you’ll see things come through. If you have food and water out, they’re going to stop,” she said. “We’re lucky, not a lot of people in the United States have this amazing migration going through their backyard.”
Miller raves about her staff, which are called the bird crew, and points out that most have been with her since the store opened and are certified as bird feeding specialists through Wild Birds Unlimited.
“When people find this hobby, they like to come in and talk about it,” she said. “It’s a yummy hobby and it's right there in your backyard.”
Wild Birds Unlimited
3001 S. Hardin Blvd., Ste. 106, McKinney
972-472-2022
www.wbu.com/mckinney
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. closed
