If you're looking to surprise bird enthusiasts or treat yourself to something special, you've come to the right place. We've scoured the market to bring you a curated selection of the best gifts to thrill and inspire birders of all levels. Whether it's innovative birding gear, captivating books, or delightful bird-themed accessories, our list has something for everyone. Get ready to explore the top gifts that will make this year unforgettable for bird lovers.

Gifting a birding book

Rather than starting with bird identification books, spicing it up with some funny ones would be better.

The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America is a humorous look at 50 common North American dumb birds:  For those who have a disdain for birds or bird lovers with a sense of humor, this snarky, illustrated handbook is profane, funny, and—let's face it—true.

NOTE: The word profane. If you don't care for swear words or "juvenile humor," don't get this book.

A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World's Most Misunderstood Bird is a part field guide, part history, part ornithology primer, and altogether fun.

From the Editor: "Fact: Pigeons are amazing, and until recently, humans adored them. We’ve kept them as pets, held pigeon beauty contests, raced them, used them to carry messages over battlefields, harvested their poop to fertilize our crops—and cooked them in gourmet dishes." 

What It's Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing--What Birds Are Doing, and Why is a bird book for birders and nonbirders alike that will excite and inspire by providing a new and deeper understanding of what common, mostly backyard, birds are doing—and why:  "Can birds smell?"; "Is this the same cardinal at my feeder last year?"; "Do robins 'hear' worms?"

Bird: Exploring the Winged World is incredible. Just watch the video

The following two(technically three) field guides are excellent for learning about birds, whether you are new or experienced at birding.

The two David Allen Sibley books are fantastic guides focusing on Eastern and Western North America , respectively. Why does the West rank at 4.8 stars and the East only 4.7? You be the judge.

For beginning birders, this is a great guide as well.

The Life of Birds: This is the book that spawned the idea of the famous documentary narrated by David Attenborough . It is so beautifully crafted and reads as brilliantly as he speaks.

And to keep one's place in the great suggestions of books, a feather bookmark.

Binoculars are a nice present for a bird lover

I'm sure you can imagine I have tried many optics. There are so many out there that it is overwhelming. I cut the daunting list down to a super oversimplified list of the best binoculars by price range.

Here is the best of the best in the $2-3k range.

Here is the best of the best in the < $1000 range.

Here is the best of the best in the < $400 range.

Here is the best of the best in the < $150 range.

Note: I gifted these to my wife years ago and took her to a national wildlife refuge to see American bison (aka. buffalo). She loves them! Her Celestrons now hang out near our back door so we can easily and frequently admire visitors in our carefully crafted birding backyard.

Bird lover calendars are a great gift

The photographs are top-notch in this calendar.

A birding magazine subscription

The Audubon magazine is a great magazine with a hitch.

NOTE: You need a kindle or a kindle app.

I don't have a kindle fire. I have a Kindle Paperwhite so that I can read without glare, so I read it on my PC or phone to fully enjoy the color photos and stick with books in black and white. No matter how I 'Kindle,' the accompanying app always keeps my place.

Flashcards are great gifts for learning about birds

This is a great way to learn and hone bird identification skills and knowledge about their lives.

Birding games make great presents for birders

Wingspan is not just a board game. It's a board game. There is no other parallel. It's a smile generator that plays for 1 to 5 birders. You can do that solo thing like a heron or flock up and play.

And if they have the game, here is the expansion...

Similar to the flashcards, this is a sweet memory-focused game for bird beginners.

Birdhouses as a gift for a bird lover

Because people have particular styles and needs, I would normally shy away from gifting a birdhouse. However, I will make some exceptions.

Seriously, the whole house is bird food!

The Nature's Way Bird Products House is an example of a well-constructed wren house that works well with chickadees. The hole size is 1 and 1/8 inches; any larger and invasive species (i.e., European house sparrow) will move in. It also increases the chance a predator can get in.

Birdfood is a solid gift for a bird lover

Many seed mixes have filler seeds that only a few birds like. To attract birds like a magnet, go for black oil sunflower seed. Wagner is a great brand and offers big bags if you missed your workout!

I also use Kaytee products. Here is a 5lb bag:

Note: Sunflower seeds attract squirrels. If that is a concern, or if you are looking for more options, What do chickadees eat is a great exploration for all types of great backyard food. Chickadees eat just about everything, so it covers All of the common backyards birds easily.

Gifting Bird Feeders

I'll keep this to a shortlist of feeders, knowing there is a way better article here: The Best Chickadee Feeders . That article covers way more than just chickadees because chickadees eat everything.

For more bird feeder suggestions visit The Best Bird Feeders where we discuss the dos and not and the best of each type of feeder, including the squirrel-proof ones if that is a concern.

Puzzle

Here is another Sibly product that rocks for birding gifts.

This Unidragon unique puzzle where the pieces are animals is clever and beautiful.

Kitchen and dining linens make great birding gifts

If you have a table 108 by 60, you are in luck! Just kidding. I chose this because the seller puts out some well-constructed, classy, bird- and nature-oriented decor like these Kitchen Towels. Of course, this is a style preference, but the idea of linens is an option.

Unique home decor as a present for your favorite bird lover

These are adorable, highly rated, and come in silver and gold

The Marbrasse Votive Candle Holders is a seriously well-made, classy birding gift.

The Willow Tree Happiness, Sculpted Hand-Painted Figure demonstrates what every birder desires without the bird poop.

Notebooks are essential for birders

First is a proper bird notebook from Letterfolk with helpful bird identification reference information inside.

A smart notebook is a great option for birders on the go. For this, I had chosen a tablet-like and paper-like version.

Royole RoWrite 2 is a great light notebook that can be used for bird notes, bird lists, and bird sketches.

Rocketbook works like the above, with one benefit and catch. The book is waterproof, which is a plus. I often spend time in the mucky-muck, knee-deep in who-knows-what, and inclement weather. The downside is you have to take a picture of your work, and it sends it to Word, docs, pdf, or whatever you want. From there, you must fix the words and phrases it messed up; using scientific names for birds can be a pain. It will not understand.

Of course, an IPad works fine too. Above, I focused on writing by hand, which is my preference and has less distracting light.

Sassy birding t-shirts make great for birders

Why not end on a safe bet?

Good Luck my new friend

I hope you enjoyed this list, and don't forget, if you find the list useful, subscribe to us on Instagram and share with a birder.

It's the only real present I have on my list.