Do you know how your coffee was grown? Whether in full sun or shade has enormous consequences for migratory birds.

Coffee plantations now cover almost six million (formerly forested) acres in Latin America.

To grow sun coffee, trees are removed and coffee bushes are planted in sterile rows like corn. High levels of pesticides and fertilizers maximize production. Sun coffee plantations are biological deserts, offering little value for wildlife, including migratory birds.

Grown under the canopy of native trees, shade coffee mimics tropical forests. As a result, shade coffee plantations provide food and shelter for migratory birds.

Driftless Area Cerulean Warblers winter in the Andes of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Their preferred forested habitat is found between 2,000 and 6,000 feet in elevation, the same elevation ideal for growing coffee. Much of the montane forest in those countries has been cleared for coffee production, resulting in the loss of habitat for birds. Shade coffee plantations help fill the habitat void for wintering warblers and a host of additional species. The roster of “shade coffee birds” also includes Gray Catbird, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Wood Pewee, Wood Thrush and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Drinking shade grown coffee enables you to “start every morning with a cup of conservation.”

You can shop bird-friendly coffee online.  If that isn’t an option, look for organically grown coffee as the next-best option.

Learn more about the importance of shade grown coffee for the birds we love.