Birdchick's Gift Guide

Gifts for Bird Watchers

Are you looking for a cool gift idea for someone in your life who enjoys birds?  Do you know someone who you would like to foster an interest in birds?  Then this gift guide could help you. 

Many people ask me what are good gifts for birders.  I figure since I worked at a Wild Bird Store and now work for a binocular company, I know of a lot of really cool items out there for a variety of prices.  In this guide are items that I either own or have seen and hope that someone will get for me (hint hint, my darling husband) or that I have helped create, like the calendars. 

I am not getting any kind of payment for any of the items mentioned (except for the calendars, of course).  These are all items that I truly like.

If you’re looking for some book ideas, please check the Birdchick Bookshelf for some of my favorite books for birders.

Gift Ideas

These are calendars that I wrote, with photos by Stan Tekiela.  Each month features gorgeous bird photos, a list of expected birds for each state, a to-do list for attracting birds in your yard or going to see them around the state, trivia of high bird counts, and notes on when to expect the arrival and nesting of common bird species.  The calendars tend to run $12.99, but I have seen them on special for a variety of prices.  All Seasons Wild Bird Store has them for $9.99 or free with a purchase of $50 or more.

Bird Magazine Subscriptions

Some people shy away from giving subscriptions because it can be considered a cop out gift.  Let me tell you something, there are a TON of great birding publications out there and a birder could spend close to $500 year for all the subscriptions and memberships they’d like to keep up for a year.  Here are just a few of the great organizations and magazines that most birders would love to be signed up for:

Someone can always use another bird feeder.  Below are some of my favorites that I have purchased for friends and family (as well as my own).  These can be ordered online or should be stocked in any good wild bird specialty store:

Suet Log - Wood logs with holes that you fill with suet.  The natural look and long shape make it incredibly easy for woodpeckers to find and feed from.  This is a must for anyone who wants to attract pileated woodpeckers.

Droll Yankee Finch Flocker (15 or 36 inch) - Goldfinches appear to be attracted by color, so the yellow trip really gets their attention.  Droll Yankees have a reputation for lifetime quality so the sturdy design will last years.

Squirrel Buster Plus – A weight sensitive feeder that will keep squirrels out and can be adjusted to keep heavier birds like crows and rock pigeons off the feeder but still allow a cardinal or several small bird to feed.  It is not electronic so you don’t have to fuss with batteries or chargers.

Vortex 8x42 Talon Binoculars - These are hands down the best binoculars I have set my eyes to that are under $200.  The Talon’s have pretty clear view through the glass and are perfect for beginners or someone who just wants to get a better look at the cardinal that visits their feeder.  They retail for $179 and close focus to about four and a half feet so they are ideal for watching both birds and butterflies.  They are waterproof and nitrogen purged so if you know a kid who is getting seriously interested in the outdoors, these are perfect.

birdPod Software - If you have an iPod and the Stokes CD set you can download this software to organize the CD set in iTunes and your iPod.  If you don’t have an iPod or Stokes CD set, you can order them from the birdPod website.

This software organizes the bird calls on the Stokes CD set for you and puts them into alphabetical order, phylo order, or eleven other tracks according to habitat or my personal favorite Crazy Birds. A really cool feature is that the software takes all of the tracks that have two different species like the White Pelican/Double-crested Cormorant Track and divides it into two separate tracks.

Another cool feature is that it takes Lang Elliot's narration off (no offence, Lang) which is handy if you want to use the tracks for calling in birds or just want to test yourself on how well you know your calls. I also like this feature because when your not sure of a bird and you just want to play the calls, taking out the narration cuts back on the possibility of you trying to turn the bird into the rarity you hope it was.

The software by itself for each region (east and west runs $69.00 each.  To get the combined eastern and western the software is $118.00.  The Stokes CDs are $29.99 per region.

iPod - This is a great gift for a birder of any age that has several bird cds and likes to take them out in the field.  You can use it to hold all of your bird cds and create playlists of certain bird species.  This also makes it easier to travel with your bird sound library.  You can also purchase adaptors and shotgun microphones to record bird calls—a handy tool if you can’t figure out a bird call and you want to take it home for further study.  You don’t have to go hog wild and get the biggest iPod out there, an iPod nano 2GB for $200 holds your cds and still has room for your favorite music. You can buy iPods online (along with cases and such) from the Think Different Store, a company that Non Birding Bill does reviews for.

NovaBird Camera - This is a super cool motion-sensitive camera that I have been playing with since last spring.  You set it up within fifteen inches of a bird feeder or bird house and every time there is movement in front of the camera, it snaps a photo.  It’s great for people who are too busy to bird or suspect that they are getting something interesting at the feeder but don’t have time for watching the feeder every single minute.  I got some great photos of orioles, hummingbirds, rose-breasted grosbeaks and even discovered that I had a one legged grackle hanging around the feeders.  It comes with a rechargeable battery pack and will automatically shut off in the dark.

The camera is sold in many bird stores or you can purchase it online.  I’ve seen it priced anywhere between $225 - $275.  You need an SD digital memory card which you can buy at Target or Radio Shack, or use one from a digital camera you already have.  You will need a card reader and a computer to download the photos.  Once you get started using it, it becomes incredibly addictive.

DLS 8x42 Binoculars - I saw these binoculars last January at Bird Watch America and fell in love with them so much, I ended up working for the company that makes them.  Seriously, this is one of the clearest pairs of optics you are going to find under $900.  They are lightweight and close focus within four feet, so are also idea for  watching butterflies.  The brightness and resolution are amazing, and I was most impressed with how late into the evening I can still use them.  I would say that I have another twenty minutes of viewing at dusk with these binoculars compared to my old ones.  They are waterproof and nitrogen purged and can take a beating from someone like me who is rough on optics.