I just visited Backyard Birds in Encinitas (El Camino Real x Encinitas, Sprouts shopping center) for the first time. They have pet bird food, too! I have two macaws, seven cockatiels and a breeding pair of Gloster Canaries, and I've found my new food source! Vince is knowledgeable and friendly, plus he has had a cockatoo for 30 years! That's a true commitment to the avian community. Five stars, high recommendation, big bird mama smile! read more

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Great Customer service and knowledge! Vince and I were discussing my Mom's new home that hasn't attracted any birds due to the lack of lots of trees. There is one violet bush that the hummingbirds are attracted to and I asked what I could do to bring in more Hummers to her yard. He suggested a hummingbird food that has a little extra goodies. I purchased it, and it worked! Thanks a million Vince! Happy Bird watching, J read more

I love this store. Mark offers great customer service and he's very knowledgeable when it comes to any questions that I have. He has guided me on my path to learning more about this hobby and I consider him my go-to expert for any questions that I have on birds in my backyard. I always look forward to stopping in the store. I would recommend this store to any others in the area that enjoy this hobby. read more

A lovely, deeply stocked store and knowledgeable proprietor! I was visiting a nearby shop when I noticed it for the first time, and dropped in asking for some "free advice." We don't have feeders, but a bird bath that gets a lot of visitors and needs better maintenance. The friendly owner answered my questions full and chit chatted a while, not mentioning his products until I asked. The item he recommended turned out to be the exact thing we needed, at very low cost and maintenance! This unique store is a treasure for our rich but threatened ecosystems--of birds and small businesses. A reminder that it doesn't take a lot to help either. We get so much joy from the flocks at our birdbath and the morning and afternoon songs. Now it is so much easier to keep clean! read more

Amazing store. I just got into bird watching and this store just made it so much easier. the person at the desk was super nice and sells you the best stuff. It also has amazing feeders, bird houses, and more! read more

In less than 24 hrs from walking into the store, I'm enjoying many birds feeding in my back yard. Mark helped me pick out a feeder and seed, steering me to the products that were the most economical, not the most costly. Took them home, installed it in my back area and birds are now flocking to the feeder. Will need to return to buy more seed. Never was aware of the store, but glad to find it. Supporting a local store like this is a two-way arrangement. We help them and they help us with their experience and advice. read more

California Backyard Birds, Inc - 24 hours after walking into the store. - Bird Shops Near Me - Encinitas, California

Wonderful store, been buying seed and supplies here for years! Help in bird ID and fun to share photos of the birds at the feeders

Amazing local store with great customer service! Vincent is very knowledgeable, and gives great recommendations.

I used to order most of my birding stuff via amazon but soon realized that it is bad for local business.. so decided to stop that practice and support local business in these testing Covid-19 times.. searched for different birding stores like petco etc.. and then I came across Mark and Kathleen's store.. was far from my house but still decided to give it a try, so below is my experience of day 1 visit.... Very cool Cali bird shop.. my first visit yesterday .. impressed by the hospitality of Mark and Kathleen.. very knowledgeable in birding and they have a great assortment of feeders, bathing stations, feeds, and much more stuff.. Mark recommended me to buy a particular bird feeder that will get hooded Orioles to be attracted besides hummingbirds... I was a bit skeptical of his claim, but the moment I came home, and hung the nectar feeder, the male hooded Oriole appeared within a 30 seconds and then the rest is history. Thank you Mark!!! read more

Wonderful selection of bird feeders and other accessories. Great selection of bird seeds as well, which you can purchase in one pound, five pound or twenty pound packages. read more

Great store for birders. Prices are competitive, great selection of seeds, feeders, and other bird related items.

The Owner is sooo knowledgeable and helpful, he acutually shared his knowledge about backyards well as front door Dore birdshes always pleasure to talk with! I love his special attachments for humming bird feeders to keep ants out of the freders read more

Just stopped in this cute store. The gentleman was very nice & helpful. Got a cute birdhouse & I'm excited to see if I get some tenants soon. 10/10 would recommend read more

This is a great store and I love going in here when I need supplies. Mark is very knowledgeable and helpful when I have challenges with feeders, bees, et. The prices are reasonable and the store is located in a convenient area of Encinitas. I especially like the oriole feeders they carry as they are easy to clean and the bees are unable to get in!!! Pay them a visit... read more

There aren't enough superlatives for this store, and its owners, Mark and Kathleen. I first ventured in some years back when I was given a bird feeder and was looking for suet to fill it. My main interest at the time was in creating a theater for my indoor cats. Well, the birds weren't interested in suet, but I quickly graduated to other feeders, and seed and nectar. Mark has a voluminous knowledge of the local birds and what they like, and he's always been spot on. He also never hesitates to tell you ways to save money. (E.g., the cheapest hummingbird feeder is also the most popular with the hummers, and the orioles come to it as well.) I'm a regular customer now, and it seems as if every time I walk in, I learn something new about birds. (Who knew orioles love meal worms? Now I have to keep them on hand for the females feeding their young.) You can't go wrong with this store, and I'm especially pleased to be supporting a local business. read more

Without Yelpers, I'd be without the joy a seeing these hummingbirds flitting throughout my garden. The owner was very helpful and knowledgeable. Prices are affordable, I had researched other places, even online. Quality of birdseed very high. Within one day, I have hummingbirds. And always feels good to support local businesses. read more

California Backyard Birds, Inc - Bird Shops Near Me - Encinitas, California

I am new to this hobby so I wanted to find a local retail store that had true expertise with birds. I googled bird feeders and found this wonderful store just a few miles from home. I met the owner when I visited and he was very helpful and patient and guided me to a feeder and some other miscellaneous items. It's wonderful to find an owner operated small business like this! While there I met a couple of other women that said they drove 30 miles just to get the feed mix that this shop offers. They said the store's prices were also the best of any local shops. I am looking forward to exploring this new hobby and I'm sure this shop will get all of my future business. read more

Great customer service, polite and extremely passionate about our feather friends. Helped me make a decision about a solar panel bird bath, which are hundred time better than anything on Amazon. " Buy local". read more

This place is a gem. Mark walked me through which hummingbird feeder and food would be best for what I wanted. He's extremely knowledgeable and patient. I highly recommend visiting this store if you're in the market for anything wild bird related. read more

The Wild Bird Center of Encinitas is an exotic place where you can learn about natural bird habitats within your community. Dedicated to preserving local sanctuaries and creating them in your own backyard, this center has all the tools you'll need to establish and maintain such an environment to keep the birds singing. There is a bi-monthly newsletter produced by the parent company that offers great information as well for bird lovers. To learn more about this center visit: www.wildbird.com/enc read more

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Well located, excellent service, very helpful and very knowledgeable about everything you need to know about birds and bird supplies! Also very fair pricing! Great secret spot! read more

Best place to buy food and treats for our parakeets. Healthier and less expensive than what u can order on Amazon. Knowledgeable, friendly staff. Easy in and out. read more

Wonderful little gem in Encinitas. Lovely store with great service! Fun gifts ideas, when you looking for something different to someone who has it all...inventory goes beyond just seeds.... read more

LOVE this store! Mark, the owner,9 is very helpful and knowledgeable. They do curbside pick up and I'm happy to support this great business during these difficult times. read more

I have been shopping here for many years. The owners have a wealth of knowledge and the selection of different seed and feeders is great. They have lots of fun accessories and gifts for your home and y read more

This was my very first time at California Backyard Birds. I had been planning to check it out for quite awhile as online reviews were great and I loved the fact this was not some huge corporate conglomerate, but rather a small family owned business. The basic sum of my experience was that I LOVED everything about it. Very attractive layout with very cute pictures customers have brought in of various captures of backyard birds. A great selection of seeds, houses, feeders, as well as other necessary supplies for the birder enthusias. Hands down, the best part was the exceptional customer service. Great store, I will now be a returning and loyal customer for life! Carly read more

This little gem of a bird feed shop is tucked away in a strip mall in Encinitas. There is ample free parking directly in front of their door. Owned by a husband and wife team, The Wild Bird Center offers numerous types of fresh seed for feeding our feathered friends. They'll even listen to your descriptions of the varied birds in your garden and help you choose seed accordingly. Their prices are decent. Best of all, they offer a frequent buyer card (which they'll hold for your convenience). You get a full sack of feed completely FREE once you've bought a certain number of sacks of feed. Nice selection in feeders and birdbaths as well. We've been in about a dozen or so times. We've yet to come across a sour puss working here. read more

Extremely helpful staff. They have all I ever needed to setup a perfect feeding station in my yard.

Nice shop, good selection and great customer service! The gentleman who helped me was very knowledgeable and so helpful. Highly recommend!

Great place and helpfull. Very knowledgeable and helpful staff. Great place the grab seed.

I recently decided to add a bird feeder to complement the fountain our outdoor birds enjoy. After a slow start, I asked the owner for some recommendations to attract the birds to the feeder. I followed his advice and the very next day the birds started eating from the feeder. Now all the fountain birds are bird feeder birds too. I love the personalized service from a place that cares about its customers and its product. read more

I've been going to California Back Yard Birds for years and have always received excellent service. The owners Mark and Kathleen are friendly and knowledgeable. I go there because I know that the seed is always fresh it hasn't been stored in a warehouse somewhere. I also found that the pricing there is fair. read more

I make a special trip once a month to this store to buy seed which is top quality. The owner knows me by name, is always friendly, and carries the heavy bags to my car. Well worth the drive down from San Diego. read more

My twin sister and I have been going to this beautiful, unique store for ages. Mark is one of the kindest, caring men in the entire world. It is just pure joy and great for one's soul to just walk into his shop. He will always have our business rather than one of the chain stores. read more

I go here to buy my Budgie Millet. They have the best millet strands bagged. I use to go to Bird World in North Park when I lived in University Heights. But now I am in Vista and so glad to find this place. The staff are wonderful. Always cheerful and glad to help. I go there also to get seed for the wild birds that I feed on my back porch (they are such little piggies). In fact, I am going now to get a bigger bag. I recommend this place. read more

I'm surprised to read the positive reviews. We just visited there and planned to purchased several bird feeders. There was nobody else in the store, but neither person (I assume they were the owners) offered to help us. One even walked to the back of the store. We eventually were frustrated with the lack of assistance and left. We like to shop and small retail shops, but after this experience I can see why many people are just shopping online. read more

We love this store! The bird seed is first rate -- it doesn't contain the "fillers" that you find in the wild bird food mixes from big box stores or some pet stores. So we have much less waste under our feeders. Less waste = less clean up = fewer rats = a very good thing! Mark and Cathy, the owners, are really wonderful people. We love stopping by to talk to them about birds (and dogs!). Our dog is absolutely in love with Mark and insists on coming with us every time we visit, but that's another story . . . :-) The prices are very good for the quality of the food and their nice variety of supplies and accessories. Highly recommend this place. read more

The name of the store is now California Backyard Birds. We get our bird seed here. The owners are very nice and always willing to chat about birds. The seed is fresh (no bugs like some places). They also have all the latest feeders and some interesting bird-related knickknacks to look at while there. read more

I love this store. They have a great selection of bird related items and carry good quality bird seed. Their seed does not contain red milo and other fillers the birds will not eat, so you can be assured nothing will go to waste (or to the rats). The prices for certain types of seed is actually much less expensive than the big box stores, too. The owners are very nice and knowledgeable, and will give you good tips on how to attract birds to your yard. read more

I have been to the store a few times and was always happy with the service until yesterday. I purchased a humminbird feeder 2 weeks ago and when I got home removed it from the bag the store clerk put it in, along with a 50 pound bag of Thistle bird seed, and proceeded to fill it. The liquid was leaking out of the bottom and then upon inspection realized it was bent. It is bent in the part that screws into the bottom. I live 40 minutes away so was not able to return until yesterday to show it to the same clerk. He found fault with the fact that it was 2 weeks ago, not the least bit interested that I drive 40 miles each way to do business there. He refused to take it back accusing me of bending it. He said he inspects all product as he unpacks it and would not even entertain the possibility that it may have happened in the store or maybe this one slipped by him. He said it was a very hard drop that happened in order to bend it. If it had been dropped it obviously would not have bent in that part. Interesting... there was not a single nick anywhere that would have been apparent if it had been dropped. It truly looks like a factory defect as there are no other injuries to it. This is such poor customer service and I will make sure all my other bird lovers that have done business there know of his shady business practice. Customers beware and check everything out before you leave the store. read more