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A Smart Seed Feeder
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For Beginning Birders
A Smart Hummingbird Feeder
For Bird-Loving Gamers
You may be familiar with the various memes detailing the fact that once you reach middle age, you’re automatically sorted, Harry Potter hat-style, into one of a handful of hobbies, such as sourdough bread making, gardening, or bird watching. I can’t contradict this, since I’m a middle-aged person who got sorted into bird-watching. But I do know that enjoying birds and their various activities is fun for all ages. Birds are beautiful, interesting, and unpredictable, and it’s fascinating to keep a running life list of all the birds you’ve seen and hope to see in your lifetime.
Whether someone you know is in their bird watching phase, preparing for this phase, or has been in it for decades, all of these items—for traveling bird watchers and backyard bird enthusiasts alike—are things either I or another bird-loving Reviews team member tested, was gifted, or bought IRL and enjoyed.
For more specific equipment recommendations, check out our guides to the Best Smart Bird Feeders and the Best Binoculars, and for other gift ideas, check out all our gift guide coverage, including the Best White Elephant Gifts, Best Gifts for Men, and Best Viral TikTok Gifts.
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A Smart Seed Feeder
Courtesy of Birdfy-
Photograph: Medea Giordano
Netvue
Birdfy Plastic Smart Bird Feeder
If you love birds, nothing beats seeing them up close and personal, conducting all their birdy activities. I have learned more about birds in the past year of testing smart bird feeders than I have over my entire lifetime, such as the fact that cowbirds will lay their eggs in other birds’ nests (such as juncos’) and the “host” birds will raise the cowbird chicks as their own, even if they look nothing alike. Or that jays and other corvids are scatter-hoarders, and will spend an entire day picking nuts out of a feeder’s seed mix to hide caches around the yard. There are many smart seed feeders on the market, but Birdfy’s basic model stands out for its balance of price, features, reliability, and usability without a subscription, making it a great gift option I’ve personally given.
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For Beginning Birders
Photograph: Caramel QuinBushnell
Powerview 2 8×21 Binoculars
Experienced birders probably already have a decent set of binoculars, but for the birding-curious, kids, or someone just starting out, quality binoculars and a life list journal ($17) would make a great gift. WIRED contributing reviewer Caramel Quin declared these the Best Budget Binoculars. I bought a set for each member of my family for a cruise to Alaska this summer, and I’m glad I did. They’re lightweight (7.2 ounces) yet sturdy, with an aluminium casing instead of plastic, and they’re small enough to slip into a pocket if you’ll be hiking and don’t want to deal with them around your neck.
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A Smart Hummingbird Feeder
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Photograph: Kat Merck
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