Gifts for Bird Watchers, From the Kitchen Window to the Marsh
By the Giftruly editorsUpdated 21 hand-picked ideas
Birders are easy to spot once you know the signs: a pause mid-sentence to listen to a song outside, binoculars on the windowsill, a sudden detour to the reservoir because someone posted a rare duck. It's a hobby that grows quietly. Plenty of people start by hanging one feeder and, a few years later, find themselves driving two hours to see a warbler.
Whoever you're buying for, one piece of gear matters more than everything else combined, so this page starts with binoculars and how to choose them. Then come field guides, a quick note on the two kinds of birders, gifts for the backyard crowd, gear for long days outdoors and a list of small gifts, several of which help the birds themselves.
Birders often share interests with hikers, photographers and gardeners; gifts for hikers, gifts for photographers and gifts for gardeners have more ideas.
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Tell Truly about them in a sentence. You'll get ideas picked for them, each with a reason why.
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The short list
Binoculars, the gift that matters most
Binoculars are described by two numbers. In 8x42, the 8 is magnification and the 42 is the width of each front lens in millimeters. Most birders settle on 8x42 because it balances a wide, bright view with a steady image. Wider view means it's easier to find a small bird flitting in a tree; steadier means you can actually see the field marks once you do.
A few other things to know: waterproof, fog-proof models survive rainy mornings, close focus of six feet or so lets them watch birds and butterflies nearby, and anyone who wears glasses needs long eye relief and eyecups that twist down. If they already own a good pair, a harness or a phone adapter (further down) is a smarter gift than another set.
- Our favorite1
8x42 Waterproof Birding Binoculars
~$160
Roof-prism 8x42s with a wide field of view, waterproof sealing and close focus, the classic all-round birding setup. For a beginner still using an old pair of opera glasses or a hand-me-down from the attic, the difference is startling: brighter, sharper and much easier to aim. They'll work in the backyard, on the trail and on vacation. This is the single best gift on the page for someone getting serious about birds.
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Binoculars for Bird Watching
~$90
A compact, waterproof 10x42 pair at a friendlier price. The extra magnification helps with distant shorebirds, ducks and hawks in open country, but the image shakes more and the narrower view makes finding small birds in leaves harder. A good fit for someone who mostly birds over water or fields, or as a solid budget pair for a new birder.
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Compact Binocular Harness for Hiking
~$35
A strap system that spreads the weight of binoculars across the shoulders instead of the neck and holds them against the chest so they don't swing. After a few hours of birding, neck straps get painful, and many birders swear by a harness once they've tried one. Inexpensive, universally useful and a welcome gift even for someone with very good binoculars.
Field guides and good reading
Free apps like Cornell Lab's Merlin can now identify birds from a photo or even a recorded song, but most birders still love a printed guide for studying at home and settling arguments in the field. A guide is also the easiest gift to get right, as long as you buy for the right region.
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Sibley Birds Field Guide
~$24
David Sibley's guide is built on his own paintings, showing each species in different plumages and in flight, with arrows pointing at the features that matter. Many experienced birders consider it the standard. It comes in a full North American edition and smaller Eastern and Western versions; the regional ones fit better in a pocket, so buy the one for where they live.
- 5
Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America
~$20
Kenn Kaufman's guide uses digitally edited photographs, cleaned up so the important field marks stand out and similar species sit side by side. It's compact and color-tabbed, and it's often recommended to beginners who find painted guides harder to match to real birds. A great first guide, or a second opinion for someone who already owns Sibley.
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What It's Like to Be a Bird by David Sibley
~$30
This one isn't for identification. It's a large, beautifully illustrated book about what birds are doing, with short essays on how they fly, sing, find food and get through cold nights. Lovely for the backyard birder who already knows the names of their regulars and is ready to understand their behavior. It also makes a fine coffee table book.
Backyard birder or field birder?
Birders tend to fall into two camps, and it helps to know which one you're shopping for. Backyard birders enjoy the birds that come to them: they know which cardinal is which, refill feeders before their own coffee and get genuinely upset about squirrels. Field birders go out looking: early mornings at the marsh, birding trips, a growing list of species seen. Plenty of people are both, but the gifts that suit each are quite different, so the sections below are split that way.
Experiences work brilliantly for both camps. Local Audubon chapters and nature centers run guided bird walks, often free or cheap, where beginners learn more in a morning than in a month alone. Birding festivals happen around spring and fall migration across the country. A membership to a bird conservation group or a weekend trip to a well-known migration hotspot can be the most memorable gift of all.
For the kitchen-window birder
Feeders, water and nest sites bring more birds into view. Ask first whether they want more of these or have reached peak feeder.
- 7~$45
Outdoor Bird Feeder Pole with Squirrel Baffle
A pole with a baffle that stops squirrels climbing up. Place it about ten feet from anything a squirrel could jump from, or it won't help.
GardenersScience Nerdspractical - 8~$60
Squirrel-Proof Tube Bird Feeder
A tube feeder whose perches close under a squirrel's weight. Less seed lost to raiders, and less bickering through the window.
Bird WatchersGardenerspractical - 9~$20
Glass Hummingbird Feeder with Ant Moat
Fill with one part sugar to four parts water, no red dye. Nectar spoils quickly in summer heat, so it needs cleaning every few days.
Bird WatchersGardenerspractical - 10~$52
Heated Bird Bath for Winter
Keeps water from freezing, which draws birds in winter when open water is scarce. They'll need an outdoor outlet nearby.
Bird WatchersGardenerspractical - 11~$35
Cedar Bluebird Nesting Box
A nest box with the right size entrance hole for bluebirds. Mount it on a pole in an open, grassy spot, and clean it out after each season.
Bird WatchersGardenerspractical - 12~$110
Backyard Bird-Watching Feeder Camera
A feeder with a camera that sends close-up photos to a phone. Check whether the automatic bird identification needs a subscription.
Science NerdsGardenersunique
For long days in the field
Field birders spend hours outdoors in all weather, often standing still in one spot waiting for something to show up. These help them see more, record it and stay comfortable.
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Spotting Scope with Tripod 20-60x
~$140
A spotting scope magnifies far beyond binoculars, which is what birders want for shorebirds on distant mudflats, ducks across a lake or a hawk on a far-off pole. It's a substantial piece of kit to carry, and budget scopes get dim at the highest zoom, so it's best for someone who already birds open water or coastline regularly. For woodland birders, it'll mostly sit in the closet.
- 14
Phone Adapter for Binoculars and Spotting Scopes
~$25
A clamp that lines a phone camera up with a binocular or scope eyepiece, so they can take record shots of what they see. Birders call this digiscoping, and it's handy for confirming a tricky identification later or sharing a sighting. Results take some practice to get right, but they can be surprisingly good for the price.
- 15
Birdwatching Field Journal with Waterproof Pencil
~$23
A weatherproof notebook for noting species, behavior, weather and quick sketches. Many birders still keep paper notes even when they log sightings in an app, because writing helps them remember and pay closer attention. A good gift for someone who's begun keeping lists and loves the ritual of it.
- 16
Lightweight Birding Hat with Neck Cover
~$24
A wide-brimmed, breathable hat with a flap at the back for hours in the sun at a marsh or beach. A brim also cuts glare when looking up into bright sky. Practical and inexpensive, and a good pick for anyone headed on a warm-weather birding trip.
Under $25, several of which help the birds
Small gifts for stockings, thank-yous and the birder who has all the gear.
17.Bird Window Collision Prevention Decals ~$15
Window strikes kill hundreds of millions of birds a year in the US. Closely spaced decals on the outside of the glass help birds see it.
18.Bird Species Life List Checklist Book ~$12
A checklist of North American species for recording each first sighting. A satisfying little book for someone who's started counting.
19.Suet Feeder Cages with Suet Cakes ~$24
Cages and high-energy cakes that bring in woodpeckers and nuthatches. Best in cool weather, since ordinary suet softens in summer heat.
20.Clear Window Bird Feeder Tray ~$18
A suction-cup feeder for the outside of a window, so birds land within arm's reach. Wonderful for apartments, kids and older birders.
21.Birds of North America Wall Poster ~$14
An illustrated poster of common species. Handy near the window for quick identification, and nice framed in a kid's room.
Shop this guide by price
Under $25
$25–$50
$50–$100
What to know before you buy
If they don't own good binoculars, start there. 8x42 is the classic birding choice, and it's worth spending a little more for waterproof, clear optics.
Buy field guides for their region. Eastern and Western editions are lighter and more useful in the field than a full continental guide.
Ask before adding feeders. Every feeder means more cleaning and more seed, and some people have exactly as many as they want.
Gifts that help birds, like window decals, bird baths and nest boxes, mean a lot to people who care about wildlife.
Want suggestions tuned to their style of birding? Describe them to our gift finder.
Bird watching gift questions
What binoculars are best for bird watching?
For most birders, 8x42 roof-prism binoculars that are waterproof and fog-proof, with close focus and comfortable eyecups. 10x42 suits people who mostly watch distant birds over water or fields, but they're shakier and harder to aim at small birds in trees.
What's a good gift for a beginner bird watcher?
A decent pair of 8x42 binoculars and a regional field guide is the ideal starter combination. Add a life list book, and point them to the free Merlin app and a local guided bird walk.
What do you get a birder who has everything?
Try a binocular harness, a phone adapter for digiscoping, David Sibley's What It's Like to Be a Bird, window collision decals or an experience such as a birding festival weekend or a guided trip to a migration hotspot.
How do I keep squirrels off a bird feeder?
Mount the feeder on a pole with a baffle, placed about ten feet from trees, fences and roofs that squirrels could jump from. Squirrel-proof feeders with weight-activated perches help too.