It is the gift-giving season again, and we are here to help you find those gifts for your friends and family! Our gift suggestions cover different interests, price points, and target ages. If you purchase any of our recommendations, post a picture on social media and tag us on social media using @HoustonAudubon.
Fun & Games
You don’t have to be into birds to enjoy Wingspan! This board game became an instant hit for birders and non-birders alike. Wingspan is a competitive, card-driven, engine-building board game with over 170 beautifully illustrated bird cards. If you’re feeling generous, you could also throw in the European and Oceania Expansions (as well as Asia, which just got released)! You can also play online by purchasing the game on Steam.
For a more compact nature-themed game, try this hiking card game. You can learn more about hiking and nature while supporting the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. It is suitable for the entire family.
Ecologies is a great gift for the science-lover or budding biologist in your life. You compete with other players to build the healthiest food web with the deck of cards. The game allows you to learn the fundamentals of ecology while having fun.
Looking for something a bit more hands-on? This activity box is a great way to spend a cozy afternoon with the young learners in your life. Activities include building a bird house and learning bird calls. Each purchase comes with a $2.50 donation to the International Bird Rescue.
Bird-Friendly Gifts
Owl boxes are unique gifts for the bird lover in your life. They support birds in your area by providing a nesting spot for generations of birds. You can purchase them already made from companies such as the Owl Shack.
Spread cheer and feed more birds with these adorable birdseed ornaments! You can purchase them on Etsy or, if you’re feeling crafty, do it yourself.
Help a new backyard bird enthusiast get started with a feeder, birdhouse, water feature, or other bird-friendly yard item! Wild Birds Unlimited has options for all of the above, with an online shop and multiple locations around Houston.
Birding
This gift solves the issue of spotting a great bird and your camera battery is dead! Purchase this Cell Phone Adapter Mount for your birding buddies. It fits most Smartphones.
Ever had a sore neck from carrying around binoculars all day? This harness protects your back and neck while birding. It also stops all the jostling around.
This spiral notebook comes in different colors and page formats. It allows you to write notes in our Houston weather. Do not forget a pen or pencil!
With phone apps becoming more popular when birding, these gloves will keep your hands warm and still allow you to use your phone. If these are not your style, REI has a whole selection of phone-friendly gloves to choose from.
Apparel & Jewelry
Help support the World Wildlife Fund by buying these cozy slippers. They are perfect for the winter months. They are washable and produced using eco-friendly practices.
We’re also big fans of the Bird Collective. Items from this line support The Center for Biological Diversity – They work to protect endangered species through tough legal battles and have won legal protection for 747 species and more than half a billion acres of habitat.
Purchase socks from the Blue Feet Foundation to helping save the Blue-Footed Booby population, which has fallen 60%. All profits are used to fund their conservation mission. The foundation was started by two young brothers (14 and 17 years old)!
The ladies in your life will enjoy these adorable bird earrings. You may even end up getting an extra pair for yourself!
For the person that is challenging to shop for…
Pigeon Post, the online shop of bird artist and designer Alex Tomlinson, has great stationery, stickers, stamps, apparel, prints, and more!
Support birds and spread cheer with Anna Marie Custom Wallcoverings! Anna Marie, Principal and Lead Designer of Anna Marie Custom Wallcoverings, is inspired by her love of flora and fauna and the natural world. The birds in the design are inspired by the Araripe Manakin from the Araripe Plateau in Northern Brazil. This species was first discovered in 1996 and is now considered critically endangered. 20% of the sale from these cards will go to Houston Audubon at the end of the year.
If your gift recipient is a coffee drinker, treat them to some delicious bird-friendly coffee from our friends at Birds & Beans. They can feel good knowing their cup of joe is helping to preserve over 100,000 acres of prime tropical habitat and biodiversity and save birds, family farms, and the Earth we all share.
Looking for some unique home decor? This hand-blown glass barometer in the shape of a swan is the perfect gift for those that love science and have an elegant taste!
If you choose to shop through Amazon, please consider supporting Houston Audubon by using AmazonSmile and selecting us as your charitable organization!
You could also gift an experience rather than physical items! That could include taking someone out for a day of birding and lunch, a trip to the Houston Audubon Raptor and Education Center, Moody Gardens, or the Houston Zoo to look at birds, a membership to their favorite conservation organization with nature trails, and more!
Houston Audubon does not endorse any of the above products or shops - they are gift ideas suggested by our staff & volunteers.
Support Houston Audubon
Support bird conservation with these gift ideas that give back to bird conservation!
Support the care of our education ambassador animals with an honorary bird adoption. Ranging from $50 – $250, adoptions include a certificate, photo, species fact sheet, and more. The $100 level includes a one-year Houston Audubon family membership (with unlimited visits to the Raptor Center!) and the $250 level include a private visit with the adopted bird.
High Island is a world-renowned birding destination and the sanctuaries are a treat even for those not interested in birds. A High Island patch includes unlimited admission to all four sanctuaries for the entire year. Purchase a 2023 patch for the outdoors enthusiast in your life for just $30!
The gardener in your life will appreciate the ease of caring for native plants in addition to the the huge benefits they provide for the bugs and birds in their yard (and even their vegetables)! Shop the Houston Audubon Natives Nursery for bird-friendly blooms and pick up at our Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary on Friday mornings.
Get your fellow bird-lover a Houston Audubon membership, which allows them to enjoy members-only field trips, free admission to the Raptor and Education Center, discounts at our nature stores and nursery open houses, and more, starting at just $35!
Surprise your partner (or treat yourself!) with a new birdy license plate that also supports bird conservation! This is a gift that keeps on giving – $22 of the annual $30 fee will come to Houston Audubon, and your recipient can drive around town with an Eastern Meadowlark on their plate, further promoting awareness of birds!
Stop by the Nature Store at the Raptor and Education Center to get a variety of birdy items! From books to apparel to plushies, there’s something for every bird-lover. You can even visit the raptors while you’re there for just $5!
We hope this list has provided some great ideas and inspiration for your holiday shopping! Leave us a comment below with your own birdy gift ideas!
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