So you know a bidwatcher but have no idea what one would want as a gift? Well here is a bit of a backgrounder to ornithology and what someone who is into this hobby would love for christmas or a birthday present!
Ornithology is a great hobby because you get to meet people, get close to nature and know the difference between each species. When you know a person who loves to do this, present him or her with something they can use which matches his area of interest. What would be most appreciated by someone interested in bird watching? To know this, you will have to learn what equipment they have when the go to watch the birds.
Probably a hat is one of the easiest and least expensive items to buy. This can be a good idea as it should improve their vision and act as a sun blocker too. Another very useful gift is a pair of cargo pants with multiple pockets which allow them top carry snacks and other necessary bits and pieces.
Something which has a greater number of pockets than this is a bird watching vest, which could be even more useful. Retrieving things from the back pack is sometimes difficult so instead, they could use these pockets for their water, map, insect repellent etc. In case you are aware that their old back pack needs replacement, this could be something you can easily purchase as a present. Backpacks are available in plenty of sizes so you only need to find one that will be just large enough for a day out as these people do not carry too many things.
The gift which costs most for a birdwatcher is a pair of decent binoculars. The distance and the field of view which the viewer can see depends on the lens of the binocular and this can make the binocular an expensive prospect. You can get plenty of features in binoculars; expensive versions allow lenses to be interchanged and some can be used to take pictures and videos even.
Ornithologists normally document what varieties of birds they have found, in what numbers and in particular where they were seen; so a good gift idea could be a bird watching journal.
A subscription to a bird watching periodical might also be welcomed. Published monthly (sometimes quarterly), they are able to see pictures of birds which frequent distant places around the world. Although costly, you could collect contributions form other friends and send your ornithologist friend on a bird watching vacation to Canada or South America for example. Of the many thousands of species of birds, only a fraction of these are indigenous to the US, many never visit the continent at all.
Unless you talk to the recipient first and understand their needs, you can never decide which gifts would be most appreciated however, if you have a small talk it can give you many options. Then you can buy the most affordable and meaningful gift for your friend. It might just be that while buying the gift, you might decide to try your hand at bird watching yourself. Rather than admiring such people, you would soon be joining their group.