Looking for the best gift for the bird lover or gardener in your life? These are six of our favorite birdhouses and feeders for the 2014 holiday season. Each is unique, memorable and a perfect representation of the old standard, “chosen with care”.
Perfect birdhouse gifts
The basic cedar nesting box might be functional, but it doesn’t have much pizzazz when given as a gift. Why not try one of these slightly-upgraded birdhouses and watch your favorite bird-lover’s eyes sparkle on Christmas morning.
Customize with birdhouse kits
Foster a love of nature and it’s wild birds by gifting a child with a birdhouse kit this year. Affordable and perfect for a snowy day activity, these kits provide everything needed to build a small birdhouse. Then, provide paints and maybe spend a few minutes researching what colors attract the appropriate type of bird for the kit you picked. Kids will love painting the outside, putting the pieces together and watching for small songbirds to use their custom-made house. At less just over $10, the Woodink Wren House Kit makes a great stocking stuffer too.
Hobbies and birdhouses unite
One of the fun things about birdhouses is how many decorative varieties they come in. This allows a clever gift buyer to buy one that speaks to a loved one’s two or even three favorite hobbies. Golf-themed handmade birdhouse to fishing, pet-shaped or even motorhomes are just a few of the options for decorative birdhouses.
Watch the nesting process
A particularly fun gift for families or older people who are home-bound, window-view birdhouses are made to attach to a quiet window, that way a curious spectator can watch the whole nesting process take place. This about as up-close-and-personal you’ll ever get to a nesting bird and can be a fascinating scientific education!
Practical bird feeder presents
The maintenance required to keep a bird feeder in good shape means that not all unique feeders are created equal. These three are all as accessible as they are beautiful.
Pretty and Squirrel-Proof Feeders
Almost every person we know who feeds backyard birds is, at least occasionally, irritated by squirrels. Giving the gift of a beautiful and functional squirrel proof-feeder will bring a huge smile to their face. We love the Woodlink Feed & Seed Absolute Bird Feeder for it’s old-school look paired with a thoroughly modern defense system.
Stunning Engineering
Today’s breed of tube feeders are often as stunning as a sculpture. With multi-colored metal elements and multiple feeding ports, a well-made tube feeder like the Songbird Essentials Spiral Feeder make stunning, but practical gifts with serious versatility.
The show-stopper feeder
Looking for a gift to suit a serious gardener with enough style and class to hold up against her prize winning roses? Copper-top gazebo feeders like this giant from Woodlink is a stunning example of a bird feeder that goes beyond what you could find at your neighborhood hardware store.
Share your wish list
Now that you have a few ideas for gifts this year, share with us what bird watching, feeding or helping items are on your wish list this year.